Just as a reminder i have pasted below from our SAMSOC WIKI the studies that recruiting cases
If you have a project you would like to post in the wiki drop me a line ( iab@vetspecialists.co.uk) and i can sort it out for you.
As before i will send a list of all projects around to members from time to time (Just to keep them relatively fresh in peoples minds).
All the best
Ian
FOUR great case reports have now been selected for the case report competition at the SAMSOC meeting (see finalised programme below), complementing an exciting & thought provoking programme.
Please note: Registration deadlines for your yearly shot of grade A medicine are approaching....if you are in any way serious about your medicine, don't get left out and register ASAP.
Pre-BSAVA SAMSOC Satellite Meeting - Wednesday April 7th 2010, Hall 10, ICC, Birmingham
8.30 – 9am
Registration
9 – 9.45
Epilepsy: when the (usual) drugs don’t work...
Dr Holger Volk DrMedVet PhD DipECVN MRCVS (RVC, UK-Germany)
9.55 – 10.40
Antimicrobial usage in companion animal practice: facts and moral dilemmas
Dr Susan Dawson BVMS PhD MRCVS (University of Liverpool, UK)
10.40–11.10
Break
11.10-12.05
Case Reports – sponsored by Vetoquinol
1. Abdominal mycetoma in a dog caused by Scedosporium apiospermum 2. Deoxycorticosterone-producing adrenal carcinoma causing signs of mineralocorticoid excess and hypokalaemic myopathy in a dog 3. Colonic candidiasis in a dog
4. Four cases of feline hyperprogesteronism
Rosanne Jepson (RVC)
Ruth Gostelow (RVC)
Caroline Kisielewicz (Glasgow University)
Natasha Hetzel (Bristol University)
12.05 – 1.00
Venous thromboembolism: learning from a human perspective
Dr Nandan Gautam MA, BM ChB, MRCP DICM. Consultant in medicine and critical care. Member of the NICE venous thromboembolism prevention committee (Birmingham UK)
1.00 -2.30
Lunch (till 2.00 for those attending lunch-time session)
2.00-2.30
How to write a successful CertSAM casebook? (optional)
Jon Wray BVSc DSAM CertVC MRCVS (Dick White Referrals, UK)
2.30-3.15
Controversies surrounding treatment of aortic thromboembolism
Dr Matt Beal DVM DipACVECC
(Michigan State University, USA)
3.25-3.35
3.35-4.20
Feline Acromegaly: separating facts from assumptions
Stijn Niessen DVM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS (RVC, UK-Netherlands)
4.30-5pm
AGM and presentation “best case report award” sponsored by Vetoquinol
Satellite meeting fees (lunch is included if you register before March15th 2010)
Members £65, Non members £95. SAMSOC annual membership - £25
If you are interested in joining the society and/ or attending the meeting contact yvonnemcgrotty@hotmail.com
or iab@vetspecialists.co.uk. Details can also be found on the SAMSOC webpage (log onto www.vetsurgeon.org).
JSAP is pleased to announce that it will provide two seminars to be held during BSAVA Congress, in conjunction with the Clinical Research Abstract sessions, aimed at providing guidance for those seeking to publish their research and wishing to critically evaluate published studies. These sessions are free to attend but numbers are limited (see below).
Friday 9 April
12.05–12.35 (Hall 7b, ICC)
How To Put A Paper Together
Speaker: Malcolm Ness
BVetMed CertSAO DipECVS FRCVS
Vets in practice are ideally placed to conduct and publish clinical research because they are the ones actually seeing the cases! Many practitioners are put off because of a perceived difficulty in "getting published". This is largely fear of the unknown and like most things, once you know the rules, it is easier to play the game. The purpose of the seminar is to look at and learn the "rules" of writing a paper for publication in a peer reviewed veterinary journal. Areas considered will include:
What makes a good clinical research project?
Understanding the standard format for writing a paper – which bits go where, and why
The peer review process – how it works and why
Handling rejection!
The seminar is intended for anyone aspiring to seeing their work published in a peer reviewed veterinary journal including interns, residents, researchers and referral clinicians but especially colleagues working in primary care clinical practice.
