Hi everyone
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
Ian
A study is underway to evaluate the efficacy of Protexin Pro-Kolin Enterogenic in conjunction with ronidazole in the treatment of T.foetus in cats with diarrhoea. Referring vets who have diagnosed T.foetus by PCR are asked to contact Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore or Stephanie Lalor at University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals using the contact details below to discuss enrolment of cats into the study.Tel. 0131 650 7650Email. slalor@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
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.
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
The films, which include information and practical advice based on the pillars of lifestyle medicine and the neuropsychology of hormones, are aimed both at individuals who are directly affected and those who want to support them.
Wellvet co-founder Liz Barton said: “We now know that nearly half of veterinary team members experience a moderate-severe impact of perimenopause symptoms on their mental health, and a third report a significant impact on their working life and career."
Dr. Claire Gillvray, GP, Lifestyle Medicine specialist and psychiatrist with a special interest in women’s health, who introduces the films, said: “While we tend to focus on the individual, we all have friends, family, colleagues and clients who will experience symptoms impacting their mental and physical health and relationships.
"Although some women transition through the menopause with no problems, many women suffer a multiplicity of debilitating symptoms.
"These symptoms can be devastating and the medical advice they receive can be extremely variable, with some doctors dismissing perimenopause.
"Though onset can be earlier, symptoms typically occur between the ages of 40-60 years and can last for a decade or more, and there can be severe health impacts including cardiovascular, neurological and orthopaedic disease."
“These videos will empower individuals to take control of their symptom monitoring, have meaningful conversations with medical professionals, and trial lifestyle adjustments that may improve their health and wellbeing.”
The first instalment of nine 5-30 minute bitesize videos are accessible now on the WellVet website: https://www.wellvet.co.uk/resources/menopause-resources-for-veterinary-teams/.
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
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
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
Free plasma metanephrines – a novel diagnostic approach for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in dogs
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
Fabio Procoli DMV MRCVS, Senior Clinical Training Scholar in Small Animal Internal Medicine RVC
The Royal Veterinary College
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
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.
We're delighted to announce details of the SAMSoc Pre-BSAVA Satellite Meeting:
Date: Wednesday April 1st 2009Venue: Hall 8a, ICC, Birmingham
Timetable:
8.30 - 9am
Registration
9 - 10
Thoracic CT
Charlotte Whatmough (UK)
10 - 11
Thoracoscopy for medics
Eric Monnet (USA)
11 - 11.30
Break
11.30-12.15
Case Reports - sponsored by Vetoquinol
12.15 - 1.15
Current management of Diabetes Mellitus in people
Dr Aldibbiat (UK)
1.15 -2.30
Lunch
2.30-3.30
A logical approach to changed mental status
Natasha Olby (USA)
3.30-4.30
Interpretation of bone marrow cytology
Reinhard Mischke (Germany)
4.30-5pm
AGM
Satellite meeting fees (lunch is included) - members £65, Non members £95. SAMSOC annual membership - £25
We would like to invite submission of interesting case reports. There will be three presentations each lasting 12 minutes (plus 3 minutes for questions). If you have a case that you would like to present please e-mail an outline (up to 500 words) to Alison.Ridyard@ed.ac.uk by the 1st February 2009. The programme co-ordinators will review the submissions and inform people of the selected cases by the 1st March 2009. This is a chance for sharing your interesting and unusual cases with the group and we look forward to some interesting submissions. This year in addition to free registration, there will be prizes for the best case reports (first prize £300, second £150 , third £50).
If you are interested in joining the society or attending the meeting contact medicinereferrals@hotmail.com or iab@vetspecialists.co.uk. You may also click here for more details.
In addition to the postings below the notes for SAMSOC AGM are now avalaible in the WIKI section
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.
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
After a record number of submissions we are please to announce that the 3 finalists have been selected. In no particular order they are
The cases will be presented during the SAMSOC day and audience voting will select the winner.
Registration forms and the speaker schedule for the SAMSOC meeting 1st April 2009 can be found on the website ( alternatively contact medicinereferrals@hotmail.com or iab@vetspecialists.co.uk ).
