Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science

Medical Degree from University of Copenhagen 1981. Neurological residency at University Hospitals in Copenhagen. Fellowship at The Headache Clinic in Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen under supervision of Professor Jes Olesen, and received a medical doctoral degree from University of Copenhagen in 1999.

Rigmor has been associated professor and lecturer at The University of Copenhagen since 1997 and was appointed as professor in Headache and Neurological Pain in 2007. Has conducted or been involved in numerous epidemiological, clinical, and neurophysiological studies of migraine, tension-type and cluster headache since 1988. Rigmor has published more than 250 scientific papers in refereed journals and more than 50 text books chapters and had been the supervisor of 3 doctoral theses and 12 PhD theses.

Co-founder of the Danish Headache Center, a multidisciplinary academic headache center, at Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, which was awarded as Global Excellence in Health in 2010 and 2014.

Has been working extensively with national and international organisation of headache care, pre- and postgraduate education in headache since 1988, is past president of EHF, and now board member and co-chair of IHS educational committee.

Lars Bendtsen is Associate Professor at the Department of Neurology and Danish Headache Center, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen.

Dr. Bendtsen received his Ph.D. and Dr.Med.Sci. degrees at the University of Copenhagen. He has actively been involved in headache research since 1991 and has authored over 140 papers and book chapters on headache topics. Dr. Bendtsen is the recipient of the 1997 Glaxo Wellcome Research Prize, 2000 Danish Headache Society Prize for scientific achievements, 2001 Danish Neurological Society’s Roche Prize and 2015 Seymour Diamond Lectureship Award for scientific achievements in neurology. He is past President of the Danish Headache Society.

Dr. Bendtsen is currently co-director of The Danish Headache Centre. His main research interest includes clinical aspects and treatment of migraine and headache in general and more specifically the pathophysiology and management of tension-type headache, medication-overuse headache and trigeminal neuralgia.

Dr. Pernille Holst, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen is the Head of Studies.

She received her DVM from University of Copenhagen in 2010, and completed a rotating internship from 2011 to 2013 at the University Hospital for Companion Animals at the University of Copenhagen. From 2013 to 2014 she worked as a senior veterinarian at the Diagnostic Imaging Department, University of Copenhagen. In 2014 she joined the Oncology Department, University of Copenhagen first as a Scientific Assistant followed by an ECVIM-CA residency in oncology. She finalized her Master’s in Oncology in 2023.

Pernille’s research interests are electrochemotherapy and calcium electroporation of solid tumors, feline hyperthyroidism, radioactive iodine treatment and the effect and use of cannabinoids in companion animals.

Professor Annemarie T. Kristensen is the Study director at Master Companion Animal Clinical Sciences as well as lecturer at the compulsory part of the Masters programme and at the Internal Medicine, Surgery and Oncology specialisation tracks.

Clinical and research interests: Clinical and comparative veterinary research, especially diagnostic, pathogenetic, and therapeutic aspects of hemostasis, thrombosis, inflammation and cancer.

h3>Background Graduate from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (RVAU), Copenhagen. Rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. Completed a combined Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency and Veterinary Medicine PhD program same place. Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1993, PhD same year.

Post doctoral research associate at The Platelet Research Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota.

Worked for six years with research within hemostasis, thrombosis, angiogenesis and atherosclerosis at Novo Nordisk A/S. In 2000 recruited as Associate Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Dept. of Clinical Studies, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen. Since 2007 full professor Companion Animal Clinical Oncology. Since 2004, Section Head, Medicine, Oncology and Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Dept. of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Director ECVIM- internal medicine and oncology residency programmes. Study director, Master Companion Animal Clinical Sciences and Vice chair Danish Research Council for Technology and Production.

Professor Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen, is one of the Course Directors at the Internal Medicine module in the compulsory course and the Internal Medicine specialisation track.

Her expert areas are within gastrointestinal diseases, metabolism and diabetes. Her fields of interests are especially obesity related disorders and nutrition.

Associate Professor Lisbeth Rem Jessen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicin, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen contributes to the programme with her expert knowledge in Internal Medicine.

Her fields of interest and research are within urological infections, antibiotic use in small animal, and biomarkers in inflammatory disease.

Lise Nikolic Nielsen is a professor in Veterinary Clinical Pathology. She completed a small animal internship and a residency in small animal internal medicine and oncology at Glasgow University Veterinary School as well as achieved an English Certificate in Small Animal Medicine.

She is currently a Danish recognized specialist in companion animal medicine and has an interest in hemostatic diseases.

Rebecca Langhorn graduated in 2007 from the University of Copenhagen.

Following two years in private referral practice, she returned to the university as a PhD student, working with validation and clinical application of myocardial injury biomarkers in canine and feline critical disease. She defended her PhD in 2013 and subsequently completed a residency in companion animal internal medicine while employed as assistant professor in internal and emergency medicine. She passed her ECVIM board exams in 2019 and is currently employed as associate professor in emergency medicine at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Her primary clinical and research interests are hematology, hemostasis, and myocardial injury.

Dr. Janne Lyngby, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen contributes to the programme with her knowledge in Internal Medicine.

She received her DVM from University of Copenhagen in 2012, and completed a small animal rotating internship at University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, in 2013. From 2013-2016 she completed a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at Washington State University. Janne is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is currently doing a PhD in Clinical Pathology and Oncology evaluating biomarkers in gastrointestinal cancer and other gastrointestinal diseases.

Janne’s research interests include gastroenterology, endocrinology and hemostasis.

Mette Berendt graduated and received her PhD (in 1998) from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (now University of Copenhagen), Denmark. Hereafter she continued as an academic staff member at this institution. Since 2004 Mette Berendt has been Head of Neurology at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This includes running a busy Neurology Referral Service and research group at the University Companion Animal Teaching Hospital. From 2013-2020 she was Head of Section for Surgery, Neurology & Cardiology.

Mette Berendt has an extended CV, including a one-year external stay at Cornell University, USA, and one year as Associate Professor at the Veterinary University in Oslo, Norway. Internationally, she is highly recognized as an energetic state-of-the-art speaker and first or senior author of numerous scientific publications within the area of clinical and comparative neurology. In 2011, Mette Berendt received the award of Associate Member of the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) motivated by her significant scientific contribution to Veterinary Neurology.

Hanne Gredal completed her veterinary education at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL) in 2000 and worked in small animal practice until 2006. In 2006, she returned to KVL, where she, in collaboration with ChesterGates Referral Hospital in England, conducted a PhD on stroke/apoplexy in dogs. After completing her PhD, she continued her research in the same field for several years.

In recent years, her research has particularly focused on non-infectious inflammatory CNS diseases (autoimmune meningitis and encephalitis), which constitute a significant patient group in the neurological clinic. However, her interests in clinical neurology are broad

Professor Thomas Eriksen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Surgery, Neurology and Cardiology, University of Copenhagen is one of the Course Directors at the Surgery module in the compulsory course and the specialisation course. He contributes to the programme with his expert knowledge in companion animal surgery with a special interest in soft tissue surgery.

I qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 1995. I have been employed at the small animal hospital at the Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences) since 2006, where my responsibilities include teaching and provision of surgical services.

In 2011 I completed a PhD at Copenhagen University based on research into objective diagnostic criteria relating to medial patellar luxation. Current research interests include identifying and assessing new objective criteria, and aspects of biomechanics relating to hind limb function, especially in regard to patellar luxation.

Associate Professor Jakob Lundgren Willesen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Surgery, Neurology and Cardiology, University of Copenhagen is one of the Course Directors in the Cardiology specialisation track.

Jakob’s research and interest evolves around Clinical Cardiology, Cardiopulmonary Parasites, and Advanced Echocardiography. He contributes to the programme in the areas of Clinical Cardiology and Cardiopulmonary Parasites.

Associate Professor Jørgen Koch, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Surgery, Neurology and Cardiology, University of Copenhagen is a Course Director in the Cardiology specialisation track.

Jørgen’s research and interest is focused on Clinical Cardiology, and Advanced Echocardiography.

He contributes to the programme in the area of Clinical Cardiology including Echocardiography as a diagnostic modality.

Dr. Hanne E. Kortegaard is a national specialist (specialdyrlæge) and Diplomate to the European Veterinary Dental College at University of Copenhagen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

On a daily basis Hanne is Head of the Dental Clinic at the Companion Animal Hospital at University of Copenhagen and also part of the surgery team.

Background

She graduated from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen in 1992, got her PhD degree in 2004.

She has completed her residency programme in maxillofacial surgery and dentistry with international supervision, and graduated as a Diplomate in 2017.

Betina Børresen is an assistant professor of veterinary and comparative oncology at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

In the Master programme, Betina will be lecturing in the Companion Animal Oncology Specialization track.

Background

Betina received her veterinary degree from University of Copenhagen in 2012. In 2017, she received her PhD in veterinary oncology focusing on molecular imaging and nanomedicine. She became a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary internal Medicine within the subspeciality of oncology in 2021. Betina’s main research interests are centered around using ”canine cancer patients as a model for the equivalent human disease” with a special focus on radiotherapy, immunotherapy and molecular imaging.

Betina is responsible for the Danish Veterinary Cancer Registry (https://vetcancer.ku.dk)

Cecilia graduated from the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in 1993, became a Swedish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats in 2000 and a European Diplomat in Neurology 2010.

In 2023 she defended her thesis Phenotypic Classification of Breed Related Myelopathies at SLU. Cecilia is the author and co-author of 30 publications and has lectured both in Sweden and abroad.

Cecilia´s current position is as head of the neurology unit at AniCura Albano Small Animal Hospital, Danderyd, Sweden.

Holger is currently Professor of Small Animal Diseases and the Head of Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Honorary Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, Royal Veterinary College, London and Affiliate Professor of Veterinary Neurology, University of Copenhagen.

He graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in 2001, where he also did his PhD in Neuropharmacology studying basic mechanisms of drug-resistant epilepsy. He then completed his specialist clinical education doing an internship and a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

The RVC also provided him with the chance to not only excel academically and clinically, but also in his leadership skills, going through the reigns from lecturer to head of service, clinical director of the Small Animal Referral clinic and last as head of department of clinical science and services.

Holger is internationally known for his work in the field of SARS-CoV-2 Medical Scent Detection Dogs, neuropathic pain and epilepsy. He was President of the European College of Veterinary Neurology and active in the Executive Board of Veterinary Specialisation as treasurer.

Holger has been chairing the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force, which published seven consensus statements for canine and feline epilepsy and was a co-chair of the recent published ACVIM consensus statement about medical treatment of epilepsy and ECVN consensus about movement disorders.

He has been a recipient of several Jim Bee educator excellent in teaching awards, the prestigious Bourgelat Award from BSAVA, and the International Canine Health Award from the Kennel Club, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) International Award.

In 2022, Holger became fellow of the RCVS for Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice. He has published multiple books and book chapters, >280 articles, >170 conference abstracts, and is a frequent flyer on the international conference circuit.

Clare Rusbridge is Professor in Veterinary Neurology at University of Surrey and Senior Neurologist at Wear Referrals. She became Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine in Surgery from Glasgow University in 1991 and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology after a residency in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College.

She became a RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Neurology in 1997 and was awarded a PhD from Utrecht University in 2007. She has spent over 25 years researching Chiari malformation, syringomyelia and maladaptive pain. As a result of this work, she received the JA Wight Memorial award in 2011, was made Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (meritorious contribution to knowledge) in 2016, received an RCVS Impact award in 2022 and awarded the Pet Plan Charitable Trust Scientific Award for 2023.

