Page 3 - Clinical Connections - Spring 2024

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Stepping Back into a Fast-
Flowing River
t is said you can't step into the same river imaging use in exotics, the combination of
twice. Any alumni who have returned veterinary expertise and advanced technology
I recently for CPD or another event will testify enables diagnostics and treatments that help
that the adage rings true for the RVC – and a broad range of patients with complex heart
it certainly rings true for me. Returning to the conditions. I’d encourage readers to take a
RVC in November 2023, the RVC is certainly look at the range of cases discussed by the
a very different river to the one I stepped cardiology team in the article.
out of 16 years ago when I was a Lecturer Page eight features an article by Richard
in Emergency and Critical Care, following a Meeson, Head of the Orthopaedic Service,
residency here. about advances enabled by the evolution
The transformation of the Hawkshead of gait assessment technology. The new
Campus by extensive building work is an instrumented treadmill and pressure
obvious change but advances in practice, mat provides instantaneous data on the
research and teaching methods – and shifts characteristics of how a dog uses its legs. It
in teams – are also significant things that makes it a very different also produces a graphical ‘heat-map’, which can be shared with
'river' than before. clients, as well as referring practices
Some things, however, are reassuringly familiar – including As with other technology discussed in Clinical Connections, our
those colleagues who have stayed through the years. It has been fantastic team of veterinary specialists and dedicated veterinary
great to see them and observe the great strides they and their nurses are key to referred patients getting the best from these
teams have made in the advancement of practice, research and technological advancements.
veterinary education. Our pathology article by Sonja Jeckel, on page nine, is
Some things that were akin to acorns decades ago are now concerned with the health of backyard chickens. Though it is
extremely robust trees. I'm extremely proud to see that the Blood impossible to precisely say how many there are in the UK, as
Donor Programme, which I helped establish, is thriving and has only flocks of 50 or more need to be registered with Animal
enabled transfusions to help numerous dogs and cats over the and Plant Health Agency, the numbers (and therefore welfare
past two decades. The centre pages feature an article about the and disease risks) appear to be increasing. As specific disease
evolution of the Blood Donor Programme and the Transfusion diagnostics in backyard chickens can be prohibitively expensive,
Medicine Service, which it feeds. Numerous staff, donor animals there is a risk that diseases that can spread through flocks go
and their owners have enabled this success, with the welfare of undiagnosed. The RVC Farm Animal Pathology and Diagnostics
donors always having been paramount. Services supports vets by providing a cost-efficient specialised
You will have hopefully seen our front page article about the post mortem examination service.
RVC Cancer Biobank, which has expanded significantly recently. Last but not least, the equine article, by Melanie Perrier on
The biobank helps companion animals at the RVC and beyond page 10, is on headshaking, which may be caused by a primary
– and the research it enables can also support human health by disease or may be idiopathic. Melanie discusses the complexity
contributing to the knowledge base on cancer. of diagnosis of idiopathic headshaking, which should involve
Page four has an article by Vicki Baldrey about how advanced ruling out a primary disease. CT, once again, proves to be a very
imaging is supporting our exotics patients. CT is an increasingly useful tool to identify or rule out this out. A range of treatment
used and incredibly valuable imaging technology that enables options – and not so clinically efficacious ‘treatments’ that have
our exotics specialists to make fast diagnoses and provide timely, been used historically and may be favoured by some owners –
targeted interventions. The article includes a range of interesting are discussed in the article.
cases, including a ferret, a tortoise and a rabbit.
The recently expanded Cardiology Service takes us through
a typical week of fascinating cases on page five. As with CT Amanda Boag, Vice Principal (Clinical Services)

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