Advancing Patient Care

Background:

Surgical techniques for hepatic lobectomy in cats are commonly extrapolated from canine procedures, there is limited detailed anatomical documentation of feline hepatobiliary vasculature. A 2009 study by Covey et al. extensively documented canine liver surgery by mapping precise vascular and biliary relationships. A similar foundation is lacking for feline patients to optimize surgical outcomes.

1. To provide the first comprehensive anatomical description of the feline hepatic vasculobiliary system
2. To document the precise anatomical relationships between vascular and biliary structures at the hepatic hilus for each liver lobe
3. To identify consistent anatomical landmarks that can guide surgical approaches
4. To develop standardized surgical techniques for feline liver lobectomy based on the anatomical findings
5. To document any significant species-specific variations from canine anatomy that may impact surgical approach

The study will utilize polymer injection techniques in fresh feline cadaver specimens to create detailed three-dimensional maps of the hepatic vasculature and biliary system. These specimens will undergo careful dissection and documentation to establish consistent anatomical patterns.

This research will provide veterinary surgeons with essential anatomical knowledge specific to feline patients, enabling more precise and safer hepatic procedures. The resulting surgical guidelines will be particularly valuable when operating on cats with hilar masses where traditional mass ligation techniques may be contraindicated. This work represents a crucial step toward improving surgical outcomes in feline hepatic surgery and reducing perioperative complications.

Humeral Intracondylar Fissure and Incomplete Ossification of the Humeral Condyle are two orthopaedic diseases that frequently affect pets in the UK.  The gold standard treatment for both diseases is a placement of an Intracondylar Screw. However, this surgery also has high complication rates: mainly seroma and infection short-term, and implant fatigue failure long-term. Different techniques and implants have been studied and are currently used in the market.

Our aim with this study is to assess different types of commercially available intracondylar screws and establish which implant has the greatest ultimate load to failure and resistance to cyclical loading. Furthermore, we will assess whether the method of application (i.e. lag vs positional screw placement) affects their biomechanical performance. We selected six commonly used commercially available implants: Synthes® 4.5mm cortical screws, Synthes® 5.5mm cortical screws, N2® 4.5mm Headless IOHC screws, Synthes® 5.0mm locking screws and Acumed® Acutrak2 4.7mm headless screws. Each implant will undergo testing in two different experimental conditions, simulating their clinical application.

Our hypothesis is that there will be no clinically significant difference in the measured variables between implants under the different testing conditions.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart disease in dogs and is characterised by mitral valve degeneration. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine staging scheme divides dogs with MMVD into stages A (at risk), B1 (preclinical disease without cardiomegaly), B2 (preclinical disease with cardiomegaly), C (congestive heart failure (CHF)) and D (refractory CHF). Decreased renal perfusion is seen in dogs with stage B2, but not stage A or B1, MMVD; this is an example of the cardiorenal syndrome, in which heart disease results in kidney dysfunction. Decreased renal perfusion might be explained by endothelial dysfunction, which develops in preclinical MMVD.

The endothelial glycocalyx (eGlx) is a proteoglycan-rich layer that lines the entire vascular endothelium and is important in preserving endothelial function. Due to its fragile nature, the glycocalyx is challenging to study. However, our group has developed a method to quantify red blood cell glycocalyx (RBCGlx) depth, which reflects the depth of the vascular eGlx (patent application no. GB2410240.2). RBCGlx depth is lower in dogs with stage B2 MMVD compared with stages A and B1. This reflects the reported changes in renal perfusion, supporting our hypothesis that glycocalyx damage results in kidney dysfunction. Additionally, in other species, glomerular eGlx damage results in proteinuria, a well-established marker of renal dysfunction.

This study aims to quantify RBCGlx depth and proteinuria (urinary protein to creatinine ratio) in dogs with, or at risk of developing preclinical MMVD (stages A-B2) attending the Mitral Valve Clinic. For each dog, the following data are collected: history, physical examination, non-invasive blood pressure, electrocardiography, echocardiography and circulating cardiac biomarkers. A free-catch urine sample is also collected. We hypothesise that dogs with stages B2 MMVD have reduced RBCGlx depth which will be correlated with proteinuria (indicating loss of glomerular capillary eGlx).

Episodic movement disorders in dogs are being described with increasing frequency. Some breed-specific forms have been associated with genetic mutations or have specific triggers (such as emotional arousal), but most are idiopathic and have not been associated with a trigger. Stress has been strongly implicated as a trigger in similar human conditions, and our clinical experience supports this in dogs; meaning behavioural therapy might be very useful in managing this lifelong condition.

Before planning research into the effectiveness of behavioural therapy, some important unanswered questions need to be addressed:

1. What is the estimated clinical frequency of episodic movement disorders in dogs? This is vital to ascertain the clinical impact for funding applications.
2. What types of dogs are most affected? Current research is based on multiple case series of dogs of the same breed. The number of different breeds affected and the types of breeds most affected is unknown.
3. What forms of movement disorders exist in the general population? Calculating the proportion where triggers are clearly identified or genetic causes likely, versus those where triggers and genetic causes are not apparent would allow estimation of the potential benefit of behavioural therapy.

We plan to review cases referred to Langford Vets for assessment or advice and identify those with episodic movement disorder as the most likely diagnosis. Preliminary analysis suggests we receive 10-20 advice requests or referrals per month. The age, sex and breed of the affected dogs will be recorded to provide demographic data. The clinical notes will be reviewed for a description of a trigger and the proportion of genetic or triggered dogs vs those without a genetic cause or trigger will be calculated. Finally, the total number of advice requests and referrals for movement disorders will be compared to the total number for idiopathic canine epilepsy to evaluate the equivalent disease burden when compared to these comparatively more researched diseases.