Dr. Koch graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 2012. In 2015 she enrolled in a Senior Clinical Training Scholarship in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Veterinary College, and in 2021 she obtained the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology.

She is currently a Clinician in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Fredrikstad Dyrehospital in Norway.

Dr. Koch maintains a strong interest in clinical neurology, neurosurgery and have a particular interest in enhancing canine and feline epilepsy management and the management of meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology in dogs.

Dr. Patrick Kenny graduated from the University of Sydney in 2002. He then completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Queensland Veterinary Specialists in Brisbane, Australia before undertaking a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Kenny was admitted to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology) and the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 2007. He was subsequently appointed as a senior lecturer and head of neurology & neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College in London and then an Associate Professor at the NMBU School of Veterinary Science in Oslo, Norway but has now returned to Australia.

Dr. Kenny practices and teaches all areas of clinical neurology & neurosurgery, including the diagnosis and treatment of medical and surgical neurological conditions (performing intracranial and spinal surgery). He has a particular interest in developing the use of advanced imaging in planning and performing neurosurgical procedures and developing surgical treatments for pituitary tumours in dogs and cats.

On the programme Dr. Kenny will participate in the teaching of the Neurology specialisation track.

Dr. Fraser McConnell qualified from the University of Edinburgh in 1993 and has worked as a veterinary radiologist for the last 24 years, initially at Cambridge Veterinary School and then at the Animal Health Trust.

During the 6 years Dr. McConnell spent at the AHT he developed an interest in MRI and neuroimaging. Dr. McConnell became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2003 and is a RCVS/European specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging and Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In 2006 Dr. McConnell moved to head and develop the diagnostic imaging service at the Small Animal Teaching Hospital of the University of Liverpool.

His clinical and research interests are all aspects of small animal MRI and neuroimaging. Dr. McConnell has published over 60 papers and book chapters, predominately on MRI and neuroimaging.

On the programme Dr. McConnell will participate in the teaching of the Neurology Specialisation track.

Dr. Jon Wray graduated from University of Jon WrayBristol in 1996 and after two years in mixed practice returned to Bristol to complete a three year Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine.

He is a Diplomate and RCVS-Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, Member of the Royal Institution, and previous Chief Examiner of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Small Animal Medicine and Diploma in Small Animal Medicine.

He has previously held posts in Academia and Private Referral Practice including as Head of Small Animal Medicine at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Clinical Fellow in Cardiorespiratory Medicine at the University of Bristol, and Head of Cardiology at Dick White Referrals and Clinical Director of Willows Referral Service. He is author of the book ‘Canine Internal Medicine: What’s your diagnosis?’.

In 2023 he became Head of Cardiology and Consultant in Small Animal Medicine at Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex, UK where his caseload is split between Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Interventional Radiology. Jon’s main clinical interests are cardiology, endoscopy, haemostasis and minimally invasive treatments, and in teaching about medical reasoning and cognitive error.

Dr. Rory Bell is fascinated by all aspects of internal medicine, and particularly enjoy the complexities involving in the investigation of challenging internal medicine cases.

His research interests have particularly focused on novel applications of diagnostic tests, most recently largely involving acute phase proteins.This research has been published widely in peer-reviewed journals and he has had the opportunity to lecture to audiences around the world.

Background

Dr. Rory Bell graduated from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin in 1999 and following a year there as an intern in small animal medicine, he spent two years in first opinion small animal practice in London. He then moved to the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital, initially as a resident in small animal medicine, and ultimately as senior lecturer in internal medicine and head of the small animal medicine service and residency programme. He joined the team at Dick White Referrals early in 2013.

Rory is also involved in postgraduate examinations within the UK and internationally. He is currently Chairperson on the internal medicine specialist group on the Executive Committee if the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Background

Nicki qualified from the University of Edinburgh in 1988. She initially worked as a general practitioner in mixed and small animal practice. From 2004-2007 Nicola was manager of the Dick Vet Small Animal Practice, The University of Edinburgh after which she completed a residency in feline and internal medicine before being appointed Lecturer in Internal Medicine in 2010. In 2013 she became Head of the Feline Clinic (The University of Edinburgh) and promoted to Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine. In 2015 Nicki moved south to become Internal Medicine Specialist at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, Alton.

Nicki obtained the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Radiology (Cert VR) in 2000 and the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine (Cert SAM) in 2004. She became a RCVS Diplomate in Small Animal Medicine (Feline) in 2008 and an ECVIM-CA Diploma holder in Internal Medicine in 2009. Nicki has published a large amount of peer reviewed papers and has contributed as an author to several different textbooks like August' Consultations in Feline Medicine and the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endocrinology. She has also been an examiner for the RCVS Certificates in Small Animal Medicine and Advanced Veterinary Practitioner.

Background

Professor Karin Allenspach received her veterinary degree from the University of Zurich. She did an internship in small animal emergency medicine and critical care at Tufts University and a residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded a PhD in veterinary immunology from the University of Bern, Switzerland, for her work on canine chronic enteropathies. She is a Board certified Internist and currently appointed as Professor in Translational Health and Small Animal Medicine at
Iowa State University, USA. Her research interests are in comparative gastroenterology and clinical trials to improve veterinary as well as human health.

Dr. Niessen works as Professor and Head of Internal Medicine at the Royal Veterinary college in London, where he is Deputy Clinical Director of Small Animal Referrals. He is Past President of the European Society of Veterinary Endocrinology and Director of the RVC’s Diabetic Remission Clinic, which aims to uncover the recipe for best diabetic treatment practice.

Background

Dr. Niessen is from the Netherlands and graduated from Ghent University in Belgium. He then completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, followed by completion of a 3-year Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at the Royal Veterinary College. He then studied for a PhD in Diabetes Mellitus at the RVC and the Medical School in Newcastle from 2006 to 2009. Stijn gained his status of European Specialist in Internal Medicine in 2007 (Diplomate ECVIM).

Dr. Niessen is the mastermind behind the new Pet Diabetes App - available for free download onto smartphones and tablets.

Rachel graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2006. Immediately after graduation, she completed a rotating internship at the Animal Health Trust (Newmarket, United Kingdom) before spending three years working in a busy first opinion small animal hospital in the UK. She then moved to join the team at Dick White Referrals, initially as a resident in small animal medicine, and subsequently as a consultant in internal medicine for the following nine years. Most recently, Rachel is enjoying her roles as a telemedicine consultant working at Vet Oracle Telemedicine and locum positions as a small animal consultant in a UK private referral hospital.

Rachel is fascinated by all areas of internal medicine. She particularly enjoys the challenge of working up complex medical cases and using these cases to teach a problem orientated approach to case management.

Rachel has particular interests in the field of haematology, immune mediated disease and endocrinology with several publications in peer reviewed journals in the veterinary literature. Rachel also greatly enjoys being involved in postgraduate education. She was previously a director of the internship program at Dick White Referrals and actively involved in resident teaching. She is also currently a member of the Credentials examining committee in the European College of Internal Medicine.

RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine (Internal Medicine) and EBVS® European Specialist in Small Animal Medicine (Internal Medicine).

Paolo graduated from the University of Perugia, Italy, in 2002. He spent the following 3 years working in private practice in Rome. In 2007 he gained the certificate of Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine from the University of Pisa, Italy. He then completed an 18-month official rotating internship at the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, in Spain, followed by a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine at the same University. During the first year of his residency he obtained a Master Degree discussing a final project on small animal transfusion medicine.

In September 2012 Paolo successfully passed the final exam for the ECVIM-CA board and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Recognised European Veterinary Specialist. In 2015 he was awarded of the RCVS Recognised Specialist status. In 2016 he completed a PhD research project about new clinico-pathological aspects of canine leishmaniasis. From 2013 to 2021, he has been employed as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. Since October 2021, he is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Interventional Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Paolo has a particular interest in infectious diseases (vector-borne diseases in particular).

Yaiza graduated in 2002 at the University of Madrid. After a short time in private practice, she moved to the United Kingdom, where she undertook a Small Animal Internship at the Royal Veterinary College. She then accepted a residency in Feline Internal Medicine at the University of Liverpool and she gained her Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2008.

Following this, she returned to the Royal Veterinary College to do a PhD about the genetics and pathophysiology of Feline Diabetes. She discovered the first gene associated with feline diabetes. Although she enjoyed her research years, Yaiza always wanted to return to clinical practice, where she could interact with students, fellow clinicians and patients. After her PhD, she became a Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at The Royal Veterinary College.

Most recently, Yaiza has moved to The Netherlands with her family and is now The Director of Veterinary Specialist Consultations, a service that provides specialist help and support for veterinary clinicians. Yaiza is also an integral part of the Internal Medicine Team at de Medisch Centrum voor Dieren in Amsterdam, where she is the director of the residency program and enjoys seeing patients and training residents while providing high-level clinical care to her patients.
br> Yaiza likes all aspects of internal medicine, although she has a passion for endocrinology, gastroenterology and all aspects related to feline medicine.

Dr. Jane Sykes is a Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in small animal infectious diseases.

Her research interests are focused on antimicrobial drug resistant bacterial infections, hemotropic mycoplasma infections, tick-borne infectious diseases, leptospirosis and deep mycoses, especially cryptococcosis.

Background

She obtained her veterinary degree and PhD in veterinary microbiology at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and her residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Minnesota. She became Board-Certified in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2001, and joined the faculty at UC Davis in 2002.

She is currently serving as the Interim Director of the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, which has over 500 faculty and staff and a caseload that exceeds 50 000 patients a year.

Most of my previous research has centered on antimicrobial resistance in animals, including surveillance, zoonotic transmission, dissemination and characterization of resistance determinants, and selection of resistance following antimicrobial treatment.

Recently, my focus has gradually changed towards rationalization of veterinary antimicrobial treatment through development of antibiotic treatment guidelines and research into novel treatment regimes, alternative antimicrobial agents (e.g. peptides), vaccination, and optimization of diagnostic tests.

Dr. Tina Møller Sørensen is a veterinary graduate from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2006. After working a few years in small animal practice in Copenhagen, she returned to the University Hospital for Companion Animals as a clinic veterinarian in 2008. She defended her PhD thesis in canine urinary tract infections in March 2018.

She is presently employed at the University of Copenhagen as Assistant Professor in veterinary general medicine. Dr. Sørensen’s primary research focus considers diagnostic quality and clinical decision-making in primary practice within canine urinary tract infections and vaccine serology as well as infection control and antimicrobial stewardship.

As part of her present position, Dr. Sørensen regularly engages in clinical rotations in general medicine and participate in teaching activities, including basic principles of urinalysis and urine cultures.

Dr. Frida Moberg received her DVM from the University of Copenhagen in 2011. Dr. Moberg then went on to work in private practice at a large Swedish small animal referral hospital from 2011 to 2016. Following this, she completed a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Dr. Moberg is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and she has also completed the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science specialized in Internal Medicine.

She currently works as a teaching assistant professor in Internal Medicine at the University Hospital for Companion Animals, Denmark. Dr. Moberg is especially passionate about hepatology, nephrology/urology and endocrinology.

Dr. Peter Böttcher is Associate Professor of Small Animal Surgery in Leipzig. He is a very experienced and skilled surgeon as well as a renowned international speaker.