Saturday 10 April
12.05–12.35 (Hall 7a, ICC)
Critical Reading
Speaker: Adrian Boswood
MA VetMB DVC DipECVIM-CA FHEA MRCVS
Reading original articles from the peer-reviewed literature can at first seem a daunting task. It is however, only by evaluating full papers (rather than skimming and believing abstracts!) that the strengths and weaknesses of published studies can be truly appreciated. This seminar at BSAVA congress is designed to give attendees a basic understanding of how to approach original papers.
The seminar will begin with an outline of the formal structure of a scientific paper and give guidelines for readers as to where critical information in the paper should be sought. Examples from the veterinary and medical literature examples of good (and in some cases bad!) practice will be used to illustrate this critical approach. The seminar is designed for practitioners wishing to develop a more questioning approach and for those in the early stages of a clinical academic career (although anyone is welcome to attend).
Adrian Boswood is Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the Royal Veterinary College and a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology and a European Specialist in Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology).
Malcolm Ness is Founding Partner at Croft Veterinary Hospital and a RCVS and European Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery.
Spaces for these seminars are limited, and those attending the Saturday seminar will be sent a paper to evaluate in advance that will be discussed at the meeting. Therefore, if you would like to attend either of these seminars please contact Ian Mellor, Media Sales Manager, British Small Animal Veterinary Association (email: i.mellor@bsava.com) by Friday 26 March.
Willows Referral Service
Locum Internal Medicine Clinician required
During 2010 Willows Referral Service has opportunities for part-time Internal Medicine locum cover. The successful applicant(s) should either hold an RCVS, European or American Diploma (or equivalent) or have undertaken Residency training and be ready to take their final Diploma examinations. Candidates must share our aim of providing the best possible levels of care for clients, their pets and for referring veterinary surgeons.
We have an excellent team of support staff who give our clinicians the opportunity to concentrate on their clinical caseload and to work in a pleasant, supportive and good humoured atmosphere. Facilities include a superbly equipped intensive care unit, kennelling for over 100 in-patients, all-new GE imaging equipment, including 1.5T MRI, top-end 16 slice CT with in-room CT fluoroscopy, two general digital X-ray rooms, mobile image intensifier, high-end ultrasound and Olympus video endoscopy. Our medicine clinicians, Jane Eastwood DSAM and Kirsty Roe DipACVIM, work alongside specialists in the disciplines of soft tissue surgery, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, imaging and anaesthesia, and our philosophy is very much one of friendly co-operation between clinicians in every specialism.
For further information about Willows internal medicine service please visit http://www.willows.uk.net/en-GB/specialist-services/specialisms/internal-medicine
If you are interested and would like an informal chat about the position, please contact Jane Eastwood on 0121 712 7070
Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, Solihull, West Midlands www.willows.uk.net
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
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.
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
Kate Blakeman has become President Elect and James Crabtree, Junior Vice President.
Imogen (pictured) graduated from the RVC in 2000 and became a first opinion equine vet.
She was awarded RCVS Equine Medicine Advanced Practitioner status in 2014 and gained her Post Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Professional Studies and Stud Medicine Certificate in 2023.
Whilst working full-time in first opinion equine practice, she performs several other roles: VetGDP advisor, veterinary undergraduate teaching and examining, and RCVS Advanced Practitioner assessor.
Imogen is currently Chair of BEVA’s Ethics and Welfare Committee and a member of BEVA’s Education Committee.
Imogen said: “I have loved my experience on BEVA Council over the past few years, not least as Ethics and Welfare Committee chair.
"I have strong opinions and am brave enough to pop my head above the parapet to encourage conversation around topics I am passionate about.
"As a first opinion equine practitioner I hope I can bring a practical perspective to the table.
"I honestly never thought I would have the opportunity for the prestigious role of President - I hope it will inspire others to put themselves forwards.”
www.beva.org.uk.
Photo: @JasSansi
The awards are to celebrate outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in various areas crucial to the future success of the profession.
There are three award categories, one to recognise leadership and management skills, one to celebrate practices that have excellent morale and a culture of collaborative teamworking, and one for practices that have started up in the last 2.5 years and achieved a profitable and sustainable business model.
The category winners will each win full day and evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2026 on Thursday 26th February at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole (3 team members per practice), plus overnight accommodation.
Five shortlisted practices in each category will win a book of their choice, provided by 5M Books.
The deadline for initial submissions is Friday 17th October 2025.
https://spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards/.
The authors say that measuring the severity of pterygoid bone medialisation before surgery may therefore be useful as a guide to the likely prognosis.
