News Archive

 

Art in support of science at the Animal Health Trust

The Civil War Horse, an almost life-size bronze by renowned sculptor Tessa Pullan. As part of the Newmarket Festival this year, animal welfare charity, the Animal Health Trust (AHT), is holding an exciting contemporary art exhibition – and you’re invited!

The exhibition will be filled with a range of work from local artists, including painters Jacquie Jones, Nicola Ottley and Neil Cawthorne, photographers Brian Singleton, Trevor Jones and Sidney Ricketts and sculptor Judy Boyt.

There will also be a unique opportunity to view The Civil War Horse, an almost life-size bronze by renowned sculptor Tessa Pullan. The piece was commissioned in 1996 by philanthropist and Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder Paul Mellon, for the Virginia Historical Society. Paul Mellon donated money towards hi-tech imaging equipment for the AHT after his famous racehorse Mill Reef was referred to specialists there in 1972. The horse had suffered a severe leg fracture whilst racing but, thanks to the expertise and life saving operation performed at the AHT, Mill Reef was able to stand as a stallion at the National Stud until his death in 1986.

The exhibition will take place in the beautiful grounds of the AHT in Kentford and refreshments will be available. There will be a public open evening on Thursday 10th July, 6pm – 8pm and an open day Friday 11th July 10am – 8pm. Entry is free but any donations received will go directly to the AHT and used to improve companion animal health and welfare.

The Festival takes place from 5th – 12th July, and as well as the art exhibition, includes live music events, horse shows, race days, a carnival and a treasure hunt! For more information, visit the festival website at http://newmarketfestival.wordpress.com.

Media contact: Sophia Waters, 01638 555 620 or email sophia.waters@aht.org.uk

 

Great opportunity for Dog Breeders: A One-Day Genetics Course

Please click here to view the Course leaflet

 

London Marathon Runners

Congratulations to our London Marathon runners, who all completed the course in the following times, in spite of the cold and wet conditions:

Andy Wolfe- 3.25:15
John Suik- 4.25;00
Pam Deal- 5.07:01
Amanda Sims- 5.45:29

Thanks to their tremendous efforts an amount of £17 000 has been raised for the Trust.

Amanda Sims after running the Marathon for the Animal Health TrustPaul Sims at the top of Machu Picchu

Amanda’s husband Paul has just returned from Peru, where he too took up the challenge for the Trust by trekking up Machu Picchu.

Thank you and well done Andy, John, Pam, Amanda and Paul! Don’t forget, if you want to take up a challenge for the Trust, it’s not too late to book your place in the Great South Run in October.

Contact our fundraising team for further details (fundraising@aht.org.uk)

 

International Strangles Event and the new strangles blood test

On May 28th, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies will be hosting a meeting of veterinary specialists from all over the world to discuss recent scientific advances in the development of preventative measures for Strangles.

White horse in fieldStrangles is the most commonly diagnosed infectious disease of horses worldwide. However, the end may be in sight, as the Animal Health Trust has teamed up with the British Horse Society to develop a blood test and vaccine, to test for and prevent respectively, the disease. The campaign has a £250,000 target, and has already managed to raise £100,000.

The conference, held in the School at the University of Edinburgh, will comprise of a series of talks from various specialists from all over the world, including four of our research team from the AHT: Andrew Waller, Jeremy Kemp-Symonds, Richard Newton and Zoë Mitchell.

Tickets for this conference, which includes lunch and coffee, are £65. Please follow the link below for further information, the day’s programme and booking form to ensure you get your place!

http://www.aht.org.uk/pdf/strangles_conference1.pdf

The new strangles blood test

Please click here for advice on the appropriate use of the strangles blood test

You can also follow the links from the Science section of our website for more information on the disease itself and the work we are doing towards the development of the vaccine.

 

AHT Race Night

Rowley Mile RacecourseIt’s time to get your betting hats on as Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket is holding a special race night next month with the Animal Health Trust as the benefiting charity.

This charity race meeting is going to be held on Thursday 15th May, with the first race kicking off at 5.50pm. The last race of the evening will be at 8.30pm.

You can take the family and, hopefully, lap up some springtime sunshine! There will also be music, entertainment and competitions on the night, as well as the races, and don’t worry if you’re not a seasoned race-goer - this is one for the novices to enjoy too!

Another highlight of the evening is set to be the Cuddly Toy Repair Clinic. Bring along any teddies, dogs, dollies or other cuddly critters who are in need of a little bit of TLC, and our team of cuddly toy nurses will soon have them looking as good as new!

The Animal Health Trust is an independent charity, located just outside Newmarket, in Kentford. The Trust is a world leader in improving the health and welfare of dogs, cats and horses, with specialist referral clinics and research facilities.

This special race night is set to be fun for all the family. Under 16s go free which makes it a cheap and very enjoyable family outing! To get your tickets, telephone 01638 675 500.

 

Eve is caught ‘on the hop’ by Animal Health Trust

Eve having examinationJamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall may think that we are a nation that pays little attention to the welfare of chickens, but Elaine Denney from Hatfield Norton, in Worcestershire, would beg to differ. Earlier this week, she and her husband Chris travelled across country to the Animal Health Trust with her pet chicken Eve, in order that leading oncologists can investigate a tumour on her leg.

Sadly, this is not Eve’s first brush with cancer. 18 months ago, she had a tumour on the other leg which, unfortunately resulted in amputation. However, she has been managing perfectly well with one leg ever since and, according to her owner, hops around quite happily, lays eggs and hardly seems to notice.

The latest tumour has already been treated by Eve’s local vet but, following resection, it has re-appeared and so she has been referred to us, as we have one of the largest veterinary oncology units in Europe.

Eve's TumourHead of Oncology, Sue Murphy, said “although our clinics generally treat dogs, cats and horses, we are always willing to accept referrals of other species that can benefit from our specialist expertise and facilities”.

During Eve’s visit to the AHT, Mrs. Murphy discussed possible methods of treatment for the tumour, which was diagnosed by the Denneys’ local vet as a squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer commonly seen in cats due to sunlight exposure.

Mrs. Murphy recommended a combination of procedures to treat Eve and offer her the best chance of success. First, surgery would be required to remove as much of the extensive tumour as possible. It is currently about 4cm long and 1cm wide.

Our oncologists would then use local radiation either with Strontium, which has a fantastic success rate of 80% to 100% in cats, or with iridium wires.

Eve the chicken“I am not aware of these methods ever having been used to treat squamous cell carcinomas in chickens,” said Sue Murphy. “But I think that either strontium or iridium will offer Eve the very best chance. There are advantages and disadvantages with both but I have given Mr and Mrs Denney all the information available to me and they will make their decision in consultation with the referring veterinary surgeon.

If they decide to go ahead, Eve will soon be back here at the Trust to begin her radiation therapy, which will hopefully have her back on her foot and hopping around the garden again in no time!

 

AHT Scoops Prize at Crufts

AHT stand at CruftsIt wasn’t only the pooches who walked away with rosettes and prizes at Crufts last week. The Animal Health Trust scooped its very own award for having the Best Stand in the medium-sized-stand category.

The open-plan stand was brand new for Crufts 2008 and was a very impressive shop window for the charity. As well as selling merchandise and offering a range of information leaflets, there was also a chance to ‘Meet the Experts’. Every day, different members of the AHT team, including scientists, vets and nurses, were on hand to offer advice to the public and answer any questions which cropped up.

Dr Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the AHT, said, “This is a very important event which allows us to meet dog owners and breeders, who are the beneficiaries of so much of our work. We also used the occasion to launch two new screening tests, developed to reduce, AHT stand at Cruftsand ultimately eliminate, inherited diseases from pedigree breeds”

The highlight for many visitors to the stand was, undoubtedly, the dog-filled playpen at the front of the stand, boasting a different breed each day, including two four-month-old Border Collie puppies on Saturday, the day of the pastoral breeds. The crowds couldn’t keep away!

The show was a huge success all round for the AHT. As well as raising public awareness of the valuable work undertaken by the charity to improve animal health and welfare, the stand also generated around £2,000 of valuable income.

 

Major Breakthrough In Battle Against Strangles

Horse with nasal dischargeA new diagnostic blood test has been developed to combat the virulent horse disease Strangles.

The breakthrough has come after four years of research by scientists at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.