His special interests are joint pathologies, arthroscopy and fluoroscopic gait analysis

Background

Since 2002 Dr. Böttcher has been staff surgeon at the Department of Small Animal Medicine at the University of Leipzig where he has been running the surgical service since 2007.

graduated 1996 in Munich. Following an internship and a residency in small animal surgery from 1998 to 2002 in Munich he became diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) in 2004.

Peter is a board member at the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ESVOT).

Dr. Gert ter Haar is a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery. He is an European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and contributes to provision of the referral soft tissue surgery service at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals.

He has particular expertise in Audiology, ENT soft tissue surgery referrals and Head & Neck (reconstructive) surgery. He has a particular interest in progressing our understanding of hearing loss and deafness in dogs and cats. Gert is also interested in the therapeutic options / management of patients with hearing loss through the development of middle and inner ear (cochlear) implants.

Background

Gert ter Haar graduated from Utrecht University in the Netherlands in 1997, with differentiation in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. After his internship in the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals at Utrecht University he undertook a residency in Small Animal Surgery in the same Department from 1998 to 2001. In 2002 he qualified as a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons

In 2009 his research on hearing in dogs led to his PhD thesis, a 220-page book entitled “Age-related hearing loss in dogs”.

We are proud to have the opportunity to present such a distinguished and prestigious international surgeon and lecturer as Dr. Kyle G. Mathews to the Masters programme. With over two decades of experience from State of The Art veterinary surgical facilities and an extensive publication portfolio, Dr. Kyle G. Mathews is one of the most experienced surgeons and researches in his field of interest.

Dr. Kyle Mathews has been and will participate in the teaching of the Surgery Specialisation Track in Soft Tissue and Cancer Surgery modules of the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science, with emphasis on gastrointestinal, urological and thoracic soft tissue surgery.

Background

Dr. Kyle Mathews is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and currently Professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Soft Tissue and Oncologic Surgery Section, at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine.

He received his DVM from University of Wisconsin, completed a rotating internship at University of Pennsylvania, and a Small Animal Surgical Residency with a Master’s Degree at University of Minnesota.

He was a clinical instructor at the University of California, Davis for five years prior to joining NCSU in 1997, where he is the Small Animal Surgery Residency Program Director.

He has served on the Veterinary Surgery Editorial Board and has been a Soft Tissue Surgery Section Editor for the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

His research centers on the investigational aspects and development of minimal to non-invasive alternatives to current treatment modalities (surgical techniques, drug delivery methods and biomedical implants).

Jackie Demetriou is Professor in Small Animal Soft Tissue at the University of Nottingham. She is a European Boarded Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and has been practicing specialist level soft tissue surgery for 20 years.

She is interested in all aspects of small animal soft tissue surgery and has taught extensively, both in academia (University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge, and University of Nottingham) and private practice for two decades. She has set up and been director of highly successful residency programmes and has trained many residents, interns, and veterinary students. She has lectured nationally and internationally in all aspects of soft tissue surgery.

Background

Jackie Demetriou graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 1996 and then went on to complete an internship and residency at the University of Edinburgh. She became a Diplomate of ECVS in 2002. Following this she obtained a Lectureship in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Cambridge, where she stayed for 9 years before moving to one of the largest referral centres in Europe, Dick White Referrals.

She became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018 and obtained a Chair in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery at the University of Nottingham in 2020.

Jackie Demetriou has published over 50 papers and contributed and edited a number of small animal surgery textbooks.

Silvia graduated from Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, in 1994, and was awarded the title of diplomate in surgery in the year of 2000.

With a diploma in surgery, she is one of the most highly trained veterinary surgeons in Norway. She has gained valuable experience from being a surgeon for over 20 years and worked at several renowned clinics in Europe.

Among other things, she has a residency in surgery from the University of Bern, and she has been a teacher for several years at the same university. Silvia performs all types of surgical procedures, including arthroscopies, laparoscopies, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, fracture surgery, challenging soft tissue surgery, and neurosurgery. In addition, she conducts lameness evaluations and neurological cases.

Sandra is the Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Head of Division of Small Animal Clinical Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow.

Following graduation, she spent six years in general small animal and equine practice in the UK, before taking a lectureship in surgery in Zimbabwe for three years. On returning to the UK, she completed a PhD on gait analysis at the Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), and then a Residency in Small Animal Surgery at Glasgow, becoming an ECVS Specialist in 2005. After several years at the Royal Veterinary College in London, and Nottingham Vet School, she returned to Glasgow University in 2016.

Sandra is a clinician-researcher, spending 50% of her time seeing surgical cases, specializing in musculoskeletal trauma and joint disease. Aside from all things surgical, her particular interests include the human-companion animal bond, and ethical questions relating to keeping animals as companions. As well as publishing widely in the surgical field, she has contributed to several book chapters on ethical topics, and co-authored a book on Companion Animal Ethics.

Dr. Bart van Goethem graduated from Ghent University Belgium in 1996. He initially spent 4 years working in his own general practice combined with a part-time function as surgical assistant at Ghent University. In 2001 Dr. van Goethem started an ECVS residency training at Utrecht University (the Netherlands). He then went to private practice and worked as a surgeon in different referral clinics. He returned to Ghent University in 2005, became diplomate of the ECVS in 2007, became head of soft tissue surgery clinics in 2009, and obtained a PHD at Utrecht University in 2016.

Dr. van Goethem is an enthusiast propagator of minimally invasive surgery, lectures national and international, has written 40+ articles and 5 book chapters, and acts as reviewer for a national and several international journals.

On the programme Dr. van Goethem will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Dr. Joris De Swert graduated with honors from RUG in 2002. He began his career immediately as a primary care veterinarian at Dierenkliniek de Ark. 12 years ago, Dr. Swert shifted his focus to endoscopy and minimally invasive techniques, undergoing various training programs both domestically and internationally. This led to the acquisition of the clinic's first diode laser for surgical procedures, marking the beginning of their reputation for laser surgery.

As one of three partners, Dr. Swert became the owner of Dierenkliniek de Ark, overseeing its growth from 3 veterinarians and 1 assistant to a team of 7 full-time veterinarians and 7 assistants. 5 years ago, the clinic merged with Anicura and now operates under the name Anicura Dierenkliniek De Ark. Within Anicura, Dr. Swert took on the role of chairman of the MIG (Medical Interest Group) focusing on urology.

In addition to his veterinary work, Dr. Swert is the owner of Versavet Bv, an organization that provides training for veterinarians, where he also frequently teaches. Together with close friends and colleagues, he hosts an annual congress for veterinarians from across Europe.

On the programme Dr. Swert will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Professor Dr. Bernadette Van Ryssen graduated from the University of Ghent in 1988. She obtained her PhD in 1996 on 'Arthroscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of osteochondrosis in dogs'. For several years she combined her work at the university with part-time work in a private practice for small animals. In 2000, Dr. Van Ryssen obtained a full-time position in the Department of Medical Imaging and Orthopedics of Small Animals at Ghent University. She became full-time professor of Orthopedics in Small Animals and was responsible for the student lectures and the training hospital for Orthopedics in Small Animals. From 2018-2022, she accepted the role of faculty director of studies to watch over the quality of education in all aspects.

In 2021, Dr. Van Ryssen became diplomat of the ECVSMR, of which she is a member of the Education Committee. Currently, she is on sabbatical leave and works part-time in a referral practice (Heelix). She regularly speaks at international meetings and arthroscopy courses. On the programme Dr. Van Ryssen will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

In 2003 Dr. Yves Samoy graduated cum laude as veterinary surgeon at Ghent University. After graduation, he continued to work at Ghent University at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medical Imaging and Small Animal Orthopaedics to improve his orthopedic skills. From 2008 to June 2013, he was a full-time assistant in the Orthopedic department.

Dr. Samoy finished his PhD on Elbow incongruity in dogs in 2011 and since July 2013 he has been Doctoral Assistant in the Orthopedic department. He is also the developing surgeon behind the TTA Rapid technique.

Since 2015 Dr. Somay has been CCRP certified by Ghent University and in charge of the Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy Unit. In 2018 he was granted the title of De Facto Diplomate in the European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ECVSMR). Since November 2022 he split his time between Ghent University, where he works as senior orthopaedic surgeon and several clinics in the Anicura Belgium Group.

Dr. Samoy is author or co-author of several orthopaedic publications in international journals, an invited speaker on several events and has given numerous lectures and courses on general orthopaedics, rehabiltitation, small animal arthroscopy and the TTA Rapid system.

On the programme Dr. Samoy will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Since 1991 Dr. Martin Unger has been head of the small animal clinic at Klinkerberg in Augsburg. He is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons, the association of European veterinary surgeons. Dr. Unger is a founding member of the small animal specialist Augsburg referral center.

His work focuses on surgery, orthopedics, HD/ED examinations, arthroscopy and emergency medicine. Dr. Unger is active in veterinary training and further education and is the organizer of the annual one-week international training course on small animal diseases in Flims.

On the programme Dr. Unger will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Dr. Alessandro Boero Baroncelli obtained his degree in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Turin in 2004 and his PhD in Clinical Veterinary Science, Small Animal Orthopedics in 2012.

Dr. Baroncelli works as an orthopedic surgeon in four referral clinics in the the northwest of Italy. He has a particular interests in locking plates; clinical application, biomechanics and development as well as minimal invasive osteosynthesis and arthroscopy.

Dr. Baroncelli is active in research on locking plates with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy. He is a member of the Italian Companion Animal Veterinary Association, Società Italiana Di Ortopedia Veterinaria, and AOVET where he is an active member and Chairman of the AO surgical approach and fracture treatment wet lab in Italy. Dr. Baroncelli is a speaker at national and international congresses and courses and has authored national and international publications in small animal orthopedic and traumatology.

On the programme Dr. Baroncelli will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Dr. Kathryn Pratschke graduated from University College Dublin in 1994, where she subsequently completed an ECVS residency in small animal surgery with an intercalated Master’s degree. Her first job following completion of her residency was at the Dick Vet, where she was a Lecturer at the Hospital for Small Animals from 2000 to 2004. This was followed by several years in private referral practice before returning to academia at the University of Glasgow, where Dr. Pratschke was a Senior Lecturer and Head of Small Animal Surgery. From 2013-2019 she worked as a self-employed Specialist Surgical Locum, before returning to the Dick Vet in 2019 as a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery (part-time).

Dr. Pratschke is an EBVS® European Veterinary SpecialistTM and an RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery, with a particular interest in surgical oncology and abdominal surgery.

On the programme Dr. Pratschke will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Dr. Matthew Pead is the RVC Academic director of professional assessment and development, and Director of the clinical skills centre. Prior to his current posts at the RVC Dr. Pead was the head of the Small Animal Medicine and Surgery group and head of Small animal orthopaedics. He has also worked at the RVC Beaumont Animals' Hospital, Glasgow Veterinary School and in general practice.

Dr. Pead is particularly interested in fracture repair, arthroscopic surgery and joint replacement surgery. He also enjoys working in neurosurgery and soft tissue surgery, especially in the out-of-hours service, and is happy to assist colleagues in farm, equine and exotic practice when orthopaedic skills are called on.

In the research field Dr. Pead has been active in research into the physiology of bone and the mechanism of bone disease in both humans and animals. He is a trustee of Battersea Dog and Cats home, and the AO UK educational foundation. Dr. Pead is the current Chairman of the AO VET UK educational foundation for learning in orthopaedic surgery.

On the programme Dr. Pead will participate in the teaching of the Surgical track.

