Serotonin has been implicated in several canine diseases, including myxomatous mitral valve disease, pulmonary hypertension and dilated cardiomyopathy, but direct measurement in blood is challenging because of its short half-life in serum.
In humans, urinary 5‑HIAA is considered a more accurate marker of serum serotonin concentration.
However, whilst urine 5-HIAA has previously been measured in dogs using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, these techniques are expensive and not widely available.
For the study, which was funded by BSAVA PetSavers and published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, researchers collected urine samples from 26 dogs undergoing routine diagnostic evaluation at a referral hospital.
Each sample was analysed using both a commercially available ELISA testing kit, BA-E-1900 from Immusmol, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, the current gold standard method.
The ELISA was found to be reliable with acceptable precision and repeatability, particularly at low concentrations, although it had a slightly higher observed error at higher concentrations.
The researchers recommended further validation work to improve understanding of the various preanalytical factors that may influence measurement of 5-HIAA concentrations.
They also said further work should investigate whether measuring urinary 5-HIAA will be a good surrogate marker for physiologically active circulating serotonin in dogs, and whether it will be useful in studying disease pathogenesis.
Dr Penny Watson, senior author of the study, said: "I am very hopeful that, after further validation, this ELISA will prove to be a reliable, simple and cheap test for 5-HIAA in the urine, facilitating further research into the role of serotonin in the pathogenesis of canine diseases.
"We have long suspected that some individual dogs and breeds may have higher circulating serotonin than others and that this might predispose them not only to heart disease but also some common diseases such as chronic pancreatitis and kidney disease.
"They would also be more susceptible to serotinergic syndrome when medicated with drugs such as tramadol or trazadone.
"Further research in this area would thus be directly relevant to small animal practitioners."
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.70123
The Clinical Research Project grants support the undertaking for small-scale research projects in companion animals, with the ultimate objective of advancing understanding of the causes and/or management of a clinical disorder.
The awards include funding for:
The projects are expected to be completed by 2028.
https://bsava.com/petsavers
The Ageing Canine Toolkit, which was developed from research carried out by the University of Liverpool, aims to help both vets and owners provide the best care for senior and geriatric dogs.
It includes information about common health problems that affect ageing dogs and a colour-coded checklist to help owners know when to seek advice from a veterinary practice and how to guide discussions during consultations.
As part of the partnership, NationWide Laboratories will be distributing the toolkit to its clients, helping raise awareness and make sure that the owners of older dogs know how to look for signs of disease which could enable treatment to be started earlier.
Alison Selby, Fundraising Manager for BSAVA PetSavers said: “We are thrilled to be embarking on this partnership with NationWide Laboratories.
"By supporting the print and distribution costs of this invaluable resource, they will help us reach more pet owners across the UK.
"Working together in partnership, we hope to equip owners with the knowledge and confidence to support their dogs through the ageing process, ultimately improving their quality of life.”
https://bsava.com/petsavers/our-impact/citizen-science-project
To mark the end of his presidential year at BSAVA, Julian will be strapped to the top of a vintage biplane while dressed in a full feline (Cheshire Cat) costume, to support the research that BSAVA PetSavers funds to improve the health and wellbeing of pets across the UK.
BSAVA PetSavers is one of the UK’s few funding bodies focused solely on clinical research into diseases affecting companion animals.
To date, it has invested more than £2.7 million in vital studies addressing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, neurological and joint disorders, gastrointestinal issues.
Julian said: "Every day, vets face the heart-wrenching task of managing the distress and pain our pets suffer due to disease or poor health.
"With your support, we can ensure that they have access to the latest knowledge and resources needed to provide the best care possible.
“The need for advanced research is more pressing than ever and our pets deserve every chance at a healthy life.
"If dressing up as a cat and flying on the wing of a plane makes people take notice of the vital need for pet health research, then it will be worth it.”
Alison Selby, Fundraising Manager for BSAVA PetSavers said: “No one has ever been quite so daring in their fundraising efforts for us, so we are thrilled that Julian has decided to take this on to raise awareness and funds for BSAVA PetSavers.
“For every grant application that we fund, at least two or more are declined due to lack of funds. Fundraising events like this helps to land more funding in the hands of researchers who make a real difference in the veterinary community and directly impact the lives of countless pets and their families.”
Julian’s wing walk is on the 29th May and his target is to fundraise £1,000.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/julian-hoad-2
The grants are available for small-scale clinical research projects in areas of the affiliate speciality, focusing on diseases affecting companion animals.
The projects will be selected in the hope that the study results will have a rapid and positive impact on the way diseases are diagnosed, managed and treated in general practice, as well as at a specialist level.
BSAVA says applications are particularly welcome from practitioners, as well as academics or joint applications between practice and academia.