The development of the test is part of the campaign ‘Breaking the Strangles Hold’, launched by the Animal Health Trust and British Horse Society in February last year by the AHT’s President HRH The Princess Royal.

It has two main aims: to raise awareness among owners, riders and anyone involved in the health and welfare of horses, and to generate funds to support the vital research in the ongoing battle to eradicate the disease.

The blood test identifies horses that have recently been exposed to Strangles, enabling it to be nipped in the bud.

Oliver Wilson, campaign director at The British Horse Society, said: "It is fantastic news.  This big breakthrough is a real boon to horse owners and I believe will lead to a significant drop in Strangles outbreaks. But there is still much to be done.

"The AHT's work to develop and test a fully effective vaccine against Strangles is ongoing. To support it we need to raise another £120,000 by the end of this year to reach the campaign target of £250,000."

The Horse Trust's Chief Executive Brigadier Paul Jepson said: “We are delighted our funding for this project has been so fruitful. This represents major progress in our battle to reduce the suffering caused by this common and debilitating disease.”

Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust, said: “Our research scientists have a particular interest in the diagnosis and prevention of Strangles and the development of this diagnostic test is a major milestone. Huge thanks go to all of those who have supported the campaign.”

Strangles is the most commonly diagnosed infectious horse disease around the world. It can prove fatal. Clinical signs include fever, profuse nasal discharge and abscessed lymph nodes of the head and neck. The swelling of these lymph nodes may, in severe cases, restrict the airway, hence the name ‘Strangles’.

The blood test is ideal for screening horses prior to movement, competition or sales and will be available from 1 March this year.

The next big step is to produce a new effective vaccine, which would be a majorbreakthrough in protecting horses and ponies around the world.

The campaign needs public support. Ways to help include making a donation, holding a fundraising event, keeping a collection box or buying a ‘Breaking the Strangles Hold’ polo shirt.

Clothing brand Puffa has teamed up with the campaign and produced a range of polo shirts to help raise funds (www.puffa.com). The campaign is also being supported by Horse & Hound magazine.

Further details of the Animal Health Trust’s work can be found at www.aht.org.uk.

For more information about the Strangles campaign, visit www.strangles.org

 

Drugs Found In AHT Offices!

Pip the sniffer dog with his handlerThankfully there was no need for alarm when the dog section of the Suffolk police force was called into the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in Kentford, near Newmarket, on 22nd January to sniff out stashes of cocaine hidden in the offices of staff.

But don’t worry, things aren’t actually quite as serious as they seem, because the drugs were planted by police officers.

Tony Russell, head of the dog unit at Suffolk Constabulary, brought floppy-eared sixteen-month-old Springer Spaniel Pip to the AHT as part of his six-week drug training course. When qualified, Pip will go on to work full time with the police force, sniffing out drugs all over the county!

The dogs are trained to sniff out every drug on the street, from the better known ones, including heroin, cannabis and cocaine, to those not so common. The Suffolk force have a dog section which consists of 13 German Shepherd Dogs, who assist police officers; five proactive drugs dogs, who actively search specifically for drugs; two passive drugs dogs, who are taken to nightclubs on the chance there may be illegal substances present; three explosive search dogs and one money detection dog!

“He’s very handy if you lose your wallet,” laughed Mr. Russell.

Pip was brought to the AHT to help acclimatise him to every situation possible.

Pip the sniffer dog“We wanted to expose him to anything he might come across in the real world so there are no big shocks for him,” said Mr. Russell. “So many of the AHT staff take their dogs to work  and we wanted to take Pip somewhere that had a strong dog presence – scents, water bowls, food, toys and, of course, actual dogs – and check that he still carried on with his job regardless. We were really pleased with Pip’s performance.”

The spaniel found all three lots of drugs planted, despite the many distractions. He’ll go on to have a long career with the police, whose dogs normally retire at the age of nine or ten.

So, if you’re walking down the streets of Suffolk and you hear a gruff little voice asking, “What’s going on ear then?” you’ll know just who it is!

 

Vet Nurse Week

Veterinary Nurse Caring for DogThe Animal Health Trust in Newmarket is celebrating the team behind the scenes next week <12 – 18 November> in recognition of National Veterinary Nurse Week.

Last year, the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) held a National Vet Nurse Day, which proved so successful in raising the profile of vet nurses all around the UK, they decided to extend it to a whole week.

Lindsey Raven, vet nurse at the AHT, has decided to organise a display for nurses working in the Small Animal Clinic, to celebrate the ‘unsung heroes’, the ones who maybe don’t always get the recognition they deserve.

“I think it’s really important to recognise how much nurses to do help with the care and welfare of animals,” she said. “The week is all about raising the profile of those behind the scenes who often get forgotten about!”

Small Animals Nurse Manager, Karen Felton, has been working at the AHT for six years, and says she too thinks it’s really important to celebrate Vet Nurse Week.

“Much of the success of this hospital is due to the fantastic, consistent and dedicated nursing care that we deliver,” she says. “The Trust has built up an international reputation for delivery of high class nursing care, and it’s important the public are made aware of the vital contribution the nursing team provides in supporting the veterinary surgeons in the care of their pets.”

The AHT, in Kentford, has 25 nurses working in the Small Animal Clinic, whose duties include patient medications, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, grooming, bathing and monitoring anaesthesia. They also play a crucial role in giving the animals a lot of love and TLC after any treatment or surgery they may have received.

The display will be up in the AHT’s Small Animals Clinic from November 12th – 18th.

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Glitz and Glamour at the AHT’s Equestrian Awards

Lucinda Fredericks, John Holmes, Frankie Dettori and Lucinda GreenIt was a night full of champagne, dancing and celebration – the three key ingredients to any awards ceremony!

This year saw the nineteenth anniversary of the event and was, as always, a huge success. Guests enjoyed a fabulous champagne reception, followed by a five course meal, auction and hours of dancing as well, of course, as the awards presentation.

The Great Leighs Flat Racing Award was a very tightly run contest, but nominees Frankie Dettori and Dylan Thomas were just pipped to the post by winner Geoff Huffer, and Cockney Rebel, who have had a phenomenal year, winning both the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket and its Irish equivalent. Huffer, who attended the evening event at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, said of the colt, “[Cockney Rebel] shows that everyone has got a chance. What it has done for racing has been wonderful. Everyone loves an underdog!”

The second racing award, Arena Leisure National Hunt Racing Award, went to horse Kauto Star, known to the racing press as ‘White Knuckle Ride’ for the tension he causes his supporters! Trained by Paul Nicholls, he has won three Grade 1 events, followed by the Cheltenham Gold Cup, ridden by Ruby Walsh. Owner Clive Smith was thrilled to pick up the award on behalf of his horse.Twink Allen and Glynnie Walford

The Petplan Eventing Award went to Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks for their successes on their own horse Headley Brittania, and the BSJA Showjumping prize was awarded to British Champion John Whitaker.

Anna Ross-Davies, International Grand Prix Dressage rider and Director of Equestrianism at Patchetts Equestrian Centre in Hertfordshire, was absolutely delighted to walk away with the Berkeley Group Dressage Award, as was Libby Archer, deserving recipient of the Fort Dodge Veterinary Achievement Award. For the last 16 years, Libby has been responsible for veterinary research grants from the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

Bransby Home of Rest for Horses won the Lexington Insurance Voluntary Service Award for their excellent services in providing horses, ponies, donkeys and mules with a safe, permanent refuge. Since setting up in 1968, Bransby has taken over 700 animals into care at the home in Lincolnshire.

Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks, Clive Smith, Anna Ross-Davies, Geoff Huffer, Libby Archer and Twink AllenFinally, the Martin Collins Special Award went to Professor Twink Allen, for his outstanding contribution to the world of equestrianism. He has run the Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket for over 20 years, and has been an invaluable resource to the Thoroughbred breeding industry. He was there with his family, including son-in-law Frankie Dettori, who added a little celebrity touch to the event!

A wonderful evening was had by all, and vital funds were raised for the Animal Health Trust to enhance the health and welfare of horses, dogs and cats.

Note: Photographs from the evening can be seen at: www.agripix.co.uk

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Jersey Golf Day: a major fundraising success for Animal Health Trust

The Tenth Jacksons Golf Tournament in aid of the Animal Health Trust was held on Wednesday 19th September at the Royal Jersey Golf Club followed by prize giving and dinner at the ‘Jacksons Showroom’.  The event was attended by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Animal Health Trust, and the Governor of Jersey, His Excellency Lieutenant General Andrew and Mrs Ridgway.