Dr. de Linde Henriksen is a veterinary ophthalmologist from Colorado State University (CSU). She has an extensive publication list (see below) and is a highly experienced speaker with in the area of veterinary ophthalmology.

Background

Dr. de Linde Henriksen is originally from Denmark where she received her DVM degree in 2005 from University of Copenhagen. Her comparative ophthalmology residency was performed at University of Florida and her PhD in equine ophthalmology is from University of Copenhagen/University of Florida. Dr. Henriksen has worked as an assistant professor in comparative ophthalmology at CSU since July 2017. She came to CSU from University of Minnesota where she worked as a clinical assistant professor in comparative ophthalmology for four years (2013-2017).

Dr. Henriksen loves mountain hiking with her French bulldog ‘Frieda’ and her chocolate Labrador ‘Alma’ in her spare time.

Dr. Plummer is a tenured professor at the University of Florida and an experienced international speaker.

Her research interests include corneal wound healing and glaucoma. She has lectured extensively both in the USA and abroad on many topics associated with clinical veterinary ophthalmology and animal models of ophthalmic disease, especially glaucoma.

Background

Dr. Caryn Plummer, a native Floridian, graduated with a biology degree from Yale University in 1997. She is a 2002 honors graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Following veterinary school, she completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine followed by a residency in comparative ophthalmology at the University of Florida. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (2006). After completing specialty training, Dr. Plummer joined the faculty at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine as an tenured professor in 2006.

She has lectured extensively both in the USA and abroad on many topics associated with clinical veterinary ophthalmology and animal models of ophthalmic disease, especially glaucoma.
br> She is is a contributing author to the Gelatt's classic textbook Veterinary Ophthalmology (4rd, 5th and 6th editions) and an associate editor for the upcoming 6th edition. She is also a charter member of and currently serves as the secretary/treasurer for the International Equine Ophthalmology Consortium.

Dr. Ofri is a Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO), a former ECVO Executive Board member and in 2002-2005 he served as President of the European Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Background

Prof. Ron Ofri was a member of the charter class of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Upon his graduation he traveled to the University of Florida, where he spent the next 4 years undergoing clinical training in veterinary ophthalmology and obtaining his Ph.D. During this time Ron developed an interest in the physiology of vision, focusing on retinal electrophysiology and animal models of retinal diseases. Upon his graduation Ron returned to Israel and joined the faculty of his alma mater and expanded his research interests to include comparative visual physiology in wildlife species, and gene therapy of retinal diseases.

Dr. Ofri is also a very popular international speaker, having been invited to talk in more than 35 countries and 6 continents, lecturing in continuing education seminars, national meetings and world congresses for general practitioners, including BSAVA, SEVC, WSAVA, WVC and NAVC. He also lectures frequently in advanced training courses for veterinary ophthalmologists, including lectureship at the Basic Science Course of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (where he has been speaking since 2002) and numerous other forums.

To date he has published more than 90 refereed papers and Dr. Ofri is a contributing author to the Gelatt's classic textbook Veterinary Ophthalmology (3rd, 4th and 5th editions) as well as a co-author of the popular textbook Slatter's Fundamentals of Veterinary Ophthalmology (4th, 5th and 6th editions).

Prof. Wilkie's areas of interest include ocular surgery, inflammatory diseases of the eye, ocular pharmacology, cataract surgery, intraocular lens implantation, glaucoma, and comparative ophthalmology.

Background

Dr. Wilkie was born in Toronto, Canada and obtained his D.V.M. degree in 1984 from the University of Guelph, Canada. He spent one year at the University of Pennsylvania as an intern and in 1985 came to The Ohio State University to begin a 3-year residency and Masters degree in comparative ophthalmology. He received both his Masters degree (MS)and ophthalmology specialty boards (ACVO) in 1988. He was hired in 1988 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University, was promoted to Associate Professor and then to Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology. He served as the Department Chair of Veterinary Clinical Sciences from 2015-2018. In addition, Dr. Wilkie served a Professor in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University and is currently Professor Emeritus at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Wilkie has trained 21 residents who are Board Certified in the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists or the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and 3 Diplomates in Japanese Comparative Ophthalmology. In addition, Dr. Wilkie has provided advanced training in ophthalmology to 20 graduate students and over 34 veterinarian ophthalmologists from 12 countries.

Dr. Wilkie is author of 102 articles, 104 abstracts and 46 textbook chapters, and serves as a research consultant to numerous national and international research facilities. He has served as an editor of several textbooks and is currently a reviewer for 25 Veterinary and Human ophthalmology and research journals and serves on the Editorial Board of 9 Veterinary and Human ophthalmology and research journals.

He is the past chairperson of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Examination Committee and Past-President for the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Dr. Wilkie currently serves on the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology Foundation board. In addition, Dr. Wilkie has served on the Editorial Review Board and as Associate-Editor for Veterinary Ophthalmology . Dr. Wilkie is currently the Editor and Chief for the journal of Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Dr. Wilkie is a respected teacher both at the University and internationally, having presented seminars in the USA, Canada, Japan, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Great Britain, Russia, Slovenia, Finland, Ireland, Taiwan, Portugal, Switzerland, Israel, Slovakia, Hungary, South Korea and the Czech Republic.

He has twice been nominated for the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award and for the Merck/AgVet Award for Creativity in Teaching. He received the Omega Tau Sigma Alumni Gamma Award in 2000, the Dr. Charles W. Fox Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2012, and the National Gamma Award for Distinguished Service in 2014 at Ohio State University. He was awarded the North American Veterinary Conference - Equine Speaker of the Year Award in 2013. He has been twice nominated for the AAVC Faculty Achievement Award (2016/2017) and received this award in 2017.

Dr. Strøm is a Board-Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist. She received her veterinary degree from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She completed her Master’s thesis on canine glaucoma at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. She then went on to complete her residency training in comparative ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis and stayed on for 2 years as a clinical associate following her residency.

She is the author of several peer-reviewed scientific articles within the field of ophthalmology and she is an invited reviewer for several peer-reviewed scientific journals, including the Veterinary Ophthalmology journal.

Dr. Strøm is currently working in private practice as an ophthalmology specialist in Denmark and Sweden and part time at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences as a supervising diplomate. She also serves as an invited member of the ECVO scientific committee.

Dr. Strøm maintains a strong interest in clinical ophthalmology, microsurgery, ocular toxicology, advanced diagnostic imaging, optics, comparative ophthalmology and vision research.

Dr. Hans Westermeyer is a nomad. He grew up in South America (Chile and Bolivia) and lived there until he finished high school. Then he completed a BS in Biochemistry at Union College, in Lincoln Nebraska. From there he moved to Columbia, Missouri to complete his DVM. His internship and residency training were in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a 1-year research fellowship in California (UC Davis) in between. Immediately after residency training and becoming a Dipl. ACVO he moved to Hong Kong to work in a busy private ophthalmology specialty practice. Private practice was exciting, but he missed the challenge of teaching and research. In 2015, he moved back to the United States to join the ophthalmology faculty at North Carolina State University, where he is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Ophthalmology.

His primary research interest is in canine primary glaucoma and its surgical treatment. However, he has also conducted and published research in other areas of ophthalmology including cataract surgery in sea turtles and assessment of ocular pain in dogs. He has also contributed to several book chapters including the chapter on Glaucoma in the 4th edition of Equine Ophthalmology (Gilger BC, Editor). He has a keen interest in microsurgery and is always on the lookout for innovative surgical ways to treat ophthalmic disease.

Background

Dr. Joanna Morris completed an oncology residency at Cambridge University (1993), and was awarded an Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) by examination in Small Animal Oncology followed by a PhD on chromosome translocations in breast cancer (1997), also in Cambridge.

In 2003, she became Senior Lecturer and Head of the Oncology referral service at Glasgow University, with promotion to Professor in 2015. She is an RCVS specialist and ECVIM-CA Diplomat in Small Animal Oncology.

Dr. Garrett is a Clinical Professor in oncology and Coordinator of Communication Training at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Background

Dr. Garrett attained her DVM degree from University of Illinois in 1991, completed an internship at University of Minnesota, spent 2 years in private and referral practices, and then completed an oncology residency at University of Wisconsin-Madison. After working in a New Zealand specialty clinic, she was on faculty for 7 years at Kansas State University prior to returning to her alma mater.

Topics of publications include canine lymphoma, mast cell tumors, clinical trials, and communication; these mirror her main interests of therapeutic trials and teaching communication skills in the veterinary curriculum.

She has four times received the student-nominated Mell Faculty Award for empathy and honouring the bond between owners and pets.

Dr. Anders Hansen has since 2013 worked as a researcher at DTU Nanotech, Centre for Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Technical University of Denmark and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen University, Denmark. Since 2015 he ahs been CEO at Vaccex Cancer Immunoradiotherapy I/S, Denmark.

Research areas include; advanced drug delivery for cancer therapy, immunotherapy and inflammatory/infectious disease, experimental and translational animal models, molecular imaging of cancer and inflammation.

Dr. Mike Martin qualified from University College Dublin, Ireland in 1986. He gained the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Cardiology and Specialist status in 1995. He has been both Secretary and Chairman of the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (UK), and examiner for the Diploma in Veterinary Cardiology for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

From 1992 to 2020, he ran his own Cardiorespiratory Referral Service for dogs and cats. Having retired from clinical practice, Dr. Martin now provides training and coaching in interventional cardiac procedures to other Veterinary Cardiology Specialists around Europe and lectures at veterinary conferences. He has published over 40 scientific peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Martin is the recipient of BSAVA awards: the Dunkin Award (1993 & 2010), the Melton Award (2000), the Petsavers Award (2006), the Blaine Award (2010) and the JSAP Achievement Award (2017). He has been honorary cardiology adviser to Twycross Zoo and the Ape Heart Project since 2013. Providing advice and guidance that have helped direct the research and setting up of protocols in cardiac pathology, echocardiographic and ECG examinations as well as monitoring of cardiac biomarkers.

On the programme Dr. Martin will participate in the teaching of the Cardiology Specialisation track.

Senior veterinarian Maiken B. T. Bach, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Surgery, Neurology and Cardiology, University of Copenhagen contributes to the Master programme with her knowledge in Clinical Cardiology.

Maiken graduated as a DVM from the University of Copenhagen in 2014, and did her Master’s thesis about the occurrence of myxomatous mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles spaniels with and without syringomyelia.

Since then she has worked at a Swedish private practice referral center and done one year of a small animal rotating internship at the University of Copenhagen, before employment as a senior veterinarian in the Department of Cardiology at Copenhagen University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for Companion Animals. During her work in the cardiology clinic, she has gained knowledge within clinical cardiology, worked with interventional PDA closure, balloon valvuloplasty and participated in year round teaching activities of veterinary students and colleagues within clinical cardiology. She has further been a primary investigator of a GP-approved clinical treatment trial within Angiostrongylosis and is currently involved in several research projects e.g. clinical application of troponin as a prognostic biomarker in feline critical disease, advanced echocardiographic modalities in feline cardiomyopathies and screening of congenital and acquired heart diseases in dogs.

Maiken's main research interests are clinical cardiology with advanced echocardiography modalities and cardiomyopathies in cats.

We are honoured to have such a great resource as Dr. Geoffrey Little associated to the Masters programme. On the compulsory part of the Masters, Geoffrey Little contributes with three parts;

Motivation – a talk on what motivates different people at different stages of their careers, with subsequent workshop where the delegates are asked to come up with suggested solutions to challenging problems.

