PetSavers reports and interviews

 Petros Odatzoglou describes his PetSavers-funded research project entitled Flow cytometric analysis of Ki-67 expression in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours and its prognostic value.

 Francesca Soutter was awarded funding for a BSAVA PetSavers master’s degree by research in 2023 for a project exploring whether IgA deficiency is a feature of canine atopic dermatitis in small and medium sized dogs. Student Abigail Campbell describes the research findings.

   Evaluating serum nucleosomes in dogs with urothelial carcinoma and urinary tract infections is the title of a student research study funded by a BSAVA PetSavers grant awarded to Dr Ollie Bardsley and Professor Tim Williams at the University of Cambridge. In this article, Dr Bardsley describes their research and findings.

 An Vanhaesebrouck was awarded the inaugural BSAVA PetSavers Research Fellowship in 2023 to undertake work on the Development of a novel test to diagnose seronegative myasthenia gravis in dogs at Cambridge University.

  A ‘One Health’ approach to the control of pet parasites considers the broader implications of parasiticide use, balancing animal, human and environmental health. With funding support from a BSAVA PetSavers Clinical Research Project grant, Rosemary Perkins is investigating imidacloprid emissions from collar-treated dogs to assess the significance of this pollution pathway. In this article Dr Perkins explains more about the study and how this research fits into the broader picture of evidence-based and responsible pet parasiticide use.

 Ross Bond and collaborators Jonna Juhola, Erin Brennan, Ewan Ferguson, Anette Loeffler, Anke Hendricks and Sian-Marie Frosini from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London have been awarded BSAVA PetSavers funding to study fungal dysbiosis following potent antibacterial monotherapy in canine otitis externa.

  Veterinary student Nicole Cardoza reports on the BSAVA PetSavers research project entitled Urinary extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of canine urinary tract infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria.

  Michal Tkacz, a final year vet student at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, and Professor Brendan Corcoran, Personal Chair of Veterinary Cardiopulmonary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, have been awarded a PetSavers-funded student research project grant to investigate myxomatous mitral valve disease.

   In 2020, Ana Ortiz, Cinzia Allegrucci and Kerstin Baiker were awarded BSAVA PetSavers’ funding to investigate the expression of ß-adrenergic receptors (ß-AR) in canine haemangiosarcoma (HSA). Former master’s student and anatomic pathology resident Kian Guerzoni, and more recent master’s student and anatomic pathology resident Marta Pereira also joined the research team. This study aims to be a baseline investigation towards the potential benefit of using non-selective ß-AR antagonists in the management of canine HSA.

  Dr Penny Watson at the University of Cambridge received PetSavers funding for a master’s degree to investigate markers for chronic biliary tract disease in cats. Student Jason Bestwick used a bespoke hepatic histological scoring system and explored serum autoantibodies in an attempt to better define the disease aetiology.