HRH The Princess Royal presented the prizes and this was followed by the charity auction and entertainment by Danny Buckler and Swing Incognito. The event raised a magnificent £220,000 for the Animal Health Trust, and these funds will go directly to refurbishing the laboratory originally opened by HRH The Princess Royal in July 1969.

The Animal Health Trust is an independent charity committed to improving the health and welfare of dogs, cats and horses. Its referral clinics are backed up by teams of scientists working on improved methods to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and injury. Their work will be enhanced greatly by the new facilities and equipment which will be made possible by this major contribution.

Teams taking part in the Golf Day included those from Coolmore, Schroders, HSBC, RBS and the Standard Bank. The event was organised by Bunny Roberts, Chairman of the Channel Islands branch of the Animal Health Trust, who said ‘We were delighted to have so much support from the equine and financial services world and my special thanks must go to our President HRH The Princess Royal for attending our Tenth Anniversary event. I would also personally like to thank our main sponsor Mr Tom Scott for his continued support over the last 10 years. The event has become a crucial part of the fundraising programme for the Animal Health Trust which does such significant work for our companion animals. We are delighted that Schroders International have kindly agreed to be our main sponsor for next year’s event’.

Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust was delighted with the day and added : “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Bunny Roberts and her Channel Islands committee. The Trust does not receive any Government funding and we are heavily dependent on charitable donations. The funds raised at the Jersey Golf Day will enable us to complete the current phase of our laboratory refurbishment and that’s very good news for our scientists and for the veterinary profession as a whole”.

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Second Gala Open Day a Great Success for Animal Health Trust

The Animal Health Trust held a very successful Gala Open Day on Sunday [30th September] in their grounds at Lanwades Park, just outside Newmarket. It attracted a record crowd and raised much needed funds for the Trust’s work towards improving the health and welfare of dogs, cats and horses.

The Trust’s first Gala Day was held last year to celebrate the 80th birthday of its Patron, Her Majesty The Queen. Based on the popularity of that event, a second Open Day was held on 30th September this year, which was even more well attended. As a result, it looks set to become an Annual event.

The day was gloriously sunny and this no doubt helped to bring the visitors flocking. Over 1,000 people enjoyed a wide variety of activities throughout the day, starting with a sponsored three mile dog walk and including a dog show, displays by the Essex Dog Display Team and the Animal Health Trust agility team. A particular favourate was Elaine Hill and her sheepdogs. Because of the current movement restrictions, she could not bring sheep to show off her dogs’ prowess and so instead they herded ducks, much to the crowd’s amusement.

TuftiThere was plenty for the children too, including a circus workshop, face painting and a bouncy castle. The dog show, which ran throughout the day, attracted over 100 entries, scrutinised by experienced judges - Pauline Buxton, Kathy Frawley and Kay Randall. The highlight, perhaps, was the class for ex-patients of the Trust. This was judged by Drs Peter Webbon and Keith Barnett and won by Tufti, a rescue dog owned by John Lowery. Tufti was referred to the Trust because she was blind in both eyes. Following eye operations by the Trust’s ophthalmologists, her sight has now been fully restored.

As well as providing a fantastic day’s entertainment for so many people, the event will have contributed in excess of £5,000 towards the valuable work of the Animal Health Trust.

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Jacquie Jones’ work goes under the hammer to support the Animal Health Trust

During a lunch held at Doncaster Racecourse, to celebrate the opening of the new Urban-i Grandstand, a Jacquie Jones painting of Nijinsky being ridden by Lester Piggott fetched an outstanding auction bid of £11,500.

Over 100 guests attended the lunch, including Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the Animal Health Trust.

Jacquie Jones paintinNewmarket-based equestrian artist, Jacquie Jones, is Artist in Residence at the Trust as well as being a great supporter. “As an animal lover, I have huge admiration for the vets and scientists at the Trust” she said. “They have already done a great deal to enhance the health and welfare of dogs, cats and horses and I am delighted that the sale of my painting will help to fund future work”.

Jacquie chose Nijinsky as her subject for the painting because of his renowned association with Doncaster, having completed the Triple Crown with victory in the 1970 St. Leger.

Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust, Dr Peter Webbon, who was also at the lunch, commented “It was very exciting. Their was a lot of interest in the painting and in the final stages there were two very keen, and very determined, bidders. We are extremely grateful to Jacquie who works closely with us and understands the importance of our work”.

Attached: Photograph showing the Nijinsky portrait being displayed to lunch guests during the auction.

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Animal Health Trust’s ‘Hyperion’ on loan to National Horseracing Museum

The Animal Health Trust has agreed to loan their treasured skeleton of the legendary racehorse, Hyperion, to The National Horseracing Museum where it will be on display for the next 3 years.

With great care, the skeleton has been erected at the museum where it can be viewed until the summer of 2010. Graham Snelling, Acting Director/Curator of the museum, said “The statue of Hyperion, which stands outside the Jockey Club Rooms, is always greatly admired and we thought it would be an excellent opportunity if, for a limited period, visitors could also see this great horse’s skeleton”.

Born in 1930, Hyperion had an outstanding racing career and went on to become a successful sire. Owned by the 17th Earl of Derby, he won almost £30,000 through a string of victories which included the Epsom Derby and the St Leger Stakes. He was leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland six times, counting among his progeny Pensive (winner of the 1944 Kentucky Derby). He was also damsire of Nearctic who, in turn, sired Northern Dancer, the 20th Century’s greatest sire. He died at the grand age of 30 years.

Visitors to the museum may be surprised at the size of the skeleton. For such an impressive racehorse, Hyperion was on the small side at 15.1 hh. In fact he was the smallest horse ever to have won the Derby.

Dr Peter Webbon, recently appointed Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust, said “We are privileged to own this skeleton and pleased to be working with the museum to ensure that it is viewed by as wide an audience as possible. We have plans to refurbish our Visitor Centre at Lanwades Park and, when that has been completed, Hyperion will no doubt take pride of place.

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AHT Breaks the Strangles Hold for Nelson

Bobbles and NelsonThanks to the diligence of vets at Newmarket’s Animal Health Trust, and funding from The Horse Trust, newborn foal ‘Nelson’ has escaped the potentially fatal disease, Strangles.

Nelson’s dam, Bobbles, was one of a number of horses and ponies affected by an outbreak of Strangles at a yard in Nordelph, Norfolk. Owner, Chris Dobson, was concerned when she noticed a swelling the size of a tennis ball in Bobbles’ neck. “I called my vet at the Isle Veterinary Group in Ely immediately” she said. “ and as soon as we suspected Strangles, she contacted The Animal Health Trust, which is renowned for its expertise in infectious diseases”.

The Trust’s diagnostic laboratory soon confirmed the diagnosis of Strangles, one of the most common and feared infectious diseases of horses worldwide. It causes a range of clinical signs, including fever, profuse nasal discharge and abscesses of the lymph nodes in the head and neck. These often erupt through the skin to release highly infectious pus. As a result, the disease spreads easily and quickly within groups of horses.

Although the condition causes a high degree of suffering, most horses do eventually recover. However, some horses remain long-term carriers of the disease even after recovery, and they can then infect other horses and start new outbreaks.

A team of veterinary surgeons and scientists at the Animal Health Trust have taken a particular interest in Strangles and, with funding from The Horse Trust, they are undertaking an extensive survey of cases in the UK. Therefore, when Bobbles’ sample was positive, Trust vet Jeremy Kemp-Symonds arranged to visit the yard and test all the other horses and ponies. As he had suspected might be the case, the disease had already spread widely.

As part of the project, Jeremy monitored them carefully and, within 2 months, they all appeared to have made a recovery. However, tests showed that Bobbles was a carrier and therefore still capable of infecting other animals. It was therefore necessary to isolate her immediately. However, there was a further complication - Bobbles was pregnant and there was a very high chance that her foal would be infected soon after birth. “This was a major concern” says Jeremy Kemp Symonds “because the fataility rate in very young animals can be around 10 per cent. We therefore decided to treat the mare with pencillin. Thankfully we managed to clear the infection completely before Nelson was born”. This story has a happy ending and Nelson appears to be a perfectly healthy, happy foal; but it serves as a sharp reminder of the danger of this dreadful disease.

