Clinical

Figure 3. Contouring. The computed tomography images obtained during treatment simulation are imported by specialised software to contour organs at risk (eg brain – yellow line), and the tumour (red line). The pink line represents the planning target volume (ie the volume of tissue to receive the prescribed treatment dose). This volume includes the tissue affected by the cancer and an additional safety margin to account for potential variation associated with patient setup or internal movement of organs.

Radiation therapy in veterinary medicine: a practical review

Normal tissue cells, similarly to cancer cells, are susceptible to the damaging effects of ionising radiation (Ward, 1988; Stewart and Dorr, 2009; Hill and Bristow, 2013). The risk, type, and severity...

Figure 2. Positioning the patient in lateral recumbency.

A step-by-step guide to placing a central venous jugular catheter

The following describes the method for placing the CVJC:.

Reproduction in dogs part 1: surgical and non-surgical de-sexing options

Surgical methods of gonadectomy are the most common method for desexing in both owned and unowned dogs, with orchiectomy the most common method of desexing male dogs. While several surgical desexing...

Figure 4. The left glaucomatous eye treated with a Molteno gonio-implant. Note the abnormal pupil margin due to iridotomies performed during surgery.

Glaucoma: a self-assessment

Historically, the definition of glaucoma in veterinary medicine was an elevation of IOP (Gelatt et al, 2013). However, glaucoma is not that simple. Glaucoma is currently defined as the final common...

Figure 2. Free living soil nematode.

Factors driving lungworm spread and the need for ongoing diagnosis and prevention

A. vasorum has spread rapidly over the past 20 years from endemic foci in Wales, the south west and south east of England across the whole of the UK. Increased reporting of cases has been seen in...

Figure 1. Alopecia and erythema on the ventral aspect of the neck of an English Bulldog. This dog had atopic dermatitis and presented with an acute flare.

Management of canine atopic dermatitis

Treatment of acute flares It is a recognised phenomenon that dogs with atopic dermatitis will suffer acute flares when exposed to an allergen to which they are hypersensitive (e.g. flea saliva,...

Figure 2. Comparison of mortality in cats with chronic kidney disease fed a renal food or maintenance food over a 2-year period.

Dietary management of the cat with early chronic kidney disease

While dietary intervention is regarded as a cornerstone of management of CKD, the timing of renal diet introduction and the degree of protein restriction required is more controversial (Witzel, 2018)....

Hypercalcaemia in a Labradoodle

Calcium is involved in a wide range of cell functions including the coagulation cascade, muscle contraction, vascular smooth muscle tone, hormone secretion, regulation of cell growth, neuromuscular...

Figure 1. Onions and related plants (leeks, garlic, spring onions) can cause haemolytic anaemia in cats and dogs.

Poisons affecting the blood

Anaemia is a reduced number of red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood and there are three main causes, blood loss (from trauma, for example), decreased red blood cell production or increased red...

Figure 1. Grey parrot prepared for placement of air sac cannula.

How to approach the bird with respiratory signs

The history may be mild and chronic, such as intermittent sneezing or wheezing, or cases may present in acute respiratory distress. Birds are prey species and will hide signs of illness until disease...

Figure 2. Unless also exposed to an enriched yet not over-stimulating environment, young animals will not benefit from remaining with their mothers for longer periods than would be normal.

COVID-19: implications of self-isolation and social distancing for the emotional and behavioural health of dogs

However, as infected dogs are unlikely to show signs of illness and until more is known about COVID-19, it should be assumed that COVID-19 may be transferrable via animals because of a degree of risk...

Figure 2. Small prey animals are often, inadvertently, left without a sense of protection from ground level and overhead threats to their safety.

COVID-19: implications of self-isolation and social distancing for the emotional and behavioural health of equines, parrots and small prey pets

The answer to that question lies in whether animals such as equines, parrots and small prey species can act as vectors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (the virus which...