Key consulting skills and managing Difficult Conversations – a lecture including practical tips on key communication skills and understanding the fundamental role and effects good communication skills have on both concordance and compliance. A practical look at key issues that delegates find challenging, e.g. breaking bad news, dealing with tears and anger.

Leadership and Team Building – A lecture on the attributes of being an effective leader and dealing with the small animal practice team dynamics, including a practical demonstration on how a practice used Belbin Typing to restructure its team.

Belbin Feedback- Following the completion of a ‘Delegate Belbin Questionnaire’, feedback is provided on the various Belbin Types and how they may behave in a team situation, or as individuals.

Background

Dr. Geoffrey Little qualified from Trinity College, Dublin in 1973. After a short spell in small animal practice and 5 years in mixed practice in Somerset, he returned to Stockport in 1979 to take up a partnership in Woodcroft Veterinary Group which developed into a 10-vet small animal practice working from two hospitals and two branches. He retired from the practice in 2002 to pursue other interests and then in 2005 retired after 20 years as a Director of Centaur Services Ltd., one of UK’s largest veterinary wholesalers.

Dr. Geoffrey Little is a former veterinary business Key Advisor for Anval Ltd., a UK advisory service on management and finance for the veterinary profession and a former Communications Training Associate with the Veterinary Defence Society (V D S), the UK’s leading Veterinary Professional Indemnity Insurance Provider. His field of interest is especially within Clinical Communication and Developing Teams, and along with colleagues whom he used to work with at the VDS, has recently formed a new company, ‘InCommunication’, dedicated to championing clinical communications within the veterinary profession.

Dr. Geoffrey Little's other roles have included being the director of MyVet Network in southern Ireland, a company that offers management advice to practices, Treasurer and President of Vetlife, a UK based charity, looking after the veterinary profession, including a 24/7 Helpline. He has spoken on, and published, many articles on various aspects of Veterinary Practice Management both in the UK and abroad, including the following congresses, BSAVA, WSAVA, VPMA, BEVA, FECAVA and SPVS, Royal Canin VBF.

Dr. Geoffrey Little is the co-author of the Handbook of Veterinary Communications Skills and of The BSAVA Manual of Small Animal Management & Development. He is also the former president of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and Chairman of the Veterinary Angling Association.

In 2022, along with Christine Magrath & Alan Orme, founded In-Communication, a business dedicated to enhancing Clinical Communication Skills within the veterinary profession

Dr. Anne Krogh, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Pathology, University of Copenhagen contributes to the program with her knowledge in Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Dr. Krogh graduated as DVM from the University of Copenhagen in 2006. The first two years after her graduation she was employed as an amanuensis at University of Copenhagen where she was involved in and had special interests in flow cytometry, hematology and cytology. She later completed her residency program at The European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathologists and is an approved candidate for the ECVCP Diplomat Exam. Dr. Krogh obtained her PhD degree in 2019 at the Department of veterinary clinical pathology within the research area of inflammation and hemostasis.

On the programme Dr. Krogh will participate in lecturing in the Internal Medicine module on the compulsory part of the Master's programme and on the Internal Medicine specialisation track.

Professor Peter Sandøe was educated at the University of Copenhagen (MA in philosophy 1984) and at the University of Oxford (DPhil. in philosophy 1988) and has been Professor of Bioethics at the University of Copenhagen since 1997.

The major part of his research has focused on ethical issues related to animals, biotechnology and food production.

He is committed to interdisciplinary work combining perspectives from natural science, social sciences and philosophy and publishes in a wide range of scholarly journals.

He has an extensive publication history and his books include Ethics of Animal Use (co-authored with Stine B. Christiansen), published by Blackwell 2008, and Companion Animal Ethics (co-authored with Sandra Corr and Clare Palmer), published by Wiley/Blackwell 2016.

Professor Fintan McEvoy is currently Professor of Veterinary Imaging in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section for Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, University of Copenhagen.

He provides clinical imaging services in a variety of imaging modalities to the University teaching hospitals. He is one of the Course Directors at the Methodology and Paraclinical module in the Masters compulsory course.

He is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging and has served on its various committees. He has the Diploma in Veterinary Radiology, from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK), a PhD from the University of London and a DVSc from the University of Copenhagen.

Research areas center on quantification in medical imaging, image analysis and statistics. His expert areas are within a variety of advanced diagnostic imaging modalities.

Anna V. Müller is an assistant professor in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. She provides clinical imaging service for the Companion and Large Animal University Hospitals, in radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and scintigraphy. In the clinic, Anna has a special interest in ultrasonography.

Her research involves quantitative aspects of veterinary medical imaging. She has published research in different aspects of ultrasonography and computed tomography. Her research interest involves machine learning and artificial intelligence, a growing field in medical imaging.

Anna has responsibility for teaching of veterinary students. She has held multiple workshops and has been teaching on the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science. Anna also has an interest in communication and is the social media manager of the University Hospital for Companion Animals.

With more than three decades of professional experience, Tommy enrolled in the Master of Animal Clinical Science with the desire to refine his practice and theoretical knowledge in the field of ophthalmology.

For Tommy, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest literature and evidence-based research in order to offer the best possible care to his patients. The ability to search for, evaluate, and incorporate new literature into his work are skills that Tommy highlights as his most valuable achievements gained from attending the master's programme.

Enhancing my academic skills and tools

For the past thirty years, I have dedicated my career to being a veterinarian. Throughout this time, I have continuously pursued opportunities to enhance my skills through additional courses and diplomas. However, I wanted to improve my ability to search for and incorporate evidence-based research in my practice. Enrolling in a master's programme was a natural progression for me, as it provided me with new academic tools and skills. This experience challenged me to critically evaluate and improve my current practices, ultimately leading to a more effective and informed approach to veterinary care.

Knowledge sharing and enhanced understanding of the field

During my study, I was part of a small, diverse group of 6 students with varying ages, work experiences, and knowledge levels. The learning environment was highly confidential and allowed for the sharing of knowledge and mutual benefit.

This experience was truly eye-opening to me, as it exposed me to different perspectives, reasoning, and decision-making processes. For instance, what I considered a simple case or procedure could be complex for another student, while that same student excelled in academic methods that I struggled with. These differences in skills led to interesting discussions that encouraged me to question and improve my understanding and approach to my practice.

Providing the best possible care

As the co-owner of a companion animal clinic, I see it as my duty to constantly enhance my skills, expand my knowledge, and improve the tools I use to provide the best possible care to my patients. At our referral clinic we receive a high number of cats and dogs with eye conditions, so it's crucial for me to stay current on the latest research, methods, and procedures in the field. The Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science programme has further prepared me to offer cutting-edge treatments and surgeries.

The competencies and skills I have acquired through my studies not only benefit my practice by maintaining high standards of care, but also demonstrate my ongoing dedication to the field of ophthalmology to both my clients and colleagues.

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This interview was conducted in 2024. Tommy Hardon was a student at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in 2022.

Jacob, a veterinarian with more than 20 years of experience, enrolled in the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science with the desire to enhance his theoretical knowledge and to a greater extent built his practice on evidence-based research.

Working with general care for several years, Jacob started focusing on dental care, leading to the determination to pursue a formal education in odontology. He graduated in 2023 and is co-owner of an animal clinic north of Copenhagen.

From generalist to specialist

Becoming a veterinarian 20 years ago, I started working with general care for many years. Little by little, I was assigned more and more referrals on teeth. My knowledge and skills on the field were therefore primarily based on the teaching and clinical training of my co-workers and different courses or diplomas.

Grounding my theoretical foundation in evidence-based research

Working with teeth for so many years without an official examined education in odontology, I wanted to expand and boost my knowledge on a theoretical level and to a greater extent build my practice on newest evidence-based research. Now I can call myself a specialist in odontology, and that has been a big motivation and reason why I enrolled in the programme in the first place.

Seeking out the outer limits of odontology

One of the greatest competencies I acquired attending the master’s programme was to seek out and find the outer limits of the field of odontology. For example, one expert claims that “all dead teeth must be treated”. What you learn from experts in the field tends to affect your practise a lot. Attending this programme, I got to examine and map out the different opinions on highest academic level through cutting-edge research. Challenging and finding my own standpoint on different topics was a big part of this work and it has shared an refined my knowledge and skills in so many ways.

Undertaking an exploratory approach in decision-making processes

In practice, the programme has challenged me to be less categorical and more nuanced when it comes to how I determine, argue for, and choose which procedures, methods, and treatments to offer. Even though we really want to know everything, we sometimes don't, and in those cases, we have to dive into the little details to decide which path we want to follow, and in that process, make sure that we have an argument for our choice.

Reviewing my own practice as a method of learning

For example, one exercise was to make case logs by going through old cases from my own clinic and review the decisions, treatment choices, and procedures I chose back then. It was such a relevant and close-to-practice assignment that really sharpened my attention a lot and connected the teaching with our daily practices so well.

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This interview was conducted in 2024. Jacob Meyer was a student at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in 2023.

Changing work procedures

Initially Vibeke’s boss suggested the Master programme to Vibeke because the animal hospital where Vibeke works needs veterinarians with more specialist skills, for instance in oncology:

”From my management’s point of view, oncology cases are increasing in the veterinary practice – more owners are willing to pay for the treatment of these animals and therefore skills are required in this area. I personally find oncology interesting because it combines soft tissue surgery with diagnostic imaging, clinical pathology and internal medicine and it is challenging to deal with patients in difficult times.”

Vibeke graduated the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in November 2019, and since then, she has implemented many of her new skills into her daily work routine.

“I gained a great confidence knowing that I am the only one in my local area with this specific specialisation in oncology. The master’s has been a catalyst for me changing my work into something where I can combine research and clinical work more,” she says.

Vibeke also tried to pass forward her new knowledge to her colleagues at the hospital:

“After participating in the programme, I have been an active advocate of problem oriented medical records at my practice. I will continue to urge my colleagues to use it further. It greatly helps with communication between everyone in the practice,” she says.

There is still time for work and family

Vibeke found that the time she spent on the programme was carefully organized, so it did not interfere too much with her daily life.

“I feel the programme is suitable for people who work. There is not that much time away from the practice. Two weeks a year is durable. It is the same with the examination where we have a fair amount of time for preparation. What appeals to me mostly is that is very structured, you are guided through what you have to do. It allows you to plan your studies around your life,” she says.

Vibeke also greatly appreciated the people she met during the programme.

“I always had trouble understanding the internal language they were using. If you’re outside the technical language, you’re outside the conversation. The MDMa programme really helped me understand the language used in the sector. This is something I use every single day in my work now,” says Michele, before concluding:

“I have made close friends and great new colleagues who I frequently contact for advice and to exchange experiences. In the specialisation tracks, it is a real plus that you find a group of colleagues with the same interests and specialisation as yourself,” she says.

Academic programme related to the veterinarian practice

Vibeke believes the Master programme has a high academic standard:

“I have been really happy with the quality of the course. I was impressed with the staff at the university, and the fact that they brought in external professors from the US and around Europe was great. The practical sessions too, were great. It is a practical field after all, so it is great that they emphasized the practical skills,” she says.

Overall, Vibeke has been pleased with the programme and gladly recommends it to future students:

“This programme gives you helpful tools in day to day life in your practice. It is not just an academic programme, it is related to practice. It is especially a good programme for anyone wishing to improve their approach to their patients. It is not just knowledge and skills but also how you do a better job, it is to improve the diagnostic process, to prevent you from making mistakes and jump to conclusions.”