If you would like to learn more about Strangles, and how the Animal Health Trust is tackling it in conjunction with the British Horse Society, go to www.strangles.org

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Congratulations to the lucky winners of our National Car Draw, which took place on 30th March.

  • 1st Prize- Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 2.0R was won by J. Morgan of Bedfordshire
  • 2nd Prize- 32” HD Ready LCD TV to M Fearnsides of West Yorkshire
  • 3rd Prize- £250 Cash to D Dyer, Wiltshire

Sincere thanks to all our supporters who took part in the draw, which has raised a wonderful £27 325 to help support the work of the Trust.

Mr Keith Reid, Trust Secretary, examines the winning ticket drawn by Dr Keith Barnett

Picture: Mr Keith Reid, Trust Secretary, examines the winning ticket drawn by Dr Keith Barnett

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Webbon sees bright future for Animal Health Trust

Dr Peter Webbon has been appointed Chief Executive of the Animal Health Trust with effect from 1st January 2007. For the last 5 months, following the retirement of Ted Chandler, Dr Mark Vaudin has been acting as Interim Chief Executive and will continue to do so until the end of the year, when he will take up the post of Assistant Chief Executive.

Dr Vaudin said “I have had enormous satisfaction from the experience gained in the interim post and I am greatly looking forward to my new, permanent position and to working with Dr Webbon. This is a very satisfactory outcome in that, when I do hand over the reins, I will continue to have a senior administrative role within the directorate while, at the same time, being able to give adequate attention to managing the genetics research activities which are so important, both to me and to the Trust”.

Dr Webbon has been Chief Executive of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority since its inception earlier this year. Prior to that he was with the Jockey Club for 10 years, initially as Chief Veterinary Adviser and subsequently as Director of Veterinary Welfare and Science.

Lord Kirkham, Chairman of AHT’s Executive Committee, who convened the Appointment Panel commented “Peter Webbon brings with him the ideal combination of managerial experience and scientific expertise. The Trust needs a strong leader who can maximise its potential. Animal welfare is at the core of our objectives and he has a proven track record in this field”.

Dr Webbon’s early career was based around veterinary academia. He graduated from London’s Royal Veterinary College and became a Horserace Betting Levy Board Research Training Scholar, managing to combine his veterinary skills with his passion for racing.

He then became a lecturer in Radiology, where much of his work focused on canine orthopaedics. Following a period as Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine and Director of the Sefton Equine Referral Hospital at the RVC, he joined the Jockey Club in 1996.

Dr Webbon, who has worked in collaboration with the Trust on many occasions throughout his career, commented “this position will allow me to utilise all of my previous experience and expertise. The Trust has been through a period of re-organisation and a certain amount of upheaval. However, I am confident that it has enormous potential and I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity of working closely with the equine and small animal industries to ensure that it remains a leading provider of vital services as well as a top class research institute. Mark Vaudin has done sterling work in his post as interim CEO and we have already started to discuss our plans for the future direction of the Trust”.

Peter Webbon’s high profile positions in racing have established his reputation as an exceptional communicator, effective strategist and resourceful general manager. John Bridgeman, Chairman of HRA, said “our loss is definitely the Trust’s gain. We are sorry to be losing Peter but quite understand the reasons for his decision. We wish him every success in this challenging new role. Hopefully, he will continue to play an active role in racing and I am sure that, ultimately, this appointment will be beneficial to the racing industry as a whole ".

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Trust to benefit from Queen's eightieth birthday celebrations

The Animal Health Trust is delighted to be one of four charities nominated by Her Majesty the Queen to benefit from celebrations marking her eightieth birthday

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Animal Health Trust on Standby for Coggins Testing

The recent occurrences of Equine Infectious Anaemia (Swamp Fever) in the Republic of Ireland have resulted in a considerable increase in the number of Coggins tests needing to be performed.

As an example, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority and British Horseracing Board have decided that runners from Ireland, or which have recently visited Ireland, must have a negative Coggins test before racing in the UK. The bloodstock sales companies are also introducing mandatory testing of horses entered into their forthcoming sales.

In addition, precautionary Coggins testing is being recommended by many veterinary surgeons in the UK.

Although the Veterinary Laboratory Agencies must undertake testing of horses for international trade purposes, or horses which are under Defra restriction orders, precautionary testing can also be carried out by non-VLA laboratories. Hence, the Animal Health Trust, in Newmarket, has geared itself up to receive the large number of samples that are likely to become necessary as a result of requirements by the industry or simply voluntary testing requested by owners and trainers.

Samples should be collected by a veterinary surgeon and sent to Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7UU. The tests cost £12.50 each and results will be made available to the submitting veterinary surgeon within 2 working days. If you require further information about testing, please contact Florence Manning on 08700 502426.

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New scientific leadership for Animal Health Trust

Dr Mark Vaudin, who has held the post of Head of Genetics at the Animal Health Trust since October 2004, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive with effect from 1st May.

He was chosen by a specially convened Selection Committee, which included representatives of the equine and small animal industries, and the appointment was supported unanimously by the AHT’s Board of Trustees.

Mark Vaudin- nterim Chief ExecutiveThe future direction of the Trust has been under close scrutiny since it became apparent, last year, that a proposed merger with the Royal Veterinary College in London would not go ahead. The Trustees and Executive Committee have given lengthy consideration to all aspects of the organisation’s role and structure during a series of meetings, both internally and with representatives of the equine and canine industries which support the Trust.

Deputy President, Lord Kirkham, said “following the retirement of the Executive Chairman, Ted Chandler, in March, we decided to appoint an interim Chief Executive with the necessary expertise and experience to start implementing our current strategy, and Mark Vaudin is ideally placed to do this. This appointment will allow us time to identify and recruit the most suitable candidate for the post on a permanent basis. Of course” he continued “it may well be that Mark is among the candidates considered but the post will be advertised widely in due course”.

Mark Vaudin was previously selected by his colleagues as Chairman of the Trust’s internal Scientific Steering Committee and his appointment has met with the approval of AHT staff, many of whom submitted written support of his candidacy. “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity and feel extremely optimistic about the future of the Trust” he said. “We have been through a difficult period, without doubt, with a lot of uncertainty. However, it has provided us with an opportunity to really put the organisation under the microscope and, in conjunction with our major supporters, decide on the most appropriate strategy for meeting the challenges of the 21st century, in the context of equine and small animal health and welfare”.

Dr Vaudin has a wealth of leadership and business experience to help him in his task. His scientific career has spanned 26 years in both the academic and corporate sectors, in the UK and USA. He has initiated a large number of collaborative projects and believes firmly that the establishment of appropriate collaboration with other scientific institutions is key to the future success of the Trust.

Sir Tristram Ricketts, Chief Executive of the Horserace Betting Levy Board who fund a great deal of the Trust’s equine research, commented “Mark is well known to us through his excellent work on equine genetics. We are pleased to see the Trust emerge from its difficulties with so much obvious enthusiasm and determination, and we look forward to participating in discussions about its future strategic development”.

It is anticipated that the interim position will last for at least 6 months.

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Animal Health Trust Open Day for Pedigree Dog Breed Clubs

The Animal Health Trust Genetics and Oncology Research Groups recently hosted an Open Day for representatives of Pedigree Dog Breed Clubs. It was attended by 27 members of 11 clubs, representing 7 breeds, and by Dr Jeff Sampson, the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Coordinator.

The Open Day had two themes: The Trust's Genetics Group described their recent progress in studies aimed at identifying the mutations responsible for a number of inherited canine diseases and developing diagnostic DNA tests for those conditions. The Oncology Research Group presented details of the Trust's cancer research programme, and outlined their plans for genetic studies (to be conducted in partnership with breed clubs) to identify the gene mutations that in certain dog breeds are associated with an increased risk of developing a specific cancer.

Dr Cathryn Mellersh (senior canine geneticist) described an ongoing project focussing on primary lens luxation in the Lancashire Heeler, and the identification of the single gene mutations that cause L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) in Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Copper toxicosis in Bedlington Terriers. A diagnostic test for L-2-HGA is now available at the Trust, and a test for Copper toxicosis will be available in autumn of this year.

