PetSavers reports and interviews
PetSavers is the fundraising and grant awarding arm of BSAVA, aiming to drive excellence in veterinary practice to improve the health and welfare of small animals.
In this collection, read about the journeys and successes of those in veterinary practice who have undertaken research through PetSavers funding.
Updated 2025.
Collection Contents
1 - 20 of 40 results
-
-
BSAVA PetSavers research
Canine MMVD 
Professor Melanie Hezzell of the University of Bristol received BSAVA PetSavers funding and that of the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society to undertake a longitudinal study of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease entitled Do measurements of circulating fibrosis markers change with disease progression in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease?
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Researching fungal dysbiosis in canine otitis externa 
Ross Bond and collaborators Jonna Juhola, Erin Brennan, Ewan Ferguson, Anette Loeffler, Anke Hendricks and Sian-Marie Frosini from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London have been awarded BSAVA PetSavers funding to study fungal dysbiosis following potent antibacterial monotherapy in canine otitis externa.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Endothelial dysfunction: an alternative perspective on canine myxomatous mitral valve disease 
Marco Mazzarella, Geoff Culshaw (Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies) and their collaborator Natalie Jones (Queen’s Medical Research Institute) from the University of Edinburgh, were awarded BSAVA PetSavers funding in 2021 to study endothelial dysfunction in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Researching urinary extracellular vesicles 
Veterinary student Nicole Cardoza reports on the BSAVA PetSavers research project entitled Urinary extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of canine urinary tract infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Canine Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections 
In 2022, Dr Gavin Paterson from the University of Edinburgh received BSAVA PetSavers funding for a master’s degree by research investigating the potential of phage therapy to tackle Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in dogs. Student Shannon Street tells us more…
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Cellular senescence – the culprit of MMVD? 
Michal Tkacz, a final year vet student at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, and Professor Brendan Corcoran, Personal Chair of Veterinary Cardiopulmonary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, have been awarded a PetSavers-funded student research project grant to investigate myxomatous mitral valve disease.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Assessment of hypercoagulability in dogs with ischaemic brain infarcts 
Sophie Wyatt and Stefano Cortellini received a PetSavers grant in 2022 to investigate platelet aggregation and coagulation status in dogs with ischaemic brain infarct.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Beta-adrenergic receptors in canine haemangiosarcoma 
In 2020, Ana Ortiz, Cinzia Allegrucci and Kerstin Baiker were awarded BSAVA PetSavers’ funding to investigate the expression of ß-adrenergic receptors (ß-AR) in canine haemangiosarcoma (HSA). Former master’s student and anatomic pathology resident Kian Guerzoni, and more recent master’s student and anatomic pathology resident Marta Pereira also joined the research team. This study aims to be a baseline investigation towards the potential benefit of using non-selective ß-AR antagonists in the management of canine HSA.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Feline chronic inflammatory hepatobiliary disease 
Dr Penny Watson at the University of Cambridge received PetSavers funding for a master’s degree to investigate markers for chronic biliary tract disease in cats. Student Jason Bestwick used a bespoke hepatic histological scoring system and explored serum autoantibodies in an attempt to better define the disease aetiology.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Intestinal fibrosis in feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy 
Dr Aarti Kathrani and Professor Simon Priestnall at the RVC received PetSavers funding for a Master’s Degree by Research investigating feline chronic inflammatory enteropathy. Here, student Yuvani Bandara describes her research and explains what this opportunity has meant to her.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Feline infectious peritonitis 
Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore received BSAVA PetSavers’ funding for a master’s degree by research project entitled Acute phase protein and microRNA signatures for the diagnosis and prognosis of feline infectious peritonitis. Student Rachael Hammond tells us more.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Joint fluid biomarker search to further canine quality of life 
Sebastian Griffin provides some insight into the BSAVA PetSavers funded research entitled Evaluation of synovial cytokine concentrations in dogs with degenerative joint disease, immune-mediated polyarthritis and septic arthritis.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Simplifying total intravenous anaesthesia in dogs 
Sean Langton discusses the PetSavers funded MADTCI® Project.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Feline inflammatory bowel disease research 
Dr Silke Salavati, small animal internal medicine specialist, and Holly Grenville, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies undergraduate 5th year veterinary student, report on their BSAVA PetSavers-funded research which was carried out as a student research project: Feasibility of using a point-of-care analyser for faecal calprotectin (fCAL) to diagnose and differentiate intestinal disease in cats.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Trauma-induced coagulopathy in dogs 
Rachael Birkbeck and collaborators Dan Chan, Duana McBride and Stefano Cortellini from the Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College were awarded PetSavers’ funding in 2017 to study trauma-induced coagulopathy in dogs.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
SARS-CoV-2 in UK domestic cats: Evidence of declining seroprevalence and weaker neutralizing antibody responses against Omicron 
Professor Margaret Hosie and PhD student Grace Tyson at the University of Glasgow received funding for a Student Research Project exploring the seroprevalence of SARSCoV-2 in UK domestic cats. Student Chloé Montreuil-Spencer carried out this project in the summer of 2022 and describes her work here.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Investigating the reporting of adverse drug reactions using electronic healthcare records 
Heather Davies from the University of Liverpool received PetSavers funding for the student research project Exploring recording of adverse drug reaction reporting in veterinary free-text clinical narratives. Student Emily Blackwell, whose presentation of her work at BSAVA Congress 2022 won her the PetSavers Clinical Abstract Award, describes the study.
-
-
-
PetSavers research
Investigating biomarkers of meniscal injury in canine stifle joint synovial fluid 
In 2020, Professor Mandy Peffers, together with Professor Eithne Comerford and Dr Marie Phelan, from the University of Liverpool, received BSAVA PetSavers funding for a master’s degree by research project entitled Determining predictive metabolomic biomarkers for meniscal injuries in dogs with cranial-cruciate ligament rupture using stifle joint synovial fluid. Student Christine Pye describes the study and its findings.
-