science wire

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed beak abnormalities, overgrown nails and shell abnormalities as the most common health disorders affecting pet tortoises, terrapins and turtles in the UK. As the largest study of its kind, these findings identify several key areas through which the welfare of these animals can be improved and highlight the value of greater awareness amongst owners and veterinary teams to ensure the wellbeing of these species is protected.

A team of researchers within the VetCompass Programme at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) studying dental disease in rabbits under primary veterinary care have identified common clinical signs for rabbits experiencing dental disease and assessed veterinary diagnostic and treatment methods.

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has found there's no substantial link between popular conformation in rabbits, including floppy ears or flat faces, and an increased risk of dental problems.

New research from zoologists at Trinity College Dublin has pinpointed park entrances and playgrounds in Dublin as hotspots for roundworm eggs, with subsequent analysis strongly implying they have come from dog faeces. While unsavoury, the findings do pinpoint these locations for targeted interventions to reduce the risk of human infection.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has found electroacupuncture has good success in treating equine trigeminal nerve-mediated headshaking (TMHS), with nearly two-thirds of horses showing improvement after treatment.

New RVC research reveals improved outcomes over time for canine mitral valve repair surgery using a structured multidisciplinary approach A new publication from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), re

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) pandemic puppies research programme has highlighted the negative impact of problem behaviours in young adult dogs on the strength of the owner-dog relationship.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has identified more than 100 genes that may contribute to bone fracture risk in Thoroughbreds. These findings will inform further research into genetic risk factors, contributing to health and well-being efforts and supporting the development of novel interventions to reduce fracture risk in horses.

A new study led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has shown positive clinical outcomes and quality of life for cats suffering from severe heart conditions through the implantation of epicardial pacemakers (EPs). The use of EP implantation to facilitate artificial cardiac pacing (ACP) effectively resolved symptoms including abnormally slow heart rates (bradyarrhythmia) in cats.

One in seven owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs stated that 'nothing' could put them off buying a brachycephalic dog.

New research conducted by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with Dogs Trust, has identified experiences in a puppy's early life that put them at the greatest risk of developing separation-related behaviours (SRBs) when left home alone. These include how much sleep a puppy receives and if they sleep in an enclosed space, the use of reward and aversive training techniques, the effectiveness of house training, the age of owners and how much owners fussed over their dog when reunited, in the first study of its kind.

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have determined several factors that could reduce the risk of fatality in Jump racing and substantially improve racehorse welfare.

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have determined several factors that could reduce the risk of fatality in Jump racing and substantially improve racehorse welfare.

A new study has shown that horses have been infected with H5N1 - avian flu - in Asia and that infections have been occurring in horses undetected.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has identified that research into behaviour, clinical practice, shelter welfare and breed-related diseases are amongst the highest research priorities for experts in canine health and welfare - highlighting the impact of human decisions on dogs' lives.

Renata Pinho, grad student in UCalgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, wins international award for research into new sedation protocols for exotic pets Who knew that the secret to a happier, healthie

UdeM's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine welcomes Morgane Schambourg, a specialist in equine surgery and sports medicine who honed her skills in the United Arab Emirates caring for endurance racehorses.

For the first time University of Queensland scientists have been able to make a prediction about the severity of upcoming tick seasons to help vet surgeries and pet owners prepare. A team led by Professor Stephen Barker at UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences has been studying the link between the weather and the number of tick paralysis cases in dogs and cats and has used historic data to build a model.

This spring, two students taking Artificial Intelligence for Product Managers at Carnegie Mellon University tackled the real-world challenge of improving health care for dogs.

Cambridge scientists have identified the genetic mutation that causes progressive retinal atrophy in English Shepherd Dogs, which results in incurable blindness, and developed a genetic test to help eliminate the disease from future generations of the breed. Now we have a DNA test, there's no reason why another English Shepherd Dog ever needs to be born with this form of progressive retinal atrophy - it gives breeders a way of totally eliminating the disease.

Exploring the most common health problems in pet rabbits in the UK, new research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) reveals unnatural body shapes along with inadequate diet and exercise as having strong links with poorer health in rabbits. These insights will support ongoing efforts to enhance pet rabbit welfare in the UK, helping owners to recognise and prevent common disorders and providing veterinary professionals with more information around the causes of commonly diagnosed disorders.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed a fundamental difference between how the cells which line blood vessels (endothelial cells), react in horses compared to humans. Regulating the factors that influence endothelial cell function is sometimes used to treat diseases such as cancer in humans, so the findings pave the way for further research in both horses and humans.

The CHUV has developed a new French-language platform in the Firstline app to help veterinarians and students select antibiotics for cats and dogs.

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) are calling for owners and previous owners of former racehorses in the UK to participate in a new survey and share their experiences of rehoming racehorses to uncover the different factors that influence a successful outcome.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine experts raise awareness to a variety of health challenges faced by increasingly popular brachycephalic breeds At the University of Calgary, we believe in the power of shared knowledge and in the importance of community involvement.

New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with researchers from the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) in Taiwan, has produced the first-ever 'life tables' for the UK companion cat population. This represents a major step forward in how we understand the lifespan of companion cats and revealing new information on mortality rates and influencing factors.

Your dog is struck by a car. Rushed to the nearest animal hospital, Fluffy is in shock - blood pressure low, heart rate high, and he's struggling to breathe.

The International Collaborative on Extreme Conformations in Dogs (ICECDogs) has published a position paper, heavily informed by research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), that helps owners to recognise good innate health in dogs.

A look at post-doc Charlotte Fare's very important study of the cats of Baltimore, in which she surveyed a subset of the city's felines to examine their appearance and disposition Each day when I get

New RVC research finds inbreeding is contributing factor to mid and late-term pregnancy loss in Thoroughbreds New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with Cornell University, has found that inbreeding is a contributing factor to mid and late-term pregnancy loss (MLPL), but not early pregnancy loss (EPL) in Thoroughbreds.

Between now and June, seven graduate students from UdeM's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will participate in a pilot project to run the veterinary clinic of the Inuit village of Kuujjuaq.

A new study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed early indications that feeding a particular commercial feedstuff to horses suffering from Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) aids the prevention of disease recurrence.

The period when fireworks are set off should be limited as much as possible to New Year's Eve, to prevent long-term animal suffering from fireworks.

Last Updated: 28 Sep 2023 12:00:40 A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has determined new factors that can indicate insulin dysregulation (ID) in ponies. The study findings confirm that physical observation (i.e., looking at the external characteristics of the individual animal) alone is not a wholly accurate predictor of the condition which is associated with an increased risk of laminitis.