Dr Mellersh also announced that she is cautiously optimistic that the gene responsible for hereditary cataract in Staffordshire Bull Terriers can be identified. She took the opportunity to thank breeders and owners who have already donated valuable blood samples to research projects at the Trust and highlighted the importance of the continued co-operation of breed clubs with regard to sample collection, and in particular the immeasurable value of collecting DNA samples from affected dogs.

The objectives of the AHT cancer research programme were described by Dr Mike Starkey (Head of Molecular Cytogenetics). Dr Starkey provided examples of studies on common and serious canine cancers and, in particular, efforts to develop assays that predict how individual tumours will behave and respond to treatment. Dr Starkey explained that the Oncology Research Group plans to seek funding to identify the gene mutations that confer susceptibility to lymphoma (in Boxers, Bulldogs and Bullmastiffs), mast cell tumours (in Boxers and Weimaraners) and osteosarcoma (in Irish Wolfhounds). Dr Starkey encouraged participants to continue to submit cheek swab and blood samples from affected and non-affected dogs belonging to the 5 breeds of interest, and asked them to encourage their fellow breeders and owners to do likewise. In addition, Dr Starkey asked attendees if they would assist in the research aimed at development of improved prognostic assays for canine cancers by prompting vets to save samples of tumours (removed for surgical and/or diagnostic procedures) in a suitable storage medium that could be provided by the Trust.

In the meeting's final presentation, Dr Sampson outlined The Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme. This scheme stipulates that accredited breeders make use of health screening programmes (including DNA profiling), relevant to their breed, on all breeding stock. In discussion, Dr Sampson emphasised that the advent of diagnostic DNA tests for many inherited single gene canine diseases should not be seen as a ‘threat' to a way of life. Instead these tests should be considered a tool with which to empower responsible breeders to breed dogs that epitomise the breed standard characteristics and have good health and longevity. For autosomal recessive single gene disorders, carriers can be bred with dogs that are clear, and even affected dogs can be bred with dogs that are clear, with the main objective being to avoid breeding affected dogs while maintaining the desirable characteristics of the breed. DNA tests can be used to eliminate disease mutations slowly, maybe over several generations, without any dog needing to be removed from the breeding programme.

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Top treatment for Little Big Foot

The Animal Health Trust, in Newmarket, is recognised as a veterinary referral centre for cats, dogs and horses. Staff and visitors were therefore somewhat surprised on Thursday when a one-year-old Wallaby arrived for treatment.

Wallaby after operationLittle Big Foot, as he has been christened by his carers at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, was found in the pouch of an adult female wallaby which was brought in by their rescue team. Unfortunately, she had contracted chronic mandibular osteomyelitis (commonly known as lumpy jaw) and, despite intensive veterinary care, she did not survive.

Thanks to a dedicated nursing team, and a committed foster mother, Little Big Foot developed into a strong and healthy young wallaby. It was particularly sad, therefore, that his sight subsequently became severely impaired and, on examination, he was found to have cataracts in both eyes.

At this point, the Animal Health Trust was contacted because they are world leaders in veterinary ophthalmology. Following an inWallaby on operating tableitial consultation, Jane Sansom, the Trust’s Head of Ophthalmology, performed surgery to remove the cataracts from both eyes. This was done using a technique known as 'phacoemulsification' which involves breaking the cataracts into tiny pieces which are then sucked out.

Following this procedure the patient returned to Tiggywinkles, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, and is doing very well. It is hoped that much of Little Big Foot’s vision will have been restored although it may be some time before this can be assessed.

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New hope in sight for Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Thanks to a breakthrough by scientists at the Animal Health Trust, in Newmarket, hereditary cataracts in Staffordshire Bull Terriers may become a thing of the past.

Many pedigree dogs, it appears, are predisposed to one or more of the many hereditary diseases that affect our canine friends. As an example, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are particularly susceptible to hereditary cataracts. The condition manifests itself at a young age, usually about 3 months, and is always bilateral (affecting both eyes) and progressive. This means that eventually, and usually by 18 months to 2 years of age, dogs with this condition will become completely blind. Breeders' have long been aware of this problem and have done their best to avoid breeding from affected dogs. However, their efforts have been hampered by the fact that many dogs can be ‘carriers'. Such animals do not show any clinical signs of the disease but, unfortunately, they can pass it on to their offspring. Now, however, thanks to a major scientific breakthrough by scientists working at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, it will soon be possible to reduce the incidence, and ultimately to eliminate hereditary cataracts in this breed by selective breeding.

Dr Cathryn Mellersh and the genetics team at the Trust have identified the specific genetic mutation that causes the problem and they have established that all clinically affected dogs (those that show clinical signs) have 2 copies of this mutation whereas carriers have just one copy. It is therefore possible to identify, without doubt, all dogs that are capable of passing on the disease.

Interestingly, this does not necessarily mean that carriers should not be used for breeding. Dr Mellersh explains ‘If a carrier is bred with another carrier, there is a 25% chance of any offspring being clinically affected, a 25% chance of them being genetically clear and a 50% chance of them being a carrier. However, if a carrier is bred to a clear dog (one without any copies of the gene mutation), 50% of the offspring will be clear and 50% will be carriers. Therefore carriers can be used for breeding, without any danger of producing clinically affected puppies, providing all breeding animals are tested and combinations of dogs that could produce affected puppies are avoided.

This will be a great relief to Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeders as it is possible that up to 20% of the breed in the UK will prove to be carriers. Dr Keith Barnett, Consultant in Ophthalmology at the Trust, emphasised the importance of using this information to ensure safe breeding selections. He commented “not only is it safe to use carriers for breeding purposes, we would actively encourage breeders to do so. The alternative approach, of not breeding at all from any carriers, would result in a severe depletion of the gene pool and this may well result in an increase in other genetic abnormalities”.

The initial work on this project was funded early in 2003 by the Kennel Club Health Foundation and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council. The first stage involved the analysis of a random selection of about 350 genetic markers from the canine genome to look for patterns of inheritance that were similar to that of the disease within a large extended pedigree of dogs with hereditary cataracts. In order to do this, over 100 DNA samples were supplied from affected dogs and their close relatives. This required a great deal of co-operation from the breeders themselves and the Trust is enormously grateful to all those who participated in the project.

In the second stage, and with funding from the American Kennel Club, Dr Mellersh looked at specific genes which are known to be associated with hereditary cataracts in the human population. The geneticists looked at 20 candidate genes in 10 affected and 12 carrier dogs. One particular gene showed a clear pattern of inheritance that suggested it was involved with the development of hereditary cataracts. They determined the DNA sequence of this gene in affected, carrier and clear dogs, subsequently identifying the mutation responsible for the disease. This was a relatively simple exercise largely because the entire dog genome had recently been sequenced and made available to scientists across the world.

‘We were left in no doubt' said Dr Mellersh, ‘Every single affected dog we studied had 2 copies of this mutation and every carrier had just one copy. As a result of this breakthrough, the Trust has now developed a diagnostic screening test which will be able to identify accurately those dogs which are affected, carriers or clear'. This is the first genetic screening test for identification of any hereditary cataract in the dog.

The DNA test for hereditary cataracts in Staffordshire Bull Terriers is not yet available, but the AHT hopes to be offering it in the near future. When we do we will publicise the test through the dog press and this web-site.

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Doggy paddle benefits patients at Animal Health Trust

Canine patients being treated at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket will now be able to benefit from a brand new facility. A hydrotherapy pool was opened on Tuesday 10th May thanks to the generosity of Trust supporters.

Hydrotherapy is an important part of the recuperation process after surgery or injury – for animals as well as people. In some instances hydrotherapy can also be used pre-operatively to build up supporting muscle needed in surgery.

This new pool has been installed at the Trust's Small Animals Centre at a cost of £22,000. It will be of immense value in helping dogs to build up strength and fitness through swimming and other aquatic exercise. More importantly, it will not cause stress on the muscles than can be incurred through running.

Jo Handley-Howard, Kennel Manager at the Trust, said “Five minutes exercise in the pool equates to a five mile run for a dog but recovery from surgery or injury can begin much sooner in water than on land. This is a fantastic facility for us to have and we are so grateful to those who have made it possible.”

The new facility has been made possible thanks to three generous supporters: the founders of the Dalmatian Rescue Service; Mrs Barbara Cozens; and Mrs Pat Dellar.