Note - we are unable to provide a lunch for registrations received after March 12th
Call for Research Reports / Research Abstracts 2010 ACVIM Forum Scientific Program SUMBISSION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 1, 2009 The ACVIM invites submission of research reports and research abstracts for short communications at the 2010 ACVIM Forum, June 9 - 12, 2010, in Anaheim, California. ACVIM Diplomates, ACVIM Candidates, members of other specialty groups, and those working in areas related to veterinary internal medicine are encouraged to submit. Research reports will be published in the online 2010 ACVIM Forum Proceedings and research abstracts will be published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) as well as in the online and CD-Rom 2010 ACVIM Forum Proceedings. Abstracts may be submitted for consideration in the research report category (25-minute presentation) if presented by an active researcher the field. PhD candidates, post-doctoral students, and young faculty may be considered, but ACVIM Candidates and other residents may not present in this category. If a research report is not accepted, the submission form will provide an option for you to have the abstract considered for presentation as a research abstract (15-minute presentation) instead. Anyone may submit abstracts to be considered in the research abstract category. ACVIM Candidates may be eligible for award. Awards will be given to selected research abstract presenters (or poster authors) who are active residents in an approved ACVIM training program, or who have completed an ACVIM approved residency within the last 6 months but are not yet ACVIM Board-certified. These abstracts will be judged on the quality of both the research and oral or poster presentation. Two types of research abstract communications will be available: - Oral presentation, strictly limited to 12 minutes with 3 additional minutes for questions. - Posters (4' × 8' in dimension), available for viewing throughout the meeting. During specified periods the posters must be attended by one or more of the authors to answer specific questions. If the poster is entered in the ACVIM resident competition, the author must attend the poster to interact with the judges. All submissions must adhere to the requirements outlined in the ACVIM Guidelines for Research Reports / Research Abstracts. Note: Abstracts that exceed the length limit will not be considered. Excessively poor grammar or clarity of writing may be grounds for abstract rejection. No abstract may be submitted that will have been submitted as a full-length publication before the abstract submission deadline of December 1, 2009. Abstracts that have been published as an abstract and / or presented elsewhere within the 9 months previous to the 2010 ACVIM Forum may be submitted for consideration, but must pass the ACVIM abstract review process as for any abstract. The place of prior publication and / or presentation and copyright permission must be disclosed at the time of abstract submission. Abstracts describing a single case report are unacceptable. Abstracts describing a study using clinical cases that lack confirmed, definitive diagnoses are not acceptable. Abstracts that present data “fractionated” into two or more abstracts when they could be combined into one are discouraged (e.g. regarding test validation, methodology development, or establishing a normal range without application to a population with sufficient power to demonstrate statistical significance). Animals used in the described study are expected to have received humane care, i.e. according to the principles outlined in the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and / or the humane care guidelines found at the author’s institution. Authors must attest to this on the electronic submission form. Deadline: All submissions must be made online using the ACVIM electronic submission form found under the Research Abstracts link at www.ACVIMForum.org. Abstracts must be submitted by 11:59 pm MST, December 1, 2009 to be considered for presentation. The online submission form will be deactivated as of 12:00 am MST, December 2.
The exciting programme for our satellite meeting in 2010 is attached! Please register early to avoid disappointment.
Our 2010 satellite meeting will include a session which will be particulalrly useful to candidates preparing a medicine case book.
The meeting remains very good value for money (£65). If you wish, subs for 2010 can be included with your payment for the meeting (Total cost =£90).
Lunch will be included if registration forms and payment for the meeting are received BEFORE March 15th (catering deadline).
Best wishes
Yvonne
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Do you have an interesting or unusual small animal medicine case/series of cases that would be suitable to present as an oral abstract? The Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) invites submission of abstracts for short communications at the pre-BSAVA Satellite Meeting on 7th April 2010 in the ICC, Birmingham.
This Competition is open to anyone with an interest in canine or feline medicine. Suitable cases should have interesting discussion points but need not be so unusual that they would be considered publishable.
Three case reports will be selected by the SAMSOC committee for presentation during the meeting (12 minutes plus 3 minute for questions).
Abstracts will not be published for this meeting, so cases/case series that may be presented in final form at other meetings in the future may be presented.
Cases/ case series of interest to the group that have been presented at meetings other than major internal medicine meetings (e.g. ACVIM, ECVIM, BSAVA) may be considered.
Abstracts should be written in Microsoft Word using Times Roman 12-point font. The first line should contain the title in all capitals; the second line all author(s); the third the institution(s) the author(s) are affiliated with; followed by the actual abstract starting as a new paragraph. The print must be black, and the abstract should be no more than 500 words in length (including title, author names and institutions). The line spacing should be 1.5.
Deadline for submission of abstracts is 1st February 2010. Notification of acceptance will be provided by 1st March 2010.
Abstracts may be submitted electronically to Sheena.Warman@bristol.ac.uk or sniessen@rvc.ac.uk (Stijn Niessen)
If an abstract is accepted for presentation, the presenter will receive free registration for the SAMSoc satellite meeting.
In addition, like last year, Vetoquinol are kindly sponsoring prizes for the best abstracts. At the end of the session the audience will vote by ballot for their favourite case report (1st place £300, 2nd place £150, 3rd place £50).
We hope many could contribute to this valuable part of our programme, which could also provide a valuable presenting experience to our young and talented colleagues, yet is open to colleagues of all ages and backgrounds!
Do you have an interesting or unusual small animal medicine case that would be suitable to present as an oral abstract? The Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) is currently inviting submissions for the case report session during the pre BSAVA satellite meeting on April 1st 2009.
This Competition is open to anyone with an interest in canine or feline medicine. Suitable cases should have interesting discussion points but need not necessarily be so unusual that they would be considered publishable.
Successful selection entitles the author to free registration for the meeting.
At the end of the session the audience will vote by ballot for their favourite case report. Each presenter will then be awarded a prize which has been kindly donated by Vetoquinol: 1st place £300, 2nd place £150, 3rd place £50.
