The RVC celebrates 10 years of lifesaving treatment

Marty - This month, the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is celebrating 10 years of its life-saving service of extracorporeal therapies for cats and dogs with kidney failure, immune-mediated disease and certain toxicities. The RVC's Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (QMHA) remains the only place in the UK to offer this specialist service and has so far supported more than 50 dogs and cats. The QMHA's service was established in late 2012 with the first treatment taking place in March 2013. This was funded by the RVC's Animal Care Trust to offer advanced extracorporeal therapies. These pioneering blood purification treatments include dialysis which vitally helps to clear the blood of toxins when the kidneys are failing. They also offer therapeutic plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) for dogs which is used for some immune-mediated conditions such as immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (destruction of red blood cells), immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (destruction of platelets) and other conditions that relate to substances circulating in the blood. The service provides versatile options for the management of these conditions and can be tailored to the individual patient.