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This interview was conducted in June 2020. Vibeke Fosse was a student at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in 2019.

The need for a systemic and unified approach to patients

Anders’ motivation for enrolling in the Master programme was based on the desire for obtaining new skills in the treatment of patients.

“I wanted a broader and updated theoretical knowledge and at the same time, a unified and systematic approach to my patients.”

Looking back, Anders concludes that his expectations for the programme were fulfilled:

“There was a great focus on acquiring the newest knowledge. This has given me tools that I can use in my practice and work, even now after finishing the programme. For example, structuring my approach to a case thoroughly has been a good learning for me. It is something I share with my colleagues too,” he says.

Anders experienced that after a number of years working in the field, he needed to gain new competencies.

“You cannot do or learn it all right away. The field changes, so many of the things I learnt back in the basic veterinary studies are different from what the new veterinaries are learning today. To me, it is a great privilege being able to lean back and be taught, especially when it has been so long since I was in school,” he says.

Competent lecturers have moved the practices

Behind the lectures of the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science are national and international scientists. For Anders, the international experts stood out in particular.

“On the medical part of the compulsory courses, we were taught by Professor Jane Armstrong who was fantastic. In addition, the lecturers in the internal medicine specialisation track, such as Dr. Jon Wray and Dr. Rachel Miller, were exceptional,” he says.

Since graduating the programme in 2017, Anders has been able to implement a lot of knowledge from the modules in his own practice:

“I think it is a very good programme that gave me the tools to optimize my diagnostic approach to the patients. I have had the opportunity to update myself in a relatively manageable way,” he says.

When asked if he has any good advice for possible future students, Anders says:

“To me, the whole programme was a very positive process. But as it is with everything, the more energy and work you put into it, the more you gain from it. So if you show up prepared and do your work, you will learn a lot from this programme. So I would recommend that you put as much energy as you can into this programme, so that you will get the best outcome.”

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This interview was conducted in June 2020. Anders P. Jensen was a student at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in 2017.

A changed approach to patients

After attending several 1-2 day courses within her field, Pia Ammitzbøll felt like they no longer satisfied her need to evolve professionally.

“I was at a meeting at the Danish Veterinary Union where I saw some leaflets about the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science, and it sounded spot-on for me. The programme was longer and more systematized. I had been feeling stagnant, so this was a great opportunity for me to develop my skills further,” she says.

Pia has just handed in her Master’s thesis for the programme, but she is already using the skills she has learnt in her daily work.

“The programme has changed my whole approach to my patients. I work more evidence-based and systematized.

Time well spent

The learning environment is something that Pia has greatly appreciated during her studies.

“The teachers are very competent, and there has been a great balance between professionals from international specialisation clinics and the internal staff from the University Hospital. Depending on the subject, they have always been handpicked according to their expertise,” she says.

“Of course it also depends on your own background. If you come from a large hospital, maybe you will not be as blown away as I was. I started in a smaller clinic, and I felt like the teachers were great, so I gained a lot from it.”

Pia has put a lot of time and effort into her studies to make sure that she did indeed gain from it. Your own effort will determine how much you learn, but it is worth the struggle, according to Pia.

“I have primarily spent my evenings and weekends on the programme, but have occasionally taken a day off from work to prepare for exams. I feel like that has been worth it in order to still make everyday life work. The time I have put into it has been well spent. Looking back, all the hard work lays the foundation for a much smoother and better work life on the other side of the programme. Now I can take more patients without getting stressed.”

A new energy in everyday life

Reflecting on her experience with the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science, Pia says:

“There is so much to gain from this programme. The fact that I am less stressed at work and I can now communicate more clearly with the owner of the animal gives me an energy in everyday life that I was missing before. However, it takes time to get there. You can not do it without putting in hard work. You need to be willing to spend time and energy on it.”

Overall, Pia gladly recommends the programme to anyone who might be interested in attending it:

“I will definitely recommend it. I appreciated having a few years practical experience beforehand. This is a university-based programme, but it is also very practical and clinically relevant, which is so important for anyone working in practice. It is evidence-based and systematic, but you can go straight to the clinic the next day and implement what you have learnt, which is very valuable,” she says.

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This interview was conducted in June 2020. Pia Cecilie Ammitzbøll Andersen was a student at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science in 2020.

In this interview you will meet Lasse, a facility manager and surgeon at AniCura Aarhus Animal Hospital, sharing his motivation to become a certified specialist in surgery and the advantages by possessing an official title. Lasse expresses how specialised continuing education for veterinarians in his opinion is an important development and necessity to maintain and ensure high professional quality.

Official title proving my competencies

I work as a facility manager and surgeon at AniCura Aarhus Animal Hospital. For several years, surgery has been my primary occupation at work. When you graduate and become an official veterinarian you are allowed to perform all types of veterinary tasks. But just like in the human healthcare sector, there are several specialised areas within animal clinical science. Even though my main field has been surgery for a long time, I didn’t have any certificate proving my competencies within this specialisation, and that was the primary reason why I enrolled in the master’s programme.

Ensuring high professional quality

Internationally, official titles and certifications are well-regarded as they represent a standard of quality and helps to distinguish certified specialist from veterinarians whose competencies in surgery primarily derives from clinical practice and experience - just like me before I enrolled in the programme. In addition, an official specialist tittle can provide assurance to clients that the expertise we offer is consistent with what we are able to perform.

Biggest development on a theoretical level

On a practical level, not much has changed for me since I graduated the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science. However, on a more academic and theoretical level, I have gained so many new insights in how to review and apply evidence-based literature and research into my daily practice. In regard to this, the main difference for me is understanding the importance of possessing a critical approach to the knowledge, literature and research, you are faced with constantly working in a specialist field. My approach is much more nuanced and informed today, and I think that is the most important skill achieved on this master’s programme.

Verification and assurance of qualifications

In the field of companion animal clinical science, I think it is crucial that we keep excelling in what we do in order to ensure a high professional quality in the various specialist areas. Not only do we owe it to our profession, but also to each other and our clients. By attending a master’s programme like this, we can substantiate and verify our qualifications and practical skills.

A two-week stay at lecturer’s workplace post graduation

As part of the programme, we had several very skilled lecturers, including a very experienced diplomate in surgery from North Carolina. I actually just returned from a two-week stay at this hospital, where I had the great opportunity to follow several skilled diplomates in surgery in their daily work dealing with patients.. It was very beneficial and rewarding to me.

Highly recommended for those who have found their niche

For those who have found their niche and are ready to deepen their expertise in a specialised area, I highly recommend pursuing one of the seven tracks on the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science. Once you reach that point, the master's programme is a great next step in your career. Most of all, it has provided me with a more nuanced perspective on the common literature, methods, and standpoints in the field of surgery. For me it especially shows in how I have obtained a more systematic approach and refined and sharpened my critical sense to the literature and other readings I encounter.

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This interview was conducted in April 2024, Lasse Hørlyck graduated in 2022

Proportion recovery and times to ambulation for non-ambulatory dogs with thoracolumbar disc extrusions treated with hemilaminectomy or conservative treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-series studies

Master student: Lars Langerhuus
Specialisation: Surgery

Thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion is a common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in dogs. Peer reviewed studies reporting treatment of predominantly chondrodystrophic dogs with disc extrusion with loss of ambulation with either hemilaminectomy or conservative treatment (rest, analgesics and anti-inflammatories) were evaluated in a systematic review of the literature.

Generally, the level of evidence available was low with no controlled studies and only case series available. In the meta-analysis, there was a clear trend to a greater proportion of dogs recovering and returning faster to ambulation for dogs treated with hemilaminectomy than for conservatively treated dogs. The mean proportions that recovered for neurological grades 3, 4 and 5 were 93, 93 and 61% for those treated with hemilaminectomy, and 79, 62 and 10% for those treated conservatively (Grade 3 – non-ambulatory paraparetic dogs; grade 4 – paraplegic dogs with intact deep pain perception; grade 5 – paraplegic dogs without intact deep pain perception).

Due to the use of case series, these results represent between study comparisons, thereby increasing the risk of selection bias and other biases. Data presented in this review support the current recommendations for surgical management of non-ambulatory dogs with disc-extrusion, but controlled clinical studies comparing outcomes are necessary to confirm these findings.

Read the article here

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Lars Langerhuus defended his Master's thesis in January 2017

A systematic review of meniscal injury diagnosis in dogs

Master student: Ken Lindeblad
Specialisation: Surgery
Project: Clinical and ultrasound diagnostic examination of the meniscus in dogs and systematic review of meniscus diagnostics in dogs

Objective

To answer the key question: Is it possible to diagnose meniscal injuries in the canine knee by non-invasive techniques?

In addition it was the objective, based on a systematic review, to create a clinical guideline for non-invasive diagnosis of canine meniscal injuries.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted based on a literature search in the databases CAB and PubMed (Medline). After an initial relevance screening, articles in peer- reviewed journals were selected with a main focus on diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive methods to diagnose canine meniscal injuries. The articles were appraised including the use of methodology checklist from SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network). Included in the literature was a new surgical textbook, and a recent Danish study investigating ultrasonographic examination of the canine menisci (veterinary student master project) partly carried out at Faxe Dyrehospital.

Results

The search resulted in a total of 147 references. A large proportion of the references were case series, and descriptive studies; only few of these were selected for this review. A total of twenty-three references from the search were included in the study. The literature on the subject was limited and mainly based on studies with a relatively small amount of dogs or menisci. Neither reviews nor meta-analyses of non-invasive techniques for meniscus diagnosis in the canine knee were found in the search. Among the included references, 14 focused on non-invasive methods to diagnose canine meniscal injuries. There were twelve studies of diagnostic accuracy (cross –sectional), six articles were on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), two on Computed Tomography (CT) and four on ultrasonography. Two studies investigated clinical risk factors for meniscal injuries, one cohort and one case-control study.

Conclusion

Ultrasonography is a useful, but user dependent, tool for diagnosing meniscal damage in the canine knee. The technique has an acceptable sensitivity and specificity for detection of meniscal damage in the cruciate ligament deficient canine knee.

MRI and CT are currently methods of questionable value for diagnosing meniscal damage in the canine knee.

Based on the results of the systematic review, a guideline was created for clinical examination and ultrasonographic diagnosis of meniscal injuries in dogs.

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Ken Lindeblad defended his Master's thesis in January 2015

Ulnar osteotomy for premature closure of the distal ulnar growth plate: how and when?

Master student: Gert Jarn Pedersen
Specialisation: Surgery
Project: Minireview: Ulnar osteotomy in dogs with premature growth line disturbances in distal ulna, when and how?

Background

This systematic review evaluates the different types of ulnar osteotomy in canine patients with antebrachial asynchronous growth. Complications associated with the procedure and the optimal time frame of performing the surgery are also included. This analysis utilizes a nonrandomized study selection that reviews relevant articles from the past 38 years.

Methods

The relevant articles were found using a highly sensitive computerized search method performed in PubMed and Ovid Medline. Included in the non-randomized studies were patients with antebrachial asynchronous growth (AAG) in the distal ulna, that have had ulnar osteotomy performed within the time frame 1978 – 2014. The inclusion criteria for this paper is such that articles are available in full text, limited to studies including more than 8 cases, and written in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian or English language. Of the 478 articles identified using the search strategy there were 26 that met the inclusion criteria. Of these 26 cases there were 14 studies that scored 50% or more on methodological quality assessment, 4 were case control studies and 5 were case series studies. Of the 14 studies 5 were prospective studies, 4 were retrospective studies, 2 were in vitro studies, 1 ex vivo study and 2 were experimental studies. Studies that fulfilled these criteria were assessed for methodological quality, using the critical appraisal of observational studies developed by the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) instrument.