Chris Scudder, from the Small Animal Medicine Society said: “We are delighted to be able to collaborate with BSAVA PetSavers in supporting innovative research in small animal internal medicine.
"We have a shared goal of advancing the health and well-being of small animals.
"Their invaluable and generous support enables us to fund research that makes a meaningful difference for cats, dogs, and their owners.”
Applications are also open for the BSAVA PetSavers Clinical Research Project grant, where funding of up to £20,000 is available.
https://bsava.com/petsavers/apply-for-funding/clinical-research-projects/.
Matthew’s award is in recognition of his paper Approach to initial management of canine generalised epileptic seizures in primary-care veterinary practices in the United Kingdom, co-authored with Laurent Garosi, which was selected by the BSAVA Committee as being the most valuable to veterinary practice.
James’ study explored data collected as part of the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) at the University of Liverpool.
In total, clinical records concerning 3,150,713 consultations (917,373 dogs) were collected and analysed from 224 UK veterinary practices.
This included the management of canine generalised epileptic seizures in 517 dogs up to 6 years of age.
The study concluded that 98% of dogs presenting for a single epileptic seizure were not started on long-term therapy, in accordance with the approach recommended by the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force (IVETF).
Other findings from the study included:
The paper also reported on factors potentially associated with prescription of ASDs.
It stated that dogs who presented for cluster seizures (more than one epileptic seizure in a 24-hour period) were more likely to be prescribed ASDs, or to be referred to a specialist, than dogs without cluster seizures.
Dogs that were neutered or microchipped were more likely to be started on ASDs following the initial presentation, perhaps suggesting that owners who take part in regular preventative healthcare prior to the onset of their dog’s seizures could be more willing to start therapy in the earlier stages of the disease.
In addition, more than half of dogs with cluster seizures were not prescribed any ASDs.
Given that the presence of cluster seizures is typically considered an indication to start long-term therapy by the IVETF, Matthew says this may be one aspect of seizure management that could be improved in primary care practice.
Regarding the choice of anti-seizure drugs (ASDs), imepitoin was more frequently prescribed than phenobarbital in response to cluster seizures.
But unlike phenobarbital, the paper highlighted that the market authorisation for imepitoin does not include the treatment of cluster seizures.
Therefore vets should be aware that the use of imepitoin for cluster seizures should be considered as “off-licence” - and has additional implications for obtaining informed consent.
Matthew said: “We believe this research contributes to an improved understanding of the current management strategies for canine epilepsy in general practice and how this compares to the current guidelines advised by the IVETF.
"Given the prevalence of epileptic seizures within the UK canine population, as well as the large proportion of dogs that will be managed entirely within general practice without referral to a neurologist, it is vital to ensure that the level of care being provided is optimal.
"We therefore hope that this research ultimately supports and guides general practitioners in their approach to canine epilepsy, thereby improving the quality of life of affected dogs and their owners.”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jsap.13543
The toolkit is part of a major study, the ‘Old Age Pets (OAP) research project’, recently funded by BSAVA PetSavers at the University of Liverpool.
The ACT includes an owner checklist for home triage and a leaflet which explains the more common health problems affecting aged dogs.
There's a practice waiting room poster which includes a QR code to give clients access to a digital version of the leaflet.
The leaflet recommends working through the checklist at least every six months and keeping completed versions for comparison, to monitor dogs as they age.
PetSavers says that some clients may benefit from advice and guidance from RVNs or PCAs on how to complete the checklist for the first time.
BSAVA has also curated a collection of articles, podcasts, lectures and book chapters to support veterinary professionals in caring for senior dogs: http://www.bsavalibrary.com/petsaversact.
Professor Carri Westgarth from the University of Liverpool said: “We conducted this research project kindly funded by BSAVA PetSavers in order to help owners and veterinary professionals provide great care for our loved pets as they age.
“Our investigations uncovered common physical and behavioural signs in dogs that owners observe and for which support from the veterinary practice would be beneficial.
"Our simple evidence-based checklist is designed to engage owners and importantly stimulate efficient discussion with their veterinary team.”
Free digital copies of the leaflet and poster can be downloaded here: http://www.bsavalibrary.com/content/cilgrouppetsaversact, where veterinary professionals can also request free printed copies for their practices.
https://www.bsava.com/petsavers/our-impact/citizen-science-project.
The fellowship provides a grant of up to £35,000 for work in companion animal research to be spent over a maximum of two years.
Applications are open to veterinary surgeons who have completed a postgraduate qualification such as a PhD or Masters, and who are within the first four years after starting an academic post (Lecturer, Fellowship or above) and have received no more than £50,000 of funding in competitive external grants to date.
David Killick, Chair of the BSAVA PetSavers Grants Awarding Committee said: “BSAVA PetSavers is delighted to launch the PetSavers Research Fellowship.
