See attachment for info on discounted rates for BSAVA manuals at pre congress meeting
Best wishes
Yvonne
Free plasma metanephrines – a novel diagnostic approach for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in dogs
The Royal Veterinary College is investigating whether an increased plasma metanephrine concentration can be used to identify pheochromocytomas in dogs. We hope this will provide a useful indicator for pheochromocytomas, which are otherwise challenging to diagnose and our preliminary data suggests that plasma metanephrine concentrations increase in affected dogs.
EDTA plasma samples are being submitted for metanephrine measurement by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and we also plan to validate a radioimmunoassay for metanephrine measurement.
We would welcome EDTA plasma samples from dogs undergoing investigation of adrenal masses, especially if pheochromocytoma is strongly suspected. The full cost of this test will be covered by the project grant and HPLC results are usually available within 7 days.
For further information or to discuss submitting a sample for analysis, please contact:
Ruth Gostelow BVetMed (Hons) MRCVS
Senior Clinical Training Scholar in Small Animal Internal Medicine
Email: rgostelow@rvc.ac.uk
Or call the RVC Clinical Investigations Centre on 01707 666605
Fellow investigator: Harriet Syme BSc BVetMed PhD MRCVS D-ACVIM D-ECVIM
Other projects listed in the SAMSOC Wiki
Thought i would let you all know, that we have now reach the milestone of 100 SAMSOC members registered on the site.
The commitee is now starting to look for new ideas to develop within the site that will benefit members. Current features include - the forum, a wiki for listing projects that are recruiting cases and a media section for interesting radiographs/case material.
If you have any good ideas please contact us and we will see what we can do
All the best and see you tommorow
Ian
PS- There are still some members have yet to register on the site. So if you know one of them give them a nudge.
Hi all,
Just wanted to thank everyone again who came along to the satelitte meeting. I am sure you will agree it was a great day and we heard some interesting talks.
The results for the case report competition are below - Much to the relief of the presenters i forgot my camera so there is no photo to follow.
1st Place - Deoxycorticosterone-producing adrenal carcinoma causing signs of mineralocorticoid excess and hypokalaemic myopathy in a dog
Ruth Gostelow (RVC - Medicine resident )
Second Place - Abdominal mycetoma in a dog caused by Scedosporium apiospermum Rosanne Jepson (RVC - Medicine Resident)
3rd place - Colonic candidiasis in a dog - Caroline Kisielewicz (Glasgow University - Medicine Resident)
4th place - Four cases of feline hyperprogesteronism - Natasha Hetzel (Bristol University - Medicine Resident)
In total we had 10 excellent submission from practioners and residents - whioch ave the commitee a nice but difficult task of slecting the top 3 . infact we expanded it to four. We hope to secure funding for the competition, so keep the competition in mind when you are on clinics.
Other news is that the commmitee has had alittle re shuffle
Marge Chandler and Clive Elwood have stepped down. Again the Commitee would like to thank them for their hard work and input over the last 4-5 years.
New members of the commitee
Mark Dunning - has joined the program commitee
David Walker - has taken over the PR role from me
My role will change and I will be keeping an eye on the website and hopefully coming up with some new ideas to make it more interesting ( let me know if you have any) and focusing on the antibiotic usage project.
All the best
Hi everyone
Jon Wray presented a seminar on writing a CERTSAM casebook at the meeting this year and he has kindly agreed to allow us to post the notes for this session in the media section of the SAMSOC website. This document is accessible to all SAMSOC members and is password protected. So if you would like the access the document please contact me by the vetsurgeon conversation facility and i will provide you with the password
As a reminder
The following projects have been posted within the SAMSOC Wiki - full details of the projects can be found in the wiki. I am please to report that I am aware of case recruitemnts being made as a consequence of the Wiki. So if you would like to post a project ( takes under 10 mins) please feel free and if you need any help let me know
Projects on going at the moment
Metanephrine and normetanephrine are catecholamine metabolites produced by the cells of the adrenal medulla and detection of an increased plasma metanephrine concentration is the biochemical test of choice...
Genetic Basis of Endocrine Disease in Dogs
As part of the LUPA initiative ( http://www.eurolupa.org ), the Royal Veterinary College, University of London and the Universities of Manchester and Uppsala are collaborating to investigate the genetic...
Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) Treatment Study
Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) Treatment Study Aran Mas DVM MRCVS P-J.M.Noble BSc BVM&S PhD MRCVS, A.J.German BVSc PhD CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS EPI is a common condition in dogs with early...
Congenital PSS in Birman Cats - DNA Project
We are currently looking at the predisposition of Birman cats to congenital portosystemic shunts. The project is being run by myself and Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones at the Feline Centre Bristol in conjunction...
Feline Chronic Kidney Disease: Use of oral phosphate binders
As part of ongoing research into Feline Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) at the Royal Veterinary College, The Clinical Investigation Centre (CIC) is working with an animal health company to verify the efficacy...
2009
SAMSoc Travel Scholarship 2011
The award will be presented at the pre-BSAVA SAMSoc meeting on 30th March 2011. The award is kindly sponsored by Pfizer.
thought i would refresh everyones memories of the projects ( looking to recruit samples, cases or complete questionaires) . Listed in the SAMSoc Wiki section. More detail can be found on the project you may find interesting including contacts etc within the Wiki.
If you have a project that you would like to list please post away or contact me via a vetsurgeon conversation link or by e mailing me directly at iab@vetspecialists.co.uk
all the best
Efficacy of masitinib in dogs with steroid-resistant inflammatory bowel disease
Fabio Procoli DMV MRCVS, Senior Clinical Training Scholar in Small Animal Internal Medicine
Karin Allenspach Dr.med.vet. PhD DECVIM-CA MRCVS, Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine
Masitinib is a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor licensed for the use in dogs with mast cell tumours, where it has proven efficacy. There also reports that this drug can decrease inflammation in people with several immune mediated disorders, including IBD.
The Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the Royal Veterinary College is performing a clinical trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy of masitinib as a sole treatment for canine IBD in steroid-refractory cases over a period of 8 weeks.
Further details can be found in the SAMSOC wiki.
Other projects listed
Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) Treatment Study Aran Mas DVM MRCVS P-J.M.Noble BSc BVM&S PhD MRCVS, A.J.German BVSc PhD CertSAM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
We are currently looking at the predisposition of Birman cats to congenital portosystemic shunts. The project is being run by Angie Hibbert and Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones at the Feline Centre Bristol
Stijn Neissen RVC
Hi ,
I appreciate that this is a advertsiement for a soft tissue society , but as i was approached by a member of the commitee as this years programm does have potential interest for a medic. Namely Congenital and Herediatary disease.
If you are interested please contact avstsadmin@fsmail.net for detail
AVSTS Autumn Meeting 2010, 1st – 2nd October
Congenital and Hereditary Disease in Dogs and Cats
FRIDAY 1
st OCTOBER
9.30-10.00 Registration & Coffee
10.00-10.45 Heritable and Congenital Disease – David Sargan A Geneticist’s View
10.45-11.30 Ethics of the Management of Diseases Siobhan Mullan Present at Birth – Individual versus Population
11.30-11.50 Coffee
11.50-12.50 Surgical Treatment of Congenital and Hereditary Disease in Children
12.50-1.50 Lunch
1.50-2.25 The Way Forward? Michael Herrtage
2.25-2.40
Panel Discussion:David Sargan, Siobhan Mullan and Michael Herrtage
2.40-4.15 Brachycephalic Diseases
2.40-3.30 Brachycephalics: Gerhard Oechtering
Trapped in Man-Made Misery? Turbinate Ablation in BAOS
3.30-4.00 Brachcephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome Rob White
4.00-4.15
Panel Discussion:
Gerhard Oechtering and Rob White
4.15-4.30 Coffee
4.30-5.30 Urogenital Disease and Cancer
4.30-4.50 Not Zipped-Up: Treatment of Extreme Jane Ladlow
Hypospadias in a Dobermann, plus Review of Hypospadias
4.50-5.10 A (Chamber) Potpourri of Peter Holt
Congenital Urinary Incontinence
5.10-5.30 Cancer in the Genes: Jane Dobson
Histiocytic Sarcoma in Flatcoated Retrievers and LUPA
5.30 Close
Dear Members,
The 2011 SAMSOC satellite meeting programme is soon to be completed.
Please do yourself a favour and keep your diaries free on:
WEDNESDAY 30th MARCH 2011.
Controversy will be at the very heart of this exhilerating day. Join us and be consumed by one of the talks called:
"Pathologists are from Mars and Clinicians are from Venus – will they ever really understand one another?"