The study characteristics and data on the intervention, follow-up, outcome measures and complications were extracted.

Results

Pooling of the studies that conform with the inclusion criteria resulted in 310 ulnar osteotomies: 186 cases having distal ulnar osteotomies (DUO), 43 proximal ulnar osteotomies (PUO), 48 dynamic proximal ulnar osteotomies (dynamic PUO) and 33 bioblique dynamic proximal ulnar osteotomies (biobligue dynamic PUO).

Immature AAG patients with slight angular malformations may be treated with a partiel DUO. There is no evidence that the method can be used for adult patients and only a slight non-significant trend toward a beneficial response if the method is combined with transsection of the antebrachial interosseous ligament. In AAG patients that exhibit elbow incongruity and mild angular malformation the PUO / bioblique dynamic PUO can be used alone or in combination with distal correction osteotomy, both in adults as well as juvenile patients. There is a increased risk factor for complications as well as a greater morbidity in dynamic PUO / bioblique dynamic PUO as compared with DUO method. There is no indication that the bioblique PUO results are better than the dynamic PUO results. There is a non-significant trend that suggests that ulnar osteotomy should be performed as early as possible, before the development of severe angular malformations, osteoarthrosis (OA) and elbow incongruity (EI).

Conclusion

AAG patients with relatively severe angular malformations should be treated with corrective osteotomy at CORA point (center of rotation and angulation).

Immature AAV patients with slight angular malformations and possibly EI can be treated with a partial DUO, dynamic PUO or bioblique dynamic PUO . Adult AAV patients with mild angular malformations and EI can be treated with dynamic PUO or bioblique dynamic PUO.

As a result of the high incidence of complications, as well as greater morbidity in dynamic PUO /bioblique dynamic PUO should partial DUO be preferred when possible. Partial DUO should be made as early as possible in immature patients.

However, the low quality of evidence precludes solid clinical conclusions in this review.

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Gert Jarn Pedersen defended his Master's thesis in January 2015

Does the perioperative use of antibiotics reduce the occurrence of postoperative surgical site infections in dogs and cats? A Minireview.

Master student: Irene Krøjer Hansen
Specialisation: Surgery
Project: In a time where bacteria develop resistance in a pace a lot faster than the pharmaceutical industry develop new antibiotics vets with license to prescribe all types of antibiotics, as well as our human colleagues, need to use the antibiotics in the smartest way, and especially not misuse or over use.

Objective

The objective of this mini review is to investigate whether prophylactic antibiotics reduces the prevalence of surgical site infections (SSI) in dogs and cats.

Key question: Does the perioperative use of antibiotics reduce the occurrence of postoperative surgical site infections in dogs and cats? A Minireview.

Methods

Risk factors related to SSI, wound classification regarding cleanness and three categories of SSI are described and defined.

The data from three randomized blinded clinical trials of perioperative antibiosis versus placebo and two cohorts containing a treated and a not treated group are described and analyzed.

Conclusion

The conclusion is, that for dogs, perioperative antibiotics in soft tissue surgery operations lasting less than 90 minutes does not reduce the prevalence of SSI, unless the surgeon is a senior vet student. In orthopedic operations in dogs lasting less than 90 minutes results are conflicting, but the most recent study finds, that perioperative antibiotics does reduce the prevalence of SSI. Cats have only been a smaller part of the study population, therefore the results are only assumed to be valid for cats as well. One of the cohorts contain data for clean-contaminated and contaminated operations, and finds no reduction in prevalence of SSI, but the data are assumed to be biased by clinical evaluation whether to treat the patients with perioperative antibiosis or not. Since dirty is a risk factor for SSI, perioperative antibiosis reduces the prevalence of SSI in dirty wounds.

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Irene Krøjer Hansen defended her Master's thesis in January 2015

The dream of a job in clinical practice - a comparative study of veterinary students' expectations to a job in clinical practice and postgraduate veterinarians' experiences from the real world

Master student: Vibeke Løvgreen Lassen
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Background

Clinical veterinary practice has been struggling with retaining veterinarians in the job. It is often younger veterinarians, who leave clinical practice within the first 2-4 years. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate, whether the job in clinical practice meet the expectations of the postgraduate veterinarians in the transition between graduate school and their first job and try to identify focus points to work with to enhance retention in the future.

Method

The study is a comparative, quantitative and descriptive cross-sectional study, based on a survey of 2 groups: Last year veterinary students and postgraduate veterinarians with less than 12 months of experience from clinical practice.

Data analysis

The biostatistics analysis was performed using the programme GraphPad Prism version 9.5.1., and the answers from the two groups compared using the Mann-Whitney unpaired two-tailed U test with confidence interval 95% and a P-value of <0,05, and a descriptive analysis.

Results

51 students and 43 veterinarians participated. The results showed a good correlation between the expectations of the veterinary students and the experiences of the postgraduate veterinarians. There was a significant statistical difference in 8 out of 76 questions, these were in the categories of earnings in practice, management, continuing education, and work life balance.

Conclusion

Even though there was a good correlation between expectations and experiences, there is room for improvement in clinical practice. Future focus points were found to be work life balance, regards to being a newly graduate and general onboarding.

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Vibeke Løvgreen Lassen defended her master's thesis in 2023

Efficiency and safety of pharmaceutical treatment of chronic pain in dogs or cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A scoping review to inform decision making in clinical practice.

Master student: Mette Malmstedt Bindslev
Specialisation: Internal Medicine
Project: Efficiency and safety of pharmaceutical treatment of chronic pain in dogs or cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A scoping review to inform decision making in clinical practice.

Background

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and degenerative joint disease (DJD) are common diseases in dogs and cats, especially in geriatric patients where they often coexist. Management of chronic pain is important in relation to quality-of-life but also quantity of life. Attention to safety of drugs used to manage chronic pain are therefore necessary and sometimes challenging, as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are most used, and kidney disease is listed as a contraindication or warning on all NSAID data sheets.

Objective

The aim of this review is to map available evidence in pharmaceutical management of chronic pain in cats and dogs diagnosed with CKD, to promote evidence-based decisions regarding the safety and choice of drugs, and to identify any deficits in the research in this area.

Study design

The review was performed as a scoping review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Results

The search revealed 3123 records after duplicates were removed. Seven studies evaluating NSAIDs in CKD cats(six) and dogs(one), were included in the qualitative synthesis. Study designs: Retrospective case-control, prospective, double-blinded control, prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial, prospective placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial and prospective clinical trial. All studies included cats and dogs in IRIS stage 2 or 3. NSAIDs studied: Meloxicam, piroxicam, robenacoxib, acetylsalicylic acid and tepoxalin. The four studies evaluating meloxicam found no statistically significant (SS) changes in creatinine due to treatment. One study found no reduction in survival time and apparently no negative effect on longevity in long-term treated cats. No SS changes in creatinine were observed in cats treated with piroxicam and acetylsalicylic acid respectively and the same was noticed for robenacoxib. Tepoxalin in dogs reported the same, no SS changes in creatinine or Urea. None of the studies reported QoL in a quantitative way or evaluated efficacy of treatment. Adverse effects (AE) were primarily associated with the gastrointestinal tract. For tepoxalin the AE were extensive and serious.

Conclusion

Lack of evidence for safe pain management in cats and dogs with CKD. Though, based on the studies in this review there are an indication that with pertinent monitoring of clinical status and biomarkers for kidney function, meloxicam and robenacoxib can be used in cats in IRIS stage 2-3 at the lowest effective doses. There is no evidence for safe administration of tepoxalin in dogs with CKD. Implications for research: Prospective randomized studies examining other types of pain medication, monitoring response to treatment on a pain scale, QoL scale and monitoring of kidney function by means of multiple biomarkers and GFR would be beneficial. Implications for Practice: A benefit versus risk assessment must be made; improved QoL vs risks of proteinuria and AE. Regular monitoring of blood kidney values and hydration is very important.

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Mette Malmstedt Bindslev defended her master's thesis in April 2022

Immunomodulatory and Immunosuppressive Drug Protocols in the Treatment of Canine Primary Immune-mediated Thrombocytopenia: A Scoping Review

Master student: Peter Spanner Kristensen
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Read the article here

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Peter Spanner Kristensen defended his Master's thesis in June 2020

Felin immunmedieret hæmolytisk anæmi (IMHA).

Master student: Anne-Marie Løje
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Baggrund

Immunmedieret hæmolytisk anæmi forekommer sjældnere hos katte end hos hunde. Emnet er velbeskrevet hos hund men ikke hos kat. Desuden anførtes, at sygdomsforløbet hos katte var mildere og prognosen bedre samt at der skulle være forskel på den udløsende årsag hos de to arter.

Formål

At undersøge den nyeste viden om IMHA hos kat, mhp årsager, diagnosticering og behandling.

Metode

Dette narrative review er skrevet ud fra søgning i Ovid Medline(r) All, CAB Abstracts og Embase. Brug af engelsksprogede originalartikler i fuldtekst, omhandlende katte med hæmolytisk anæmi og/eller symptomer, diagnostik, behandling og prognose for samme. Artiklerne er udgivet før 30. oktober 2019.

Resultat

1164 studier blev fundet og kun 27 artikler blev vurderet som egnede på baggrund af inklusions- og eksklusionskriterier.

Konklusion

IMHA ses sjældnere hos katte i forhold til hunde. Sygdomsbilledet er på mange måder sammenligneligt, dog er der forskelle: For det første er spherocytter vanskeligere at identificere hos katte. For det andet ser man ikke lige så udbredt intravaskulær hæmolyse og deraf følgende trombedannelse som hos hunde, hvilket måske – for det tredje – er årsagen til, at man ser en bedre overlevelse blandt katte.

Andelen af FeLV-induceret IMHA lader til at være faldende fra undersøgelser i 70’erne og op til 2016. Muligvis som følge af øgning i antallet af vaccinationer mod FeLV.
Der er beskrevet højere koncentrationen af henholdsvis globulin og albumin hos katte med IMHA. Diagnostisk mangler en ”golden standard” for katte med IMHA.

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Anne-Marie Løje defended her master's thesis in April 2020

Corticosteroid treatment for acute/acute-on-chronic canine pancreatitis - a scoping review

Master student: Kari-Anne Bjørnkjær-Nielsen
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Read the article here

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Kari-Anne Bjørnkjær-Nielsen defended her Master's thesis in January 2020

Characterization of Alopecia X across breeds. A systematic review

Master student: Anne Marie Fogh-Larsen
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Background

Alopecia X is an adult onset hair growth disorder seen primarily in double coated breeds such as Pomeranian, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Keeshond and Siberian husky but has also been described in Miniature and Toy Poodles. The syndrome is poorly understood and it has never been proven whether Alopecia X can be considered a single distinct disease with the exact same etiology across breeds.

Methods and Objective

Based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed scientific literature the aim of this study was to investigate whether Alopecia X can be considered a single distinct disease across breeds or whether the syndrome differs so much from breed to breed that it more appropriately should be considered different individual breed specific diseases.

