Page 3 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2024

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Collaboration Amid Complexity Charlie’s recovery, as was collaboration with his
elcome to the autumn edition local veterinary practice. He was in hospital here
of Clinical Connections. Since for almost a fortnight and after discharge the
W our last edition, the RVC has team at Oaks Veterinary Centre in Birmingham
welcomed a host of eager new students managed his leg wound for months.
to both our Hertfordshire and London On page five we have a very moving article
campuses. The new students joined the about Aria, a patient seen by our Veterinary
RVC at a special time, not least by being the Oncology Service. The article written as a
first new cohorts to venture into substantially collaboration between RVC clinicians and Aria’s
transformed campuses, but also because owner – himself a vet. It is an important reminder
they come into the veterinary world at a not only of the world-class clinical treatment and
fascinating time. innovative care our teams carry out but also of
So many of the great things in life happen the important impact this has on our patients’
through a collaborative approach, bringing together different skills, carers. I would strongly urge you to read the article by Vivek Basu
knowledge and perspectives. Nowhere is this more evident than (Aria’s owner) and oncologists Andy Yale and Sandra Guillén, as
working at the RVC, where our clinical teams work alongside, a brief summary cannot do it justice.
and with, our researchers, educationalists and support teams to If you saw our spring issue of Clinical Connections you might
ensure the students get the best possible experiential learning. recall our centre page article about the Blood Donor Programme’s
Within the clinical arena, delivering the best possible care for 20th anniversary and timeline of its progress. In this issue we are
our patients and clients is also facilitated by bringing together delighted to report on a new, purpose-built facility for the Blood
expertise and knowledge across disciplines, and of course Donor Programme and share the case of Nyla, who was treated
between general practice and referral teams. We’re excited for immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. This was another
to have an increased focus on our general practices with the transdisciplinary and collaborative case – with the collaboration
appointment of a new Director of General Practice. extending to the canine donors who helped Nyla survive.
Before I mention the articles in this issue, which give a small Joanna Hedley’s exotics article on page eight is valuable
taste of the enthusiasm across our teams, I’d like to briefly reading to any vet as it deals with gut stasis in rabbits, which is
mention London Vet Show, which the RVC has been involved in a common reason for rabbit admissions in first opinion practices
since it started. If you are attending, please visit us on stand G55. and the RVC Exotics Referral Service alike. Joanna discusses
With the theme of this edition being collaboration, our front page diagnostic approaches and treatment, along with the important
article typifies this. An alpaca was treated in our Equine Referral issue of appendicitis as a differential.
Hospital with the surgery being planned and performed by both Following on from Joanna’s article, Dylan Yaffy, on page nine,
David Bolt, Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery, and Richard shares insights from the growing field of pathology in exotic
Meeson, who heads our Small Animal Orthopaedic Service. animals and wildlife. The range of species Dylan mentions, from
Colleagues from our Diagnostic Imaging and Anaesthesia and rainbow trout to a hognose snake, capybara and Madagascar
Analgesia services were also involved in providing the best hissing cockroach, in itself tells a story of incredible progress in
multidisciplinary care for this unusual patient. the veterinary world since the days when the RVC was centred
The transdisciplinary approach that helped the two-year-old around a horse infirmary.
alpaca, Dexter, also helps so many of our patients – and offers Andy Fiske-Jackson’s article on page ten illustrates how far
our students such an incredible learning experience. equine practice has come since those early days. In his article,
The RVC has long been at the forefront of progressing Andy discusses a range of treatment modalities for sarcoids,
insight into and treatment of cutaneous and renal glomerular tailored to the specific needs of individual patients. We are
vasculopathy. The article on page four, by Nadine Jones and fortunate to be able to invest in the technology required to offer
Tom Greensmith, is concerned with Charlie, a four-year-old innovative treatments including electrochemotherapy, tumour
retired racing greyhound. Charlie had severe generalised specific electroporation and thermofield treatment.
peripheral oedema and his skin was erythematous on his entire
ventrum. An ulcerative skin lesion was present on his dorsal right
antebrachium. Amanda Boag, Vice Principal (Clinical Services)
Plasma exchange and good wound management were key to

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