If you are interested in submitting a case report for consideration please contact Alison Ridyard (Alison.Ridyard@ed.ac.uk.) for details.
The deadline for submission is February 1st 2009
Aran Mas, P-J.M.Noble , A.J.German
EPI is a common condition in dogs with early response to therapy being critical for positive outcomes (Batchelor et al, 2007). Pancreatic enzyme supplementation is the key component of therapy in EPI. Numerous enzyme preparations exist for use in dogs, some of which are enteric-coated and some uncoated. Although one retrospective study on treatment of EPI suggested a better response with uncoated preparations (Hall et al., 1991), there was no difference in response amongst preparations in a more recent study (Batchelor et al., 2007). However, prospective clinical trials, on treatment of EPI, are lacking.
The Small Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Liverpool, is performing the first randomised double-blind trial to examine the effect of enteric coating on efficacy of pancreatic enzyme supplementation in the treatment of canine EPI. We are aiming to recruit dogs recently diagnosed with EPI for inclusion in this trial. Enrolled patients will undergo clinical evaluation, two months of treatment and follow-up advice, all free of charge.
Inclusion/exclusion criteria and contact detail can be found in the SAMSOC Wiki
Other Projects listed in the SAMSOC WIKI
Angie Hibbert at the Feline Centre (Bristol)- Congenital PSS in Birman Cats - DNA Project
Harriet Syme and Colleagues RVC - are recruiting cases for a clinical trail evaluating the use of oral phosphate binders in Feline Chronic Kidney Disease
Stijn Nelson’s- Diabetes Treatment Survey for vets, nurses and owners
Brain Catchpole and Lucy Davidson - are collaborating with a number of centres to investigate the genetic basis of several canine endocrine disorders. They are keen to recruit samples (serum and EDTA blood) from dogs suffering from a number of endocrine disorders
NOTE- If you would like to announce recruitment details for a clinical trial, please logo onto to the SAMSoc Wiki or contact a member of the SAMSOC committee.
The commitee are pleased to announce plans for a CPD travel scholarship award of £250 which will be open to application from SAMSOC members
Details for applications will be announce in 7-10 days.
Other News
The feline acromegaly lecture vote is still ongoing so please log onto the site and have your say and suggest any other lecture topic ideas
Research posts
There have been no recent new posting in the wiki but as a refresher please find a list of all the projects posted to date that are currently recruiting cases.
The six-floor building, which the College bought for £22.3m in 2022, was originally a warehouse.
Over the years it has been home to a range of businesses from leather manufacturers and papers makers to lithographic plate makers and shoe upping manufacturers, before becoming an office space.
The building remained tenanted until 2024, when £5.8m worth of renovation work to convert the building into a space suitable for a royal college began.
In addition to the working areas for RCVS and RCVS Knowledge staff, the building also has:
RCVS CEO, Lizzie Lockett, said: “After a few years in a rented co-working office space, we’re delighted to have moved into our new home, designed not only to meet the needs of College staff, but to support the broader ambitions of the RCVS as a whole.
“Our new strategic plan has collaboration at its heart – the idea of being stronger through working together – and our new building will help us to achieve that.
“Whether attending events, exploring RCVS Knowledge’s archives, using the members' area and meeting rooms, or benefitting from the outputs that the new space enables, the building has been developed with members and associates as a central focus.”
RCVS President, Linda Belton, added: "It’s great to see what’s been achieved through this project and my thanks go to the team who have managed the refurbishment and move.
“The new premises are equipped to ensure that the voice of the veterinary professions remains integral in assuring animal health, welfare, and public health in the UK, allowing for those all-important stakeholder conversations essential to setting, upholding and advancing veterinary standards.
“We look forward to welcoming members, associates, students and stakeholders alike in the coming months and years.”
Angie Hibbert and Proffessor Tim Gruffydd-Jones at the Feline Centre (Bristol) In conjunction with Professor Leslie Lyons (UC Davies) are currently looking into the predispoistion of Birman cats to congenital porotsystemic shunts. They are looking to obtain DNA smaples from affected cats and their siblings. A simple buccal swab is required and if possible details of the cats pedigree.
More details can be found in the SAMSOC Wiki
Other projects posted on the SAMSOC website ( within the Wiki)
Harriet Syme and Colleagues RVC are recruiting cases for a clinical trail evaluating the use of oral phosphate binders in Feline Chronic Kidney Disease -
Stijn Nelson’s Diabetes Treatment Survey for vets, nurses and owners
Brain Catchpole and Lucy Davidson are collaborating with a number of centres to investigate the genetic basis of several canine endocrine disorders. They are keen to recruit samples (serum and EDTA blood) from dogs suffering from a number of endocrine disorders
If you wish to register for the SAMSoc pre-BSAVA meeting on April 2009 then please print the attached form and send the completed form and payment to the address shown.
Please note that the deadline for catering arrangements is March 13th. Lunch will only be provided to those who have registered and paid before this date!