The Dalmatian Rescue Service was the brain-child of Mrs Phyllis Piper, now 98 years of age, together with Mrs Gwen Eady. It started in 1964 in response to the sudden rise in Dalmatians requiring homes after over breeding as a reaction to the first 101 Dalmatians film. In 1984, Miss Silverstone joined the team.

Mrs Cozens very kindly made a donation in memory of Carol Laurie and Ray Nurse of Carorae Gordon Setters and Mrs Dellar, who owns German Shepherds and runs Normandale Kennels, raised the remaining £2,000 required to reach the target via a sponsored slim! All benefactors attended the opening.

Dalmatians, Setters, German Shepherds and other large breeds, are prone to spinal and neurological problems and all benefactors are keen to improve the health of present and future generations of dogs by helping the AHT develop its expertise in the treatment of specialist canine health problems.

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Veterinary Research to help prevent human deaths

University of Cambridge establishes Infectious Diseases Consortium

Researching the evolution, spread and control of infectious animal diseases, including those transmissible to humans, a major threat to public health, will be the main focus of a new Infectious Diseases Consortium at the University of Cambridge.

A £5 million award has been given to the University of Cambridge Veterinary School from the Higher Education Funding Council of England (Hefce) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in support of their proposal to create the Cambridge Infectious Diseases Consortium (CIDC). This funding will allow the University of Cambridge together with The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket and other national centres for animal diseases to create a world-class research environment for the future training of veterinarians as infectious disease specialists.

In recent years the world has experienced several trans-boundary and trans-species diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS), avian influenza, West Nile Fever and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ( BSE).

CIDC is a new idea that aims to provide a collaborative infrastructure, offering complementary expertise and facilities. The Consortium, centred at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School, will be led by Dr James Wood, previously head of Epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust, and will operate in close collaboration with the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket.

The CIDC will combine a number of important disciplines, including virology, microbiology, immunology, pathology and clinical research, to create a multidisciplinary research base. An outreach and educational programme are also central to the consortium.

The main funded research programme of the CIDC, which will be led by Dr. Jenny Mumford, Director of Science at the Animal Health Trust, will be on animal Influenza A infections. The Influenza A virus poses a major disease threat to both animal and human populations and is of considerable public health concern. The danger of influenza to animal health was starkly highlighted by the recent outbreak in Holland, where 30 million birds were lost due to infection or culling.

In the recent epidemics of avian influenza in the Far East, Italy and Netherlands, there have been several consequent human deaths. The risk of a new human pandemic arising by mutation from animal influenza viruses is very real. The control of equine influenza is of course critical to the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.

The CIDC Education and Training Unit will deliver educational programmes for university students and veterinarians at all levels to provide them with information on cutting edge approaches to infectious disease research. This will involve the development of an outreach programme, which will bring together practising veterinary clinicians with academic veterinarians and scientists. It will have the dual objectives of bringing the “real world” infectious disease problems into the heart of the CIDC on a regular basis, coupled to the evolution of mechanisms for introducing field veterinarians to the new developments in infection research.

Professor Ian McConnell, principle applicant for the CIDC and Director of Research at the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge said:

“The issue of infectious disease in animals can not be ignored and requires co-operation between research organisations to alleviate this problem. The grant by Defra will allow us to proactively address this issue and help prevent future outbreaks from seriously affecting the UK economy.”

Dr. Ted Chandler, Chairman of the Animal Health Trust, commented that:

“This collaborative initiative will allow the resources of both institutes to be harnessed and utilised to increase our understanding of infectious diseases. The advantage of a joint approach such as this is that it will result in maximum benefit being obtained from the HEFCE funding.”

Professor Maskell, recently appointed as the new Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and an expert on infectious diseases said:

“Our new venture will extend the already excellent base of infectious disease research in the Cambridge area, with the Veterinary School at its core. The combined expertise of the University and the research institutes will greatly enhance the ability to train veterinarians in infectious disease.”

Notes for editors:

• The CIDC will build upon strong and pre-existing collaborations between the partners to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the dynamics and control of infectious diseases. It will be centred at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School and will include leading groups from the University of Cambridge Departments of Pathology and Zoology, The Animal Health Trust, The Sanger Centre, The Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Institute for Animal Health.

• A key development for the Veterinary School will be the creation of a new research unit to study the transmission, control and evolution of infectious diseases. The Disease Dynamics Unit will focus on the integration of expertise in mathematical modelling, statistics, biocomputing and theoretical biology in infectious disease dynamics. The use of mathematical modelling is a relatively new field in veterinary medicine and its development is key to better control strategies for infectious diseases.

• Equine influenza has been a major research area for the Animal Health Trust for many years. Research led by Dr Mumford, has been key to better understanding of the disease in horses and development of vaccination strategies. International expertise in avian and porcine influenza also exists in other CIDC member laboratories

• The economic costs of diseases of livestock are huge. The BSE, Foot and Mouth Disease and Classical Swine Fever outbreaks in the UK in recent years together cost the UK some £18 billion to control and eliminate. In the UK endemic disease alone causes a 17% annual loss of agricultural production of some £3billion - equivalent to the cost of a BSE crisis every year.

For further information, please contact:

• Corina Hadjiodysseos, Press and Publications Office
University of Cambridge
Tel: 01223 332300; email: ch250@admin.cam.ac.uk

• Professor Ian McConnell
Professor of Veterinary Science and Director of Research
University of Cambridge Veterinary School
Tel: 01223 337 654; email: im200@cam.ac.uk

• Mrs Jan Wade
Animal Health Trust
Tel: 01638 667600;
email: jan.wade@rw-communications.co.uk

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Dalmatian Rescue Service helps fund Hydrotherapy pool

Those of you who receive our newsletter will remember the amazing story of Hava the Borzoi puppy who broke her neck and was saved by the AHT.
The expertise of our Neurology Unit was essential to repair her broken bones, but
just as important is the aftercare and physiotherapy. The AHT will soon be able to offer the best possible facilities for its canine patients thanks to a new hydrotherapy pool.

Hydrotherapy is increasingly being seen as an important part of the recuperation process after surgery or injury. Swimming and other aquatic exercise allows the dog to use its muscles, building up strength, tone and fitness levels, without causing the stress on the muscles that running on hard ground can. In fact, five minutes’ exercise in the pool is equivalent to a five-mile run for a dog! Recovery after surgery or injury can also begin much sooner in water than on land. Additionally, hydrotherapy can be used pre-operatively to build up supporting muscle needed in surgery, for example with a hip replacement patient.

The Dalmatian Rescue Service has donated £12,000 to the AHT towards the cost of the pool. The Dalmatian Rescue Service was the brain-child of Mrs Phyllis Piper, together with Mrs Eady, in response to the sudden rise in Dalmatians requiring homes in 1964. This was due to over-breeding by inexperienced or commercial breeders as a reaction to the first ‘101 Dalmatians’ film appearing in the cinemas. In 1984, Miss Silverstone joined them and proved to be a great source of help and support. Dalmatians, and other large breeds, are prone to spinal and neurological problems and Mrs Piper and friends are keen to improve the health of future generations by supporting this appeal.

A longstanding supporter has also very kindly made a substantial donation in memory of Carol Laurie and Ray Nurse and their Carorae Gordon Setters to reach the £20,000 target for the new pool. The AHT is extremely grateful to both parties for their exceptional gifts. We hope to have the facility in place and benefiting patients during the first half of 2005.

The Dalmatian Rescue Service has also donated an incredible £8,000 for the purchase of a cystoscope (pictured) which is being used to diagnose and treat lower urinary tract conditions such as bladder stones (common in Dalmatians) and tumours. In the more severe cases, such problems can lead to kidney failure and loss of life. With this advanced technology the Trust will be able to further reduce unnecessary suffering.

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EHV-1 Paralytic Disease

During 2003 there were 12 reported outbreaks of EHV-1 paralytic disease. This is the highest number recorded in the past decade. Last year a total of 23 horses showed clinical signs, and in 16 of these cases the animals required euthanasia. The signs can vary from pyrexia and mild ataxia to loss of bladder function and tail tone and an inability to rise. After euthanasia, the diagnosis can be confirmed by post mortem examination. However, in the living horse blood tests for serology and virus isolation are required to confirm EHV-1 as the cause of ataxia. EHV-1 can be spread by nose-to-nose contact between animals and the virus may be shed from an infected horse with no obvious clinical signs. For this reason, it is important for any animal in-contact with a horse known to be affected with EHV-1 paralytic disease to be kept isolated until results from blood tests are available and there is little risk that the horse could spread the disease to other animals.