The study, funded by BSAVA PetSavers, is the first to investigate the effect of pterygoid bone medialisation and nasopharyngeal narrowing on BOAS surgical outcomes in brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dogs.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge Department of Veterinary Medicine analysed computed tomography (CT) images of the head and neck of 144 brachycephalic dogs (French Bulldogs, Pugs and English Bulldogs) and compared with 30 non-brachycephalic control dogs.
A BOAS index was determined both pre-operatively and post-operatively.
Medialisation of the pterygoid bones was more severe in brachycephalic breeds compared to non-brachycephalic breeds and was associated with nasopharyngeal narrowing.
French Bulldogs were particularly affected, and those with more severe pterygoid bone medialisation were far more likely to have a poor BOAS surgical outcome.
There are currently no effective surgical interventions to correct the deformities of the pterygoid bones in BOAS-affected dogs.
The authors say medialisation of the pterygoid bones can be easily identified via CT scans, or alternatively, simple palpation of the pterygoid bone during surgery from the oral cavity can give an indication of how medialised the pterygoid bones are.
Dr. Sze Lynn Yuen, lead author of the study, said: “BOAS is a complex disease which encompasses breed-specific anatomical lesions.
"The medialisation index will be useful for vets in practice to guide them on the likely prognosis prior to surgery.
"It would be beneficial to identify the significance of the medialisation index on a larger dataset of BOAS-affected patients as the next step.”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.70028
The company says the battery-operated, dual-speed clipper has been specifically designed for a close cut to improve hygiene and make treatments easier.
Hefin Rowlands from Heiniger said: “The Opal Xtend will help vets with accurate hair removal for everyday tasks such as TB testing.
"It has been developed to be quieter, which will reduce stress, and has an interchangeable battery system to enable uninterrupted operation during periods of extensive use.
“An LED battery indicator provides forewarning to operators and additional batteries can be swapped out quickly and easily.
"Each battery will last up to 4 hours and the second battery only takes just over an hour to recharge.”
Heiniger claims that at 415 grams, the clipper is one of the lightest cordless models available.
Hefin added: “It is particularly well suited to preparing animals for skin testing, wound treatments and scans including ultrasounds.”
Heiniger says the clipper is also a good fit for agricultural and equine users looking for a reliable and dependable machine that can stand up to demanding use.
https://www.heiniger.co.uk/product/opal-xtend/
This season, the podcast will explore:
Listeners can also access free, downloadable support resources from the Dômes Pharma Vet Vault—including client handouts, treatment guidelines, and clinical checklists that align with podcast content.
Emma Hancox MRCVS, Technical Vet Advisor at Dômes Pharma said: “Epilepsy cases can be intimidating and challenging for many first-opinion vets.
“Our goal is to make it more approachable, practical, and even enjoyable—by combining expert discussion with down-to-earth advice you can use the next day in practice.”
https://domespharma.co.uk/synaptic-tails-our-neurology-podcast
A graduate of the University of Córdoba, Spain, Sonya trained and worked across Europe and the United States, including at the Animal Health Trust, The Royal Veterinary College, Colorado State University and Nottingham University.
Her clinical interests span neurology, ophthalmology, muscular disorders, and infectious diseases, and she is widely recognised for her contributions to equine research.
She continues to contribute to ongoing studies in exercise biomarkers, toxicology, and infectious disease management, and regularly presents her findings at national and international veterinary conferences.
Andrew Jones, Clinical Director and Specialist Surgeon at CVS Endell Equine Hospital said: “Internal medicine specialists such as Dr. Gonzalez-Medina, with her comprehensive expertise spanning multiple body systems, will be instrumental in enhancing Endell’s existing services."
The new service will cover a broad spectrum of equine medical conditions, including:
Andrew added: “Our area has lacked this type of service for patients in the past, meaning horses can now access advanced internal medicine care without traveling great distances.”
The Equine Internal Medicine Service is now accepting referrals and direct cases.
https://www.endellequinehospital.co.uk.
The nine-month course, which starts on 15th October, is designed to address the non-clinical challenges faced by vets in general practice — many of which SPVS says are still underrepresented in traditional CPD, including:
The course includes a two-day in-person launch in Solihull, monthly online group sessions till July 2026 and a mix of in-person, virtual and self-paced learning.
The course costs £1250 for SPVS members, £1,500 for non members.
https://spvs.org.uk/gp-mastery/