PetSavers reports and interviews

 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.

  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.

 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.

  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.

  University of Cambridge vet student Sze Lynn Yuen, reports on her research project entitled Effect of pterygoid bone medialization on nasopharyngeal narrowing and surgical outcome in dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.

 Professor Clare Rusbridge of Wear Referrals and the University of Surrey has been a recipient of many PetSavers grants. Her most recent was for the undergraduate project Cytological and MRI evaluation of the soft palate and tonsils in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with Chiari-like malformation.

 Angie Rupp received BSAVA PetSavers funding in 2014 to investigate serological markers (and potential geographic differences for their sero-prevalence) for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis at the University of Glasgow. Here she describes her project.

 Jack Lawson, a lecturer in small animal internal medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, discusses his PetSavers funded research: Urinary extracellular vesicles as a source of biomarkers in feline chronic kidney disease and hypertension.

  Hanna Machin and Chiara Adami provide a report on their BSAVA PetSavers funded investigation into the analgesic effect of dry needle acupuncture on dogs undergoing surgical treatment of type I intervertebral disc extrusions.

  Christina Maunder at Bristol University received funding for a Master’s Degree by Research project as part of the BSAVA 60th anniversary celebrations. The Master’s student, Josh Kennils, investigated diagnostic approaches to feline subclinical bacteriuria and urinary tract infections, and the responsible use of antimicrobials.

 Tim Williams and Nick Bexfield received BSAVA PetSavers funding for the student research project (SRP) entitled A study to determine the effects of time and storage conditions on the stability of total serum thyroxine in feline blood. Student Rory Scrace describes the project and its findings.

 Gavin Paterson is currently Senior Lecturer in Molecular and Applied Microbiology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh. He was awarded PetSaversfunding to supervise a Master’s Degree by Research project entitled Exploiting the healthy microflora to develop new treatments for Staphylococcus pseudintermedius infection in canine atopic dermatitis.

 Negar Hamzianpour and collaborators Christine Heinrich, Rachael Grundon and Rose Linn-Pearl, from the Eye Veterinary Clinic, Leominster, Herefordshire, have been awarded PetSavers’ funding to explore whether the use of corneal cytology is a reliable tool for identifying the type of bacteria involved in cases of canine ulcerative keratitis, using culture as the ‘gold standard’.

 Emily Dutton from Cheshire Cardiology, Professor Jo Dukes-McEwan from the University of Liverpool and Professor Ottmar Distl from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, have been awarded PetSavers funding to investigate genetic associations with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Deerhounds.

  Jordan Mitchell and Danièlle Gunn-Moore from the University of Edinburgh report on their research looking at the comparison of feline tuberculosis lesions associated with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium microti infections using histology and immunohistochemistry.

 Karen Humm of the Royal Veterinary College, together with Sarah Williamson (an ECC RVN formerly of the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals) and Emily Thomas from Dick White Referrals, was awarded PetSavers funding to compare complication rates and methods of checking the placement of naso-oeosphageal and nasogastric feeding tubes using a randomized prospective study. Karen explains the background to the study.

  Third in our series of Meet the Researcher is Dr Emily Dutton who is currently working on a clinical research project jointly funded by PetSavers and the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society, entitled ‘Genetic associations with dilated cardiomyopathy in Deerhounds’.

  Next in the series of ‘Meet the Researcher’ is Dr Emi Barker who is currently working on the PetSavers-funded clinical research project ‘Prevalence of common respiratory infections within a normal population of owned cats’ at Langford Vets.

  PetSavers is introducing a new feature called 'Meet the Researcher', which profiles veterinary scientists working on projects funded by PetSavers that aim to improve our understanding of diseases affecting companion animals. First to be interviewed in the series is Dr Melanie Hezzell who has been the recipient of several PetSavers’ grants.

PetSavers, a division of the BSAVA, is funding a major research project to engage the public and veterinary practices. Carri Westgarth and her team will be using citizen science to develop a canine ageing and well-being tool for use in veterinary practice. Sally Everitt reports…

Joanne Brewin was the recipient of a PetSavers Bursary which helped fund her laboratory-based research project during her third year as a vet student at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nottingham. Here Joanne reports on her project entitled ‘Characterisation of canine parvovirus strains circulating in the UK’.