The outbreaks occurred over a widespread region of the UK and there was no known link between any of the outbreaks. The counties in which EHV-1 outbreaks were investigated included:

Kent, Essex, Gloucestershire, Sussex, Surrey/Greater London and Devon

This year there have been a further 5 outbreaks in:

Devon, Somerset, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, Suffolk

CURRENT OUTBREAK INVESTIGATIONS

A possible outbreak in Kent, is presently being investigated. Two horses on a livery yard became ataxic, one of which was euthanased on the 19 June, 2004 when its clinical signs worsened and it became recumbent. Samples for post mortem examination have been submitted and results should be available soon.

NB For further information regarding previous outbreaks please refer to the ICC reports, which are produced quaterly. These can be found at: http://www.aht.org.uk/icc/linksicc.html

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Animal Health Trust recruits new Head of Genetics from USA

The Animal Health Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Mark Vaudin as Head of Genetics with effect from 1st October 2004

Dr Vaudin, a versatile and experienced genome scientist and geneticist, has had a very distinguished career and his expertise in molecular genetics is well recognised at an international level. For the last 6 years, he has been Director of Applied Genomics Technologies at the world renowned Monsanto Corporation, in Missouri, USA, where he was responsible for establishing techniques for gene discovery and function. Prior to this, he was a Senior Group Leader at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, where he helped to establish the widely acclaimed Human Genome Programme. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles in peer reviewed journals such as Nature, Science and Nature Genetics.

Dr Jenny Mumford , Director of Science at the Trust, said “we are extremely fortunate to have attracted somebody of Dr Vaudin's calibre. He brings with him not only his valuable scientific expertise, but a wealth of experience in project management . His leadership skills are widely recognised and he has overseen a number of inter-disciplinary projects involving bioinformatics scientists, molecular biologists and geneticists”.

Dr Vaudin's role at the Trust will involve scientific direction, strategic planning and management of internal and external relationships to ensure integrated effort. He will be replacing Dr Matthew Binns, who is taking up the Chair of Genetics with the Trust's strategic alliance partner, the Royal Veterinary College in London. Trust Chairman, Ted Chandler, welcomes Dr Vaudin's appointment as an exciting development for the Genetics Department. He commented “Dr Binns, during his time at the Trust, has built up a strong and enthusiastic team who have a great deal of expertise in equine genetics. Mark Vaudin is the ideal person to act as an intellectual and strategic driving force and move that team forward, ensuring that the Trust continues to develop as a world leader in this field”.

Dr Vaudin is looking forward to returning to the UK. He sees his appointment as “an opportunity to apply the experience gained in my previous posts to the fascinating area of equine and canine genetics”.

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British Dressage helps fund Digital Radiography machine

British Dressage has responded to an appeal, by the Animal Health Trust, for funds to purchase a Digital Radiography Machine. This is a very sophisticated piece of equipment which produces superior x-ray images and can therefore increase diagnostic capabilities.

The Trust's equine orthopaedic group excels in the investigation of complex lameness cases. Their success stems from high levels of skill and experience, together with the availability of first class facilities. At present, they are using a conventional analogue radiography system but the newly available digital machine, which will cost £50,000, will enhance their abilities considerably. Not only will it provide superior images that can be manipulated to improve quality, it can also be integrated with the Trust's MRI scanner and nuclear scintigraphy equipment, resulting in faster and more accurate diagnoses.

British Dressage, together with other equine sports disciplines, supports the Trust on an ongoing basis. When their Board heard about the Special Appeal, they suggested that this year's donation of £4,200 should be put towards it. On Tuesday when their Chairman, Desi Dillingham, visited the Trust to present a cheque, she commented “The work that is done at the Trust for the benefit of competition horses is enormous and I am delighted that we have been able to make a contribution. The members of our sport will be reassured to know that, through the Animal Health Trust, they have access to state-of-the-art equipment as well as world class expertise”.

The cheque was presented to the Trust Chairman, Ted Chandler, and Sue Dyson who leads the orthopaedic group. Dr Dyson said “we are extremely grateful to British Dressage for their continued generous support. We see a wide range of athletic horses at the Trust, including Dressage Horses, and it is rewarding to know that they appreciate our work”.

Photo: Desi Dillingham presents cheque to Animal Health Trust's Chairman, Ted Chandler, and is joined by Dr Sue Dyson (right) and Dr David Marlin (left).

A further advantage of the digital radiography machine is that it will enable images to be stored more easily and transferred to other members of the veterinary profession for educational and research purposes.

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'Set for Britain'

On the 15th of March Marion Branch, a Joint Animal Health Trust and Royal Veterinary College PhD student presented a poster at the sixth annual ‘Set for Britain' scientific poster reception for younger scientists at the House of Commons. The poster entitled ‘Does age affect the equine distal tarsal osteochondral unit?' demonstrated how magnetic resonance imaging is used to investigate equine joints and structural changes in association with age, exercise and pathology. Results illustrated that both subchondral bone and cartilage thickness alter in association with increasing age. The reception sponsored by Glaxo Smith Kline showcased a wide range of research projects including engineering, medicine and technology. The reception aimed to encourage communication between researchers and MP's and was attended by a number of MP's with an interest in science.

Sagittal 3-dimensional spoiled gradient echo magnetic resonance image at the midline of an equine tarsus (hock joint). Image acquired using the 1.5T GE Signa Echospeed system at the Animal Health Trust.

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ICRAV Young Scientist Award

Dr Lesley Young, Senior Cardiologist at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, was recently awarded the ICRAV Young Scientist Award for the best veterinary presentation.

The Award was presented at the International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians, held in Dubai from 21st to 26th April. The Conference Chairman, Mr Peter Albert, explained that “the award was initiated with the aim of encouraging young scientists, under 40 years old, to attend the ICRAV conferences and present their work. A sum of US$1,000 will be made available to the recipients' institutes to enable them to send another young scientist to the following conference”.

In this case, the Animal Health Trust will be sending a young representative to present at ICRAV in Tokyo, during October 2006.

Lesley Young's contribution was entitled: Heart size and performance: an old topic revisited . She was delighted to accept the award and said “I am pleased that the presentation was so well received, particularly as this will give an opportunity for one of my colleagues to attend the meeting in Japan in two years' time”.

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INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ENDORSES VACCINE SAFETY

An independent and scientifically peer reviewed study presented in the UK for the first time today at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Congress in Birmingham has produced the clearest evidence yet that routine vaccination of dogs in the UK does not increase frequency of illness.

The study – nicknamed POOCH (Practice Overview of Canine Health) 1 – was carried out by the world renowned Animal Health Trust at Newmarket.

“This is completely contrary to the claims which have hit the headlines,” says Dr James Wood, head of epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust. “People should understand that our research results clearly demonstrate the absence of any deleterious association between routine vaccination and signs of ill health.”

The AHT's research took the form of an epidemiological investigation to evaluate the evidence for any temporal association between vaccination and ill-health in dogs. In total, more than 9,000 postal questionnaires were sent to the owners of a randomly selected population of dogs and just over 4,000 of these were returned and analysed. No temporal association was found between vaccination and ill-health in dogs after adjusting for potential confounders, such as age.

The study population consisted of dogs that had used the services of a veterinary practice within the previous 12 months. The British veterinary practices contacted were randomly selected from a national list. Dogs were then randomly selected from the computer databases of the 28 practices that agreed to participate. On receipt of the owners' completed questionnaires, details of the dogs' vaccination history were confirmed with the veterinary practice.

The survey found that older dogs in general exhibit more signs of illness, including chronic lameness, stiffness and bad breath, and that frequency of these signs increases continuously with age. However, the results demonstrated that recent vaccination (within a period of 3 months) did not increase the signs of ill-health by more than 0.5% and could well actually decrease them by almost 5%.

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Of the 3,966 dogs assessed by the survey, 50.5% were male. Ages ranged from two weeks to 23 years (median 6 years 4 months). The demographic data for 667 non-responder dogs was similar: 57% were male, with an age range of three weeks to 20 years (median 6 years 3 months). There were 124 breed groups represented including 1076 crossbred, 348 Labrador Retrievers, 180 Jack Russell Terriers and 169 Border Collies.

