Clinical Research
Introduction
The Animal Health Trust is actively involved in the investigation of animal diseases. Our aim is to gain a clear understanding of diseases in small animals through clinical and scientific investigations, and to apply this knowledge in improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious, non-infectious and inherited diseases. Through our work at the Animal Health Trust, we are constantly trying to improve the health and welfare of animals, and an important part of the Trust’s mission is also to educate and disseminate this information to others.
Within the Small Animal Clinic we have a highly dedicated and caring veterinary team. The primary focus of this team is the health and welfare of the individual animals referred to our clinic. However, part of our aim is also to undertake clinical studies to better understand disease. This does not mean that we ‘experiment’ on patients referred to us, but rather that we gather and collect information about our patients in a systematic way so that we can learn new information and, for example evaluate the efficacy of new and emerging treatment options. We call this ‘clinical research’. Our aim is also to publish this information for the
wider benefit of other animals. Our efforts in clinical research are stewarded by the Trust’s Clinical Research Group, overseen by the Clinical Ethics Committee, and coordinated by our Clinical Research Co-Ordinator.
Debs has been employed at the Trust since 1992 and is a crucial and enthusiastic member of the team. Debs has undergone a career change over the last 2 years from working directly with animals to coordinating our clinical research. Debs is an excellent organiser and communicator and uses these skills to help clinicians and scientists accrue the information they need to benefit animals.
I am an owner of a patient - How can I help?
By having your cat or dog referred to the Animal Health Trust for investigations or treatment you will already be helping, as information from your pet will be collected, along with others, to help us better understand disease. Samples (e.g. blood samples) are often taken as part of the routine investigation into an animal’s condition, and we usually ask that if there is any excess sample left after normal tests have been done, this may be kept at the Animal Health Trust for future use in disease investigation. We ask too that during the ongoing investigations and/or treatment performed at the Trust that the clinical details and response to treatment may be used as part of our ongoing studies of animal diseases.
We do not use any experimental animals in our research, but rather we rely on clinical records and obtaining samples that are collected from patients by veterinary surgeons as part of the normal diagnostic clinical procedures.
I am a veterinary surgeon – how can I help:
The Trust has a number of ongoing Clinical Research studies. Some of these are listed below, and in some cases, where indicated, it is extremely helpful for us to receive referral cases in areas that we are actively investigating disease at this time.
The following clinical studies into animal diseases are currently ongoing at the Animal Health Trust and we are indebted to patients and their owners who contribute towards them:
Anaesthesia
At the Animal Health Trust, the anaesthetists are keen to improve anaesthetic practice and pain relief in all veterinary patients. We have been looking at the use of lower doses of drugs for sedation of animals as well as the effects of these drugs in glaucoma patients. Differences in intravenous anaesthetic agents for induction of anaesthesia and the use of neuromuscular blocking agents in diabetic and non-diabetic patients undergoing ocular surgery are being investigated as well as our experiences with neuroanaesthesia and intensive care. Our work into pain management includes the use of local nerve blocks, the use of intraoperative ketamine infusions for our spinal patients and the use of a local anaesthetic cream prior to blood sampling in cats. We are investigating many aspects of recovery from anaesthesia, including using owner questionnaires and using different strategies to prevent hypothermia. Our clinical research in this area continues into equine anaesthesia where we are investigating the effects of different drugs and anaesthetic techniques for recovery in horses following general anaesthesia.
We hope that our work will benefit both the patients in our own clinic by improving anaesthetic practice and pain management but will also help those in other practices as we share our findings with the veterinary profession.
Dermatology
Ophthalmology
- Cone-rod dystrophy in the MLDH
- ‘Curly Coat Dry Eye’ (Congenital Ichthyosis and Keratoconjunctivitis sicca) in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels – we are attempting to identify the genetic cause for the condition.
- Canine ocular melanoma- Collection of tumour biopsy tissue surplus to that required for diagnosis
Internal Medicine
- Long term outcome in hyperthyroid cats following radio-iodine therapy
- Efficacy of treatment with Telmisartan oral solution on quality of life and disease progression in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Oncology
- Do feline injection site sarcomas respond to Imatinib mesylate (Glivec)
- Is MCM staining any better than ki67 for predicting outcome for mast cell tumours
Molecular Oncology Research
- Canine mast cell tumours- Using molecular genetics to help predict whether canine mast cell tumours will metastasise. Identification of the gene mutations responsible for the susceptibility of Boxers and Weimaraners to developing mast cell tumours. Collection of tumour biopsy tissue surplus to that required for diagnosis and also blood/cheek swab samples.
- Canine lymphoma- Evaluation of the classification of canine lymphoma by gene expression profiling. Identification of the gene mutations responsible for the susceptibility of Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs, and Boxers to developing lymphoma. Collection of tumour biopsy tissue surplus to that required for diagnosis and also blood/cheek swab samples from Boxers, Bulldogs and Bullmastiffs.
- Feline oral squamous cell carcinomas- Can tumour gene expression profiles distinguish between metastatic and non-metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas? Collection of tumour biopsy tissue surplus to that required for diagnosis and also blood/cheek swab samples from Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers.
- Canine osteosarcoma- Identification of the gene mutations responsible for the susceptibility of Irish Wolfhounds to developing osteosarcoma. Collection of blood/cheek swab samples from Irish Wolfhounds.
Neurology
- Globoid cell leukodytrophy in Kelpies with episodic cerebellar disease
- Spinocerebellar ataxia in the Italian Spinone
- Electroencephalographic monitoring of dogs in status epilepticus (n cases)
- Interictal electroencephalographic recording under propofol anaesthesia of dogs diagnosed with primary epilepsy
- Efficacy of Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of presumptive Granulomatous meningoncephalomyelitis (GME)
- Association of tumour volume reduction with patient survival following radiation therapy and surgical cytoreduction in canine intracranial meningioma
- Optimization of breeding strategies to reduce inherited disease in pedigree dog populations – Chiari malformation and syringomyelia in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Identification of the mutation causing globoid cell leukodystrophy in Kelpies with episodic cerebellar disease
- The robotic cats-Slowly progressive meningoencephalomylitis of probable viral aetiology in adult cats
- Investigation of disease mechanisms underlysing mitochondrial encephalopathy in Yorkshire Terriers
- The role of activity and expression of the DNA-repair enzyme methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) in canine intracranial meningioma (CIM)
Radiology
- Studies on Vertebral Heart Scores in dogs
- Study on ultrasonography of the canine vitreous. Vitreous degeneration in normal dogs and dogs with cataracts
- Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of ocular and retrobulbar disease in the dog and cat
Soft Tissue
- Haemodynamic and histological changes in the liver of dogs with congenital porto-systemic shunts
