Sarge: A Journey of Love and Support
The story of one Belgian Malinois and the dedication of his owners.
When Sarge, a Belgian Malinois, first joined Sydney and her husband Dahlton Seel's family, he was still young – under a year old. Dahlton trains dogs for families, and he bonded with Sarge immediately. Sarge was a happy puppy, and got along well with their other two dogs.
Sarge acted like a normal dog, although he did tend to drink more water than usual. The first family that Sarge was part of had taken him to their veterinarian, who noted that he had a kidney issue called “renal dysplaysia,” but said that he would be okay and live a healthy life. Sydney and Dahlton put him on a prescription diet, and he seemed to be doing well.
One day, when Sarge was about three years old, he chewed on a toy that had just been disinfected, unbeknownst to the Seels, chemicals had spilled into the toy. He was seen by his veterinarian for burns on his mouth and stomach. For a normally healthy dog, this would have been the end of the story.
But something from the chemicals triggered complications with Sarge’s kidneys. Sarge was hospitalized to flush his kidneys. He faced a difficult prognosis. “I remember the emergency hospital offered two choices for us – palliative care, or the specialists from UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego. For us, the first wasn’t an option we would ever choose – we went right to the specialists at UC Davis.”
“I remember Sarge’s first visit,” recalled veterinary technician Melissa Palomares, who assisted Sarge when he visited the specialists at UC Davis. “He was facing a difficult prognosis. Dr. Berlin first saw him, and now he is in the care of Dr. Le Sueur and Dr. Dufayet.”
From the first visit, Sydney remembered that the UC Davis specialists and staff took the time to explain Sarge’s issues. Sarge has chronic Juvenile kidney disease, and which can be managed through medications.
Sydney and Dahlton administer medication to Sarge four times a day, which helps slow the progression of the disease. He visits the center every few months for check-ups and medication adjustments as needed.
“Thanks to the love and dedication of his owners, and the collaboration of our team, he has surpassed expectations,” Palomares said.
Sydney is grateful for the care that Sarge has received. “Sarge is super resilient!” she said. “He doesn’t know he is sick. He wakes up happy every day, loving life. He doesn’t slow down. Nothing stops him. He has a good life, and support from us.”
Dr. Cedric Dufayet, one of the veterinary specialists in the Advanced Extracorporeal (Hemodialysis) and Urinary Disease Service who treats Sarge, described Sarge’s chronic disease. “With early diagnoses and proper management dogs, with chronic juvenile kidney disease can live long years with a good quality of life.”
Sydney wanted to share Sarge’s story to help other pet owners who may be facing challenges with their pet. Her advice?
“Get a consultation with a specialty veterinarian if needed! And, ask questions – thanks to the education that the UC Davis nephrology team has given us, we feel really empowered to help Sarge in the best way that we can.”
For the team at UC Davis, Melissa said that that philanthropy plays a direct role in Sarge’s journey. Thanks to contributions of state-of-the-art nephrology equipment, the clinic is able to provide the best care possible for Sarge and other animals with complex conditions. “Every bit matters,” she said. “Any donation creates an opportunity for us to have better care for our patients.”
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The UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego is expanding! In spring of 2026, the center will become the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California, and move to a new location in University City. To learn more about contributing equipment or help with other capital needs for the new UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Medical Center, please visit: https://hobbs.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/giving