Conclusion

Alopecia X is by far best elucidated in Pomeranians both in terms of clinical signs, histopathology, hormone analysis, response to different types of treatment and genetic analysis. The question of whether Alopecia X can be considered a distinct disease across breeds or more appropriately should be considered different breed specific diseases could not be answered due to the low number of dogs (other than Pomeranians) representing each breed and the heterogeneity, low evidence quality and poor methodological quality of the studies included in this systematic review. Well-designed and adequately powered studies with the purpose of accurately characterizing the disease at breed level are warranted.

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Anne Marie Fogh-Larsen defended her master's thesis in March 2018

What is the diagnostic usefulness of the Coombs' test for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in dogs.

Master student: Ásdís Linda Sverrisdóttir
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Background

Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is serious disease and one of the most common immune mediated disease in dogs. IMHA has often poor outcome and high mortality rate.

Methods and Objective

of this study was to do a literature review on the usefulness of the Coombs' tests in the diagnosis of Immune mediated hemolytic anemia.

The Coombs' test detects the immune reaction in the disease. The specificity is good but the disadvantage of the test is its low sensitivity. The patient selection is important to increase the tests sensitivity and good clinical workup before running the test. Excluding concurrent diseases of non-immune mediated origin is important. The Coombs' test is usually run on polyvalent reagent at 37°C but running the test with both poly and monovalent at 4°C and 37°C will increase the sensitivity of the test. The use of dilute multiple sera beyond the manufactures guidance will also increase the sensitivity of the test. The pattern of the test with monovalent reagent can give us knowledge of different immunoglobulins that may indicate different pathogenesis of the anemia. This can give us hint in distinguish between primary and secondary IMHA or anemia of non-immune mediated cause.

Conclusion

of this study is that the test is useful and important in the diagnosis of immune reaction and the only test on the market that is widely available today.

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Ásdís Linda Sverrisdóttir defended her master's thesis in February 2018

What is the diagnostic usefulness of the Coombs' test for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in dogs.

Master student: Tine Bondo
Specialisation: Internal Medicine

Background

CKD is a commonly recognized disease in cats, but diagnosing it early is challenging. SDMA concentration has been investigated and found to be highly correlated with GFR in humans. It would be added value to practitioners in veterinary medicine to know, whether SDMA can help diagnosing cats with CKD earlier. A systematic review was performed.

Objective

The objective of this study was to look for evidence based medicine concerning the use of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) as an early biomarker of Chronic Kidney Disease in cats. 0‐Hypothesis: “No difference is seen in time of diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in cats when Symmetric Dimethylarginine (SDMA) is used as biomarker compared to creatinine.”

Methods

A review was performed searching AGRICOLA, AGRIS, CAB Abstracts, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE.

Conclusions and clinical importance

SDMA seems to be a helpful parameter when assessing kidney function in cats with suspicion of early chronic kidney disease (CKD) (or other kidney related disease) and the 0‐hypothesis: “No difference is seen in time of diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in cats, when SDMA is used as biomarker compared to creatinine” can therefore not be accepted. Based on the very limited amount of studies evidence based use of SDMA as an early indicator of CKD in cats is a challenge. Given the facts that diagnosis of CKD can be challenging, SDMA can be included as a part of routine examinations in cats suspected to have CKD contributing to the diagnosis as a part of the puzzle, but acknowledging that so far it is based on a limited amount of studies and hence limited evidence in cats.

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Tine Bondo defended her master's thesis in March 2018

Evidence Based medicine concerning clinical effects of Probiotics in treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs

Master student: Anders Jensen
Specialisation: Internal Medicin
Project: Clinical effect of probiotics in prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs: A systematic review.

Background

Gastrointestinal diseases are prevalent in dogs, and probiotics could provide safe alternatives to conventional treatments.

Objective

To evaluate the clinical effects of probiotics when used in the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs compared with no treatment, only symptomatic treatment, or conventional treatment.

Methods

A systematic review was preformed searching AGRICOLA, AGRIS, CAB Abstracts, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify articles published before April 1, 2017. Selection criteria were original research report, those published in peer reviewed journal, and study investigating in vivo use of probiotic for prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs. Studies were rated based on the level of evidence, and methodological quality was evaluated by the following variables: similarities between groups at baseline, risk of bias, and study group size.

Results

One hundred sixty-five studies were identified, of which 17 met the inclusion criteria-12 concerned acute gastrointestinal disease and 5 concerned chronic gastrointestinal disease. The level of evidence ranged between randomized controlled studies and crossover uncontrolled trials; estimated risk of bias was generally moderate to high; and sample sizes were small. Feces consistency was the most frequently evaluated clinical variable.

Conclusions and clinical importance

The current data point toward a very limited and possibly clinically unimportant effect for prevention or treatment of acute gastrointestinal disease. For chronic gastrointestinal disease, dietary intervention remains the major key in treatment, whereas probiotic supplement seems not to add significant improvement. However, studies were often underpowered, underscoring the need for future larger, preferably multicenter studies.

Read the article here

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Anders Jensen defended his Master's thesis in June 2017

Evidence Based medicine concerning clinical effects of Probiotics in treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs

Master student: Anders Jensen
Specialisation: Internal Medicin
Project: Clinical effect of probiotics in prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs: A systematic review.

Background

Gastrointestinal diseases are prevalent in dogs, and probiotics could provide safe alternatives to conventional treatments.

Objective

To evaluate the clinical effects of probiotics when used in the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs compared with no treatment, only symptomatic treatment, or conventional treatment.

Methods

A systematic review was preformed searching AGRICOLA, AGRIS, CAB Abstracts, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science to identify articles published before April 1, 2017. Selection criteria were original research report, those published in peer reviewed journal, and study investigating in vivo use of probiotic for prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal disease in dogs. Studies were rated based on the level of evidence, and methodological quality was evaluated by the following variables: similarities between groups at baseline, risk of bias, and study group size.

Results

One hundred sixty-five studies were identified, of which 17 met the inclusion criteria-12 concerned acute gastrointestinal disease and 5 concerned chronic gastrointestinal disease. The level of evidence ranged between randomized controlled studies and crossover uncontrolled trials; estimated risk of bias was generally moderate to high; and sample sizes were small. Feces consistency was the most frequently evaluated clinical variable.

Conclusions and clinical importance

The current data point toward a very limited and possibly clinically unimportant effect for prevention or treatment of acute gastrointestinal disease. For chronic gastrointestinal disease, dietary intervention remains the major key in treatment, whereas probiotic supplement seems not to add significant improvement. However, studies were often underpowered, underscoring the need for future larger, preferably multicenter studies.

Read the article here

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Anders Jensen defended his Master's thesis in June 2017

Antiviral Treatment of Feline Infectious Peritonitis with Nucleoside Analogues: A Scoping review

Master students: Anne Jørgensen & Janne Olsen
Specialisation: Internal Medicin

Background

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) caused by a feline coronavirus is an important infectious disease in feline medicine and was until recently considered fatal. Research in antiviral nucleoside analogues and the development of drugs for treatment of COVID-19 in humans are potentially creating new opportunities for treatment of FIP.

Objective

The objective of this scoping review was to map the available evidence regarding antiviral treatment of cats diagnosed with FIP with nucleoside analogues.

Methods

On November 1st, 2023, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase and MEDLINE were systematically searched. Double blinded screening of records was performed to identify original studies including cats diagnosed with FIP and treated with nucleoside analogues.

Results

Twenty-four publications out of 1467 records screened met the inclusion criteria. The included publications represented 20 unique study populations covering a total of 1515 cats. Three randomized controlled trials (RCT), two experimental trials, seven cohort studies, five case-series, three case-reports, two internet surveys and one small systematic review were identified. Studies included the nucleoside analogues remdesivir, GS-441524, molnupiravir and ribavirin. Design, diagnostic level and treatment protocols varied greatly.

Conclusions

The reported findings of the studies indicate that nucleoside analogues have positive therapeutic effects on FIP, but the variation in subject enrollment, clinical presentation of FIP, treatment protocols and uncertainty about the contents of unlicensed drugs will challenge comparison and synthesis of results across identified studies and more robust evidence is needed. Future studies are encouraged to focus on well-designed RCTs with standardized treatment protocols.

Life expectancy in dogs with splenic HSA treated with surgery alone or in combination with medical therapy – a systematic review

Master students: Linn Baisgård, Vanessa van Heesewijck & Claudia Nyberg
Specialisation: Surgery and Oncology

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether adjuvant medical treatment prolongs survival in dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma after splenectomy compared to surgery alone.

The objective (PICO) question was formulated, and a systematic search was conducted in 7 databases. 36 articles fit our eligibility criteria and was included. The articles were rated for level of evidence: six randomized control trials, nine non-randomized control trials, nine cohort studies, 11 case series, and one case report. Quality assessment by using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal forms gained 7 with high-, 19 with medium- and 10 papers with low level of quality. All median survival data is extracted from included articles and is presented in figures. Seven studies compare splenectomy with splenectomy and adjuvant medical treatment. There are indications that adjuvant treatment will prolong survival, although few studies prove this statistically. We need more randomized control studies with high quality of evidence, and with larger homogenic population to provide a more convincing conclusion.

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Linn Baisgård, Vanessa van Heesewijck and Claudia Nyberg defended their Master's thesis in 2024

Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Dogs.

Master student: Katrine Lindegaard
Specialisation: Cardiology

Abstract

Assessment of left ventricle (LV) systolic function as part of the echocardiographic examination is pivotal for diagnostic, prognostic and clinical management purposes. Echocardiography is the modality of choice regardless of species. Many different modalities and indices have been investigated, but thorough knowledge of advantages and disadvantages is important to avoid erroneous conclusions. Fractional shortening (FS) is a commonly used index, where many breed-specific reference intervals exists. FS may cause incorrect assessment of systolic function in the diseased heart since it is a linear measurement that is highly load-dependent. Ejection fraction (EF) is another popular measurement based on volume differences during the cardiac cycle. Volume can be estimated by one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) measurements. 1D volume estimates should not be used since it results in incorrect estimates. 2D volume measurements by ”Simpson´s method of discs” are currently the measurement of choice since they perform well in both healthy and diseased LV. Although not yet used routinely in veterinary medicine, 3D and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) derived strain and strain rate have shown promising results. The evidence of the advantages of these indices, compared to FS and EF, is steadily increasing, and in contrast to other modalities, STE can be used to evaluate both global and regional systolic function. Reference intervals are still lacking, but preliminary reference values have been reported. 3D and STE indices, therefore, have the potential to be part of the future assessment of LV systolic function in veterinary medicine.

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Katrine Lindegaard defended her Master's thesis in May 2022

Lungeultralyd i smådyrspraksis

Master student: Rune Enghoff Petersen
Specialisation: Cardiology

Abstract

In human medicine, lung ultrasound has been used for three decades. In veterinary medicine this bedside tool is a rather new diagnostic technique, focusing on artefacts generated because of pathophysiological events taking place in the lungs and thoracic cavity. An advantage of lung ultrasound is that it can be performed quickly, and the performer needs limited specialisation to interpret the results. This article describes the theory behind lung ultrasound, a protocol on how to perform the examination and which artefacts are seen. Common pathophysiological conditions are presented by describing their characteristic ultrasonographic findings.

Resumé

Lungeultralyd er en udbredt diagnostisk modalitet, der humant har været anvendt i tre årtier. Det er dog et forholdsvist nyt redskab i den veterinære værktøjskasse, og baseres på artefakter genereret sfa patofysiologiske tilstande i thorax