More programme information to follow; one guarantee we can give you at this stage: you will feel seriously left out if you miss it.
SAMSoc Programme Committee 2011
Petplan Charitable Trust PhD Study to Investigate Feline Infectious Peritonitis-Specific Nucleotide Motifs
A three-year study, leading to a PhD, is being funded by the Petplan Charitable Trust and is available to commence on 1st February 2011 in the School of Veterinary Sciences, Langford at the University of Bristol. The aim of the project is to define nucleotide sequence motifs in feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) associated with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and to then develop a diagnostic test for the confirmation of FIP. The applicant will gain extensive experience in molecular-based techniques and bioinformatic analysis. Furthermore, the applicant will receive training in the design, conduct and presentation of research. Practical work will be done in the School of Veterinary Sciences, Langford and the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Bristol. The work will be jointly supervised by Professor Stuart Siddell and Drs Chris Helps and Séverine Tasker, supported by collaborators both within the University of Bristol and in other Universities. Good computer skills are essential, and some experience of molecular research and feline medicine is desirable. The successful applicant will have a high level of literacy and numeracy, good organisation skills and a willingness to learn and develop research skills to a high standard. The successful applicant will also have excellent communication skills and confidence in making contact with cat owners and veterinary surgeons.
Applicants must possess, or expect to obtain, a first class, or good upper second class, degree in a biological related subject, or a degree in a veterinary science, and be able to demonstrate a clear interest in FIP. This project is available to citizens of a number of European countries (including the UK) who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more.
Informal enquiries about the project are encouraged and can be made to Dr Séverine Tasker (email: s.tasker@bristol.ac.uk).
To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, and the names and addresses of two referees to Alison Foxwell, Head of Department’s Office, School of Veterinary Sciences, Langford House, Langford, North Somerset, BS40 5DU (email: cvs-hod-office@bristol.ac.uk), quoting reference SCH/10/09, by December 15th 2010.
Fabio Procoli DMV MRCVS, Senior Clinical Training Scholar in Small Animal Internal Medicine RVC
The Royal Veterinary College
To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, and the names and addresses of two referees to Alison Foxwell, Head of Department’s Office, School of Veterinary Sciences, Langford House, Langford, North Somerset, BS40 5DU (email: cvs-hod-office@bristol.ac.uk), quoting reference SCH/10/09, by December 15th 2010
The new line incorporates integrated sound-dampening materials to reduce noise both within and outside the kennels both for the patients and clinical teams.
It also features a proprietary antibacterial polymer and toughened safety-glass doors, which Casco says improve biosecurity and support more efficient cleaning protocols.
According to Casco, testing has shown CareKennels take around 40% less time to clean than stainless-steel cages.
Casco Pet CEO Matthew Bubear said: "CareKennels bring together many of the strengths our products are known for - design quality, thoughtful construction and a wellness-first approach - while offering an accessible option for clinics looking to improve their housing standards."
"Creating calmer, more comfortable spaces for patients supports better clinical outcomes as well as contributing to a more positive working environment for veterinary professionals."
https://cascopet.com
The plan includes a redesigned digital experience to give members access to BSAVA clinical resources and the launch of LUMOS, which is billed as a new, modern, flexible CPD programme and platform.
The Association is also developing its AI-powered search tool call Rover, which will help clinicians navigate BSAVA resources at the point of care, including the Formulary, Manuals and Library content.
A redesigned BSAVA mobile app is also in the pipeline, along with regional and digital community spaces to help members stay connected between events.
Stacy Woodman, Interim CEO of the BSAVA, said: "The small animal veterinary profession is evolving rapidly, and the BSAVA must evolve with it.
"Our new strategy focuses on making knowledge, learning and professional support easier to access throughout a veterinary professional's career."
She added: "We're revitalising our simple but powerful premise of 'the profession supporting the profession' and are encouraging our members to share their views by taking part in our ongoing Membership Survey and helping to create a BSAVA for the future."
https://research.potentia-insight.co.uk/survey/selfserve/53b/2602105?list=1
The webinar, "The Thyronorm Precision Masterclass: navigating comorbidities, compliance and complex cases", will be presented by Sam Taylor, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine based at Lumbry Park.
The session will look at balancing thyroid control alongside CKD, cardiac disease and other common concurrent conditions.