"It is well recognised that the journey from completion of a PhD to becoming established as an independent researcher is one of the most challenging times of a researcher career.
“With this new grant BSAVA PetSavers will support exceptional veterinary professionals in the Early Career Researcher phase develop their research ideas by providing £35,000 towards research costs over a two-year period.
"Through this initiative BSAVA PetSavers aims to help these researchers reach their potential and in so doing expand the capacity for companion animal research in the UK.”.
Applications close on 28th February 2022, and a decision will be made by the end of May 2022.
To apply for the Research Fellowship, visit the BSAVA PetSavers website: https://www.petsavers.org.uk/Apply-for-funding/research-fellowship
BSAVA PetSavers is funding a research project at the University of Liverpool designed to help vets and owners provide the best care for senior and geriatric dogs.
In the first part of the study, veterinary professionals were interviewed about the services currently provided to senior dogs and their owners regarding preventative healthcare, treatment, and advice.
Owners were interviewed about their experiences of living with and accessing veterinary care for senior dogs.
The results of these interviews were then used to develop the online survey which researchers now need vets to take part in, to validate the interview findings in a quantitative way.
Dr Carri Westgarth said: “The veterinary survey focuses on the perceived barriers to care for senior dogs, end-of-life care including quality-of-life, and the potential design of the BSAVA PetSavers guidance tool.
"We would be grateful if any veterinary professional could take a few minutes from their day to help us with this project.”
The survey should take around 20–25 minutes to complete.
Survey participants will also have the opportunity to win an Amazon voucher.
The survey can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/PetsaversOAPVetSurvey.
Owners are being asked to provide a photo or video and a brief description that capture what it is like to live with and care for an older dog.
Dr Carri Westgarth, a senior lecturer in human-animal interaction at the University of Liverpool, has been awarded a citizen science grant from PetSavers to run the project. She plans to use the information gathered to help develop a ‘Canine Ageing and Wellbeing’ tool for use in veterinary practice.
Carri said: “Dogs are living up to twice as long as they did 40 years ago and there are implications for senior dogs’ healthcare and wellbeing.
"As life expectancy increases, so does the amount of time the dog may spend in poor health. It may be difficult for us to distinguish between the signs of serious age-related diseases and normal age-related changes in our dogs."
PetSavers says the data will contribute to our investigations of owner expectations, experiences and attitudes to ageing in dogs, including preventative care and general understanding of normal and abnormal changes during ageing.
Carri added: "Improving discussions between owners and veterinary professionals about senior dog care will help to increase owner understanding and involvement in care decisions for their pet. The resulting early detection of health problems should bring significant improvement to the quality of life of senior pets and the dog-owner relationship.
"Any adult UK residents who (currently or recently) live with an aged dog/s of any breed/s or health status are encouraged to participate by choosing an image or short video and telling us about it."
The research team will then analyse the submitted text and media for common themes. They may also use anonymised selected quotes to illustrate important findings in research publications such as scientific papers or conference presentations.
If you know any owners who might like to participate, do share this link with them: https://bit.ly/PetSaversOAPsPhoto
For more information, visit: https://www.petsavers.org.uk/our-research/oldagepets
Data collection will close on Friday 10th July 2020.
Research conducted by the PDSA in 2017 found that 75% of dogs had received a primary vaccination course when young, which dropped to 72% in 2019. According to the BSAVA, it's the first time that vaccination rates have seen a sustained drop over a three year period since vaccinations were first introduced to the UK in the '60s.
The project, titled 'A mixed methods approach to quantifying and characterising vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy in UK companion animals' will combine quantitative analysis of existing data from electronic health records with qualitative approaches. It will include interviews and focus-group discussions with vets and owners to gain an in-depth understanding of patterns of uptake of vaccination in UK.
Experiences, perceptions and behaviours around uptake of vaccination and the rise of vaccine hesitancy in UK pet owners will also be investigated.
Dr Gina Pinchbeck, project leader at the University of Liverpool said: “Vaccination is a vital component of preventive healthcare and it is well acknowledged that sub-optimal vaccination uptake may be associated with re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in populations.
“It is essential that we understand the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in the pet population so that we can use the best methods to promote vaccine acceptance and uptake and this will be the primary focus of the study.”
The study will include the development of a knowledge and dissemination strategy, in association with PetSavers and BSAVA. This will include a project website, publication of scientific research and other articles for both practicing veterinary surgeons and for pet-owners, press releases, conference presentations and public-engagement presentations.
BSAVA President Professor Ian Ramsey added: “This project will be of great value to the veterinary profession and continues the co-operation between BSAVA and the University of Liverpool to build on the successes of the original SAVSNET partnership.”
For information on how to apply for the PhD, contact Dr Gina Pinchbeck (ginap@liverpool.ac.uk).
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