Kudos are long overdue for pet owners and their contributions to veterinary medicine, according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. To honor those who present their pets for treatment and offer medical ideas, the veterinary school has established the El Blanco Award, named for a white cat. El Blanco and his owner helped researchers discover a link between a dietary deficiency and a fatal heart ailment. "Veterinarians owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to pet owners for the role they play in the diagnosis and treatment of their animals," said Dr. Fred Murphy, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. "The ideas and feedback that owners provide frequently enable veterinarians to pursue new or novel treatments and sometimes, as was the case with El Blanco and his owner, are the catalyst for significant medical discoveries." In 1986, questions from El Blanco's owner regarding a possible link between the cat's eye problem and its heart disease, cardiomyopathy, set in motion research that led to major advances in clinical veterinary medicine, feline nutrition and formulation of commercial cat foods in the United States.