Page 3 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2023

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the autumn edition of The article includes the case of a bulldog,
Clinical Connections. Along with the falling who had a fluoroscopy-aided retrograde
leaves there is always a wealth of exciting urethrocystogram, a scrotal urethrostomy and
changes this time of year in the veterinary scrotal ablation.
education habitat and the wider veterinary Our equine article, on page five, concerns
world. The enthusiastic faces of new students a traumatic degloving case. The 11-year-old
are always a joy to see – as is the sea of thoroughbred gelding spent more than three
qualified practitioners of all ages at the London months at the RVC Equine Referral Hospital
Vet Show. The RVC has been involved in the earlier this year due to a degloving wound
event since it started, in 2009, and we will sustained when kicking through the side of a
have a strong presence once again, in the horsebox. Gannicus required two surgeries
lecture halls and on the stand. Come and say during his time in hospital and also benefited
hello! from stable-based exercise and environmental
One extremely positive thing happening enrichment, delivered by our dedicated and
this term has been Amanda Boag returning hard working equine nursing team.
to the RVC, as Vice Principal (Clinical Our centre pages article, by Rowena
Services). Amanda studied at Cambridge Packer, covers the important welfare issue
before undertaking further clinical training at the University of of ‘pandemic puppies’. The surge in demand for puppies no
Pennsylvania and then the RVC. She achieved board certification doubt supported human mental wellbeing during lockdowns but
in both Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care, and often to the detriment of the dogs themselves. Rowena gives
we were lucky enough to have her as a member of staff – as a a comprehensive account of the related welfare problems and
Lecturer in Emergency and Critical Care until 2008, when she left outlines RVC research that is shedding light on these issues.
to expand her horizons further. Simon Priestnall, Professor of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology,
Amanda gained invaluable experience in the private sector, first has recently succeeded Ken Smith as Head of the Department
as Clinical Director of Vets Now, during which she was responsible of Pathobiology and Population Sciences. Page eight features an
for clinical innovation, quality and professional development, interview with Simon, which spans his career trajectory, his new
and, most recently, as Chief Medical Officer at IVC Evidensia. role and developments in diagnostic pathology at the RVC.
In that role she led the learning development programmes, as Page nine has a fascinating story about a five-week-old Nubian
well as clinical leadership teams across the global business. As a goat, who came into the RVC’s Equine Referral Hospital and
member of the RVC’s senior team, Amanda will be helping to lead ultimately left with a prosthetic foot. As you can imagine, this gave
the ongoing development and, in specific areas, expansion of our her a new lease of life and she appears extremely happy with
clinical facilities as we look towards the horizon. her new foot. I’d encourage you to read Melanie Perrier’s article,
Another notable new appointment is that of Nisha Cooper, our which covers the diagnostic process, amputation, the prosthesis
new Practice Liaison Manager at the Queen Mother Hospital for and the subsequent physiotherapy that was an integral part of the
Animals. She’s here to help us to help you – and she’ll be on our recovery process.
stand at the London Vet Show to answer any enquiries and listen Page ten features another fascinating case – a reindeer called
to any feedback. Snowflake – who was treated for a neoplastic lesion of the third
You will hopefully have seen the article on the front about eyelid. In addition to small animal cases, our Ophthalmology
Rocco and his incredible recovery, which required the support of Service collaborates with our equine, farm animal and exotics
numerous colleagues across the hospital. We are all incredibly teams to support a wide spectrum of RVC patients. On this
pleased to hear that he’s been doing so well on three legs. This occasion it was nine-year-old Snowflake who benefited from the
issue has a number of other extraordinary cases, as well as news wealth of the team’s experience – and that of the anaesthetists.
from the team and research news. There are very few publications detailing anaesthesia in reindeer,
Page four has an article about the benefits (which we are and the protocol used for Snowflake’s ophthalmic procedure was
seeing already) of our new fluoroscopy unit. It has benefits a novel approach to maintaining a safe level of sedation.
to referred patients, as it enables more rapid and accurate
diagnosis, and also has benefits for both teaching and research. Professor David Church, Deputy Principal and Acting Vice
Principal (Clinical Affairs)

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