It will also cover approaches for improving long-term treatment success in the home environment.
Sam will also cover challenging presentations, atypical progressions and decision-making frameworks for case management.
Registration is free, and the webinar will also be available on demand after the live event.
https://membership.elearning.vet/sam-taylor-thyronorm-free-webinar-registration
Sarah says that while some patients do benefit from seeing multidisciplinary hospital teams, many are easily managed in practice and benefit from local care.
Oncotails offers early intervention at the time of diagnosis, either with advice for the GP or an owner consultation to discuss treatment options and likely prognosis, and to answer those difficult questions.
This, says Sarah, frees up time for the local vet who keeps management of the case but with the expert guidance of a specialist.
https://www.oncotails.com
The main note of caution came from the RCVS, which said it had concerns about proposals around publishing anti-parasitic medicine prices and about recommended changes to the College’s governance structure.
The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) also warned the package would bring significant operational and commercial consequences for practices, echoing an earlier VetSurgeon.org analysis that suggested implementation could cost some practices several thousand pounds.
Elsewhere, the BVA, BVNA and BSAVA all backed the measures proposed by the CMA, and the PDSA welcomed the exemption for charities.
However, whilst greater transparency is undoubtedly a good thing, there are reasons to doubt how much difference some of the CMA’s measures will make in practice.
A price comparison website may make fees for commoditised services easier to compare, but it cannot capture the qualities that many owners actually choose a vet for: judgement, experience, bedside manner and clinical philosophy.
A tool that judges veterinary services primarily on price risks devaluing precisely those aspects of care.
The bigger difficulty is that the reforms focus mainly on transparency, not on the other underlying drivers of cost.
Veterinary medicine has become steadily more sophisticated and expensive, shaped by scientific progress, vets’ understandable desire to do the best possible for the patient in front of them, regulatory expectations, pet insurance, commercial pressures, and society’s changing tolerance of risk.
Until the profession is willing to confront the question of whether modern veterinary medicine is too often presenting clients with levels of investigation and treatment that they cannot afford, or that cost more than they believe it is right to spend on a pet animal, transparency measures alone will not make the controversy disappear.
Without addressing that deeper issue, the negative headlines are unlikely to go away.
The nurse was suspended from the Register for three months after admitting dishonesty over a dog's bile acid stimulation test, falsely saying she had taken a second blood sample when she had not.
She also admitted removing blood from the first sample and presenting and/or labelling it as if it were a second sample, falsely telling colleagues that the second sample had been taken, and falsely saying a veterinary nurse colleague had assisted her.
She also admitted a second charge that she had been dishonest and misleading.
The Committee said the conduct breached the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses on honesty, integrity, trust and accountability.
It found aggravating factors including a risk of harm to the dog, breaches of employer and colleague trust, false implication of a colleague in the dishonesty, and repeated misconduct.
In mitigation, it said there had been no actual harm to the dog.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "All the charges found proved involved not only misleading statements or behaviour but also dishonesty.
"On three occasions the respondent lied to her colleague about having taken a second blood sample.... BAST is an important test of liver function.
"Such behaviour struck at the heart of the profession of an RVN where honesty is crucial in the undertaking of professional work and is a fundamental tenet of the profession.
"The respondent breached the trust of her colleague as well as her employer's trust, and had the potential to interfere in the care which was being given to the dog... thereby creating a clinical risk, because the correct procedure was not being carried out, and the veterinary surgeon did not know about this.
"The Respondent did not act in the dog's interests."
In deciding sanction, the Committee considered a medical report on the nurse's ill-health at the time, along with mitigating factors including no financial gain, limited opportunity for reflection, insight and remorse, positive testimonials, admissions, a previously unblemished career, and the fact the dishonesty was confined to a single day.
It also said the dishonesty was not premeditated, but arose after she had mistakenly fed the dog when she should not have, meaning the second blood sample should not then have been taken.
Paul added: "The respondent has insight into her conduct and as set out above, there is no real risk of repetition.
"There are no concerns about the respondent's competence or clinical practice in general, and there is no evidence that she would be unfit to return to practice after a period of suspension.
"This process has been a salutary lesson.
"The Committee, therefore, concluded that a period of suspension of three months would be proportionate in this case."
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/conduct-and-guidance/concerns-for-veterinary-professionals/disciplinary-committee-hearings
The three-storey development includes Research Laboratories, Student Laboratories, teaching rooms, a 400-seat lecture theatre and social learning areas for students and staff.
https://www.rvc.ac.uk
Among the programme highlights is "Managing complaints post-CMA, what do you need to know?", featuring BVA President Rob Williams, Jennie Jones, Head of Veterinary Client Mediation Service, and Gavin Durston, Director of Thrums Vets.
In another session, "Hot topic: CMA remedies - what do they mean in practice?", Rob Williams, Kate Higgins, owner and Director of Village Vets Formby, and Lyndsay Hughes, BVNA Senior Vice President, will debate where we are with the investigation, what comes next, and the possible impact of the CMA remedies on practices.
The programme also includes sessions on clinical practice, leadership in the workplace and the role of vets in ethical decision making.
Clinical stream highlights include euthanasia in small mammals, birds and reptiles, anaesthesia in comorbid patients, updates in ocular pharmacology, optimizing hospital care for long-term patients, and managing anxiety in "pandemic puppies".
The BVA Interactive Zone will also return, with President Rob Williams, Senior Vice President Elizabeth Mullineaux and Junior Vice President Gwen Rees leading debates on overtreatment, managing and improving a toxic workplace and contextualised care.
Rob said: "As the profession emerges from the CMA investigation, BVA Live will be one of the first opportunities for vet teams to come together to access practical CPD to move forwards and comply with the CMA remedies."
https://bvalive.vetshow.com/conference-programme
The course, which has been produced as part of Dechra's collaboration with Not One More Vet, is presented by vets who specialise in mental health counselling.
The four new topics are: client communication: the human side of veterinary medicine; professional identity development for students and recent graduates; executive function management and mental health; and the science of mindfulness.
https://academy.dechra.com/learn/catalog/view/502
The new hydrolysed diet contains hydrolysed proteins, AuraGuard, fibres and Zeolite.
Dechra says the new formula featured in both diets offers superior palatability and works in a multi-action way with support of the gut-kidney axis to help optimise protein absorption and maintenance of muscle mass, gut barrier integrity and a healthy microbiome, while lowering uremic toxins in the blood.
The company says both diets control levels of protein, phosphorus and sodium and offer high levels of the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
Becky Morris, marketing manager at Dechra, said: "Chronic kidney disease is a lifelong progressive disease in dogs and cats, and nutrition is an important part of management to help slow disease progression, improve quality of life and reduce the risk of secondary complications.
"Our new and updated highly palatable Specific Heart & Kidney Support diets will help keep dogs and cats in good condition, prolonging the progression of the disease and the lifespan of the pet."
https://www.specific-diets.co.uk
The drug monographs in Part A were revised and updated by the Editorial Panel during 2025, and new monographs include citalopram, enflicoxib, ilunocitinib and verdinexor.
Part A also denotes drugs available as extemporaneous products, also called "veterinary specials", as VSP in the formulations section of the monographs.
Additional content in Part A includes information on drugs used for the management of urinary incontinence, while the Appendix now includes a seizure algorithm, guidance on supplements and nutraceuticals, and expanded information on contrast agents.
There are also 7 new client information leaflets in Part A, including bezafibrate, chloramphenicol, clomipramine and memantine.
Part B covers mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and its drug monographs were reviewed and updated by the Editorial Panel during 2025 under Editor-in-Chief Joanna Hedley.
New monographs in Part B include afoxolaner, atorvastatin and danofloxacin, and emergency drug doses for rabbits, rodents, ferrets, birds and reptiles have been added to the inside front cover.
Part B also adds Appendix information on barium and iodinated contrast agents for diagnostic imaging, and includes client information leaflets on inhaled medications, injectable medications, oral medications, topical ear medications and topical eye medications.
Additional information on proprietary fish medicines and drug doses for different species of British wildlife, including badgers, deer, foxes and hedgehogs, is available via the BSAVA library.
Eligible BSAVA members will receive a printed copy of Part A: Canine and Feline as part of their membership from April 2026 onwards, while all BSAVA members will have access to the online version via the BSAVA library and the BSAVA app from mid-April.
Printed copies are available for £37.70 for BSAVA members and £58.00 for non-members.
https://bsavaportal.bsava.com/s/store#/store/browse/cat/a0w8d000000Mh3FAAS/tiles