Time since last vaccination ranged from one day to 17 years (median 6 months). 23% of dogs were recently vaccinated (<3mo), 1% (42) were unvaccinated and 1% (42) had their vaccination status recorded as unknown. The dogs' vaccinations were predominantly combined boosters, including components to protect against distemper virus, para-influenza virus, canine parvovirus, Leptospira interrogans (serovars canicola and icterohaemorrhagica) and infectious hepatitis. Vaccinations against Bordetella bronchiseptica or against rabies had also been administered to some dogs.

The POOCH survey is to be published in a forthcoming edition of the peer-reviewed scientific journal “Vaccine”.

“Vaccination and ill health in dogs: A lack of temporal association and evidence of equivalence”, D.S. Edwards, W.E. Henley, E.R. Ely, J.L.N. Wood, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK, CB8 7UU

2. The Animal Health Trust is a registered charity committed to improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and diseases which affect companion animals. Based in Newmarket, Suffolk, the Trust was established in 1942 and currently employs more than 200 scientists, veterinary surgeons and support workers.

The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 st January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association now has 33 corporate members and 14 associate members. In 2002, NOAH's members accounted for well over 90 per cent of the £389 million UK animal health market.

3. The study was funded by members of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), the trade association for the manufacturers of licensed animal medicines, to properly investigate the safety of routine vaccination in the UK canine population.

NOAH submitted a proposal for a scientifically valid study, but AHT stressed that they were prepared to undertake the project only on the clear contractual understanding that the work would be completely independent and that NOAH could not influence either the outcome or the eventual publication of the results.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

ANIMAL HEALTH TRUST: Jan Wade, R&W Publications, 07976 827999 email: jan.wade@aht.org.uk

BSAVA: Congress Press Office on 0121 335 8406/7

NOAH: Lindy Margach, Kendalls, telephone 01394 610022

Alison Glennon, NOAH Communications Manager, telephone 020 8367 3131

David Sutton, chairman of the NOAH Companion Animal Vaccine Group, 01908 665050

Click Here to see abstract of BSAVA presentation.

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Animal DNA archive to boost veterinary research

For more information, please visit http://www.liv.ac.uk/pro/news/animalDNA.htm

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Animal Health Trust advises on South African ‘flu outbreak

Issued: 8th January 2004

At the beginning of December, equine influenza re-emerged in South Africa after an absence of 15 years. It seems likely that the consequences will be almost as devastating as they were in 1986/7. Recently, the Jockey Club in South Africa agreed to make equine influenza vaccinations optional rather than mandatory. This resulted in a susceptible population and the ‘flu virus has spread rapidly from the Western Cape Province to the Eastern Cape Province and stables in the Johannesburg area. The outbreak has disrupted the South African racing calendar, causing cancellation or postponement of several races.

Early in the course of the outbreak, Professor Alan Guthrie (University of Pretoria) consulted experts at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), in Newmarket. As a result, samples have been sent to the Trust for characterisation of the virus involved.

Dr Janet Daly, senior virologist, said “comparison with isolates from recent equine ‘flu outbreaks in the UK has demonstrated that the virus spreading through South Africa is similar to, but clearly distinct from, the South American strain that caused ‘flu outbreaks in Europe in the spring of 2003. It has not yet been possible to determine the origin of the South African virus definitively because horses from several different countries travelled to South Africa together. Yet again, the risks associated with international transportation of horses have been highlighted”.

While South Africa battles to gain control of the outbreak by vaccination, it should be noted that influenza has not disappeared entirely in the UK; the virus that caused problems in Newmarket in Spring 2003 continues to circulate as we enter 2004. The AHT has confirmed that some of the ‘high risk' population of yearlings, now two-year-olds, that recently entered training yards and which were not affected by ‘flu in the spring of 2003 have been infected. AHT scientists believe that, as this virus is genetically distinct from the South African virus, the UK is unlikely to have been the source of the current epidemic.

Mr Ted Chandler, Chairman of the Trust, commented that “once again, we are made aware of the constant need to be vigilant and the importance of maintaining a mandatory vaccination policy”.

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‘They're all heart'

Fascinating work investigating the hearts of Thoroughbred racehorses, being conducted by Lesley Young at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, is now reaching its conclusions. As well as highlighting and helping to understand the heart and valve problems that athletic horses develop, it has already shed light on the relationship between the size of a horse's heart and its racing ability.

For many years it was believed that better racehorses had bigger hearts; Indeed, the New Zealand-bred Phar Lap won 59 races, and had a heart that weighed 6.35 kilograms, as did Eclipse and the famous American champion racehorse Secretariat. These are monster hearts compared with the average Thoroughbred heart that weighs 4.25 kg.

Young and her colleagues therefore measured the heart size of 400 horses using an ultrasound scanner, and then compared the size with the official form rating of each horse according to the British Horseracing Board. At a recent meeting on “The Athlete's Heart” at University College London, she confirmed that there is a relationship between large heart size and athletic prowess. However, at the moment her data only apply to endurance steeplechasers. Young and her colleagues have yet to evaluate the relationship for horses running shorter distances on the flat.

Towards the end of her study, Dr Young ran out of research funding and looked like having to abandon the project. However, she showed the size of her own heart by cycling from Lands End to John o' Groats, raising enough money to complete the final phase of the work. This will allow her to continue to monitor the hearts of young horses already enrolled in the study as they get older and progress through their training. Hopefully this will allow her to build up a complete picture of the health and development of the heart of horses, and this will be of benefit to racehorses and equine couch potatoes alike!

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Oscar sees again

Sea Lion arriving at AHTThings were getting tough for Oscar, a 15-year-old performing sea lion, because his vision was deteriorating. He had developed a cataract on his right eye and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to see. Thankfully, the specialists at the Animal Health Trust were able to help him.

Oscar belongs to Mr Hans Pedersen and he performs in exhibitions in Denmark and France. He is also a TV star with roles in films and advertising. Hans was so concerned when his veterinary adviser diagnosed the cataract that he wanted to pursue every possible option for treatment. When he was told about the Animal Health Trust, he immediately requested a referral and Oscar travelled from his base in France, to Newmarket, arriving on 25th November. He was transported in a special lorry with his own pool on board and caused quite a stir when he calmly walked into the waiting room. It certainly made the other patients look twice!!

Jane Sansom, Head of Opththalmology at the Trust, spent 4 hours performing surgery on Oscar's eye. This involvedSea Lion being operated on using a technique known as 'phacoemulsification' to break the cataract into tiny pieces which were then sucked out. Throughout the operation, Hans paced nervously outside the theatre door. "Oscar is part of my family" he said, "It's not that I need him to perform - I have 7 other sea lions for that, but I want him to be able to see properly and lead a normal life".

Following the surgery, Oscar remained at the Trust overnight so that his eye could be checked by Jane Sansom before his return to France the following day. She was delighted with his recovery and said "he was a model patient and I am very confident that his sight will be largely restored by the surgery".

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New Laboratory Appeal

The Animal Health Trust, a leading veterinary research establishment in Newmarket, is launching a major appeal to fund the building of a new laboratory. The Racing Post kick-started the fundraising by donating £10,000, and is inviting its readers to support this project which is crucial to the health and welfare of horses and companion animals.

The laboratory complex will encompass an equine infectious disease unit, a centre for the study of inherited diseases and a companion animal oncology department. Dr Jenny Mumford, Director of Science at the Trust, said: “The Trust is at the forefront of veterinary science, developing new advances all the time. However, despite having some of the best expertise in the world, and the most sophisticated equipment available, our scientists are having to work in inadequate buildings and this situation cannot continue”.

In recent years, the Trust has established two new state-of-the-art clinics for its small animal and equine clinicians but there is now an urgent requirement to supply lab facilities of a similar standard. Jan Wade, the AHT's press consultant, said: 'The buildings have stood the Trust in good stead, but they are now dilapidated and we have reached the point where spending more money on them cannot be justified, because the basic structure is inadequate.

The Trust's research programme ranges from development of vaccines to pioneering new surgical techniques and medical approaches. Because all new information gained is disseminated to the veterinary profession at an international level, the work undertaken is of benefit to horses, dogs and cats throughout the world.

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