BSAVA PetSavers awards Clinical Research Project grants
The University of Cambridge will use its grant to examine glaucoma in Welsh springer spaniels.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has announced the eight Clinical Research Projects in receipt of its BSAVA PetSavers grants.
The Grants Awarding Committee has awarded a total of nearly £110,000 to small-scale research projects, including four projects jointly funded by affiliate groups.
BSAVA’s Clinical Research Project grants are intended to support research to advance understanding of the causes and management of clinical disorders. Its latest funding supports research covering genetics, microbiology and innovative diagnostics.
One such project is being conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, which are hoping to identify the genetic risk factors for glaucoma in Welsh springer spaniels.
A research team at the Royal Veterinary College will use its grant to tackle antifungal drug resistance linked to canine Malassezia pachydermatis. This could inform therapeutic choices and drug stewardship.
The University of Glasgow will investigate how saliva can be used to monitor canine epilepsy, and the University of Edinburgh will consider links between the gut microbiome and autoimmune disease in dogs.
Among those receiving joint funding are AURA Veterinary and the University of Surrey, which is awarded funding from both PetSavers and the Small Animal Medicine Society. The team will investigate small-RNA sequencing profiles in dogs with prostatic carcinoma, as they seek to develop a minimally invasive diagnostic tool.
The British Veterinary Neurology Society has contributed to a project at the University of Glasgow, which is considering how far artificial intelligence can detect tonic-clonic seizures.
Meanwhile the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society has contributed funding to two projects.
The first research project will see Bristol Vet Specialists and the University of Cambridge collaborate with Great Ormond Street Hospital. They will use a micro-CT to explore how the prevalence of congenital heart disease may explain the deaths of neonatal puppies.
The second project will examine acute phase protein concentrations in canine pericardial effusions at Willows Veterinary Centre.
Sarah Williams, fundraising and grants awarding manager, said: “The applications were of a very high standard in this grant call, so our grants committee had some tough decisions to make, but we’re delighted to award funding to these new projects and look forward to the impact they will have on companion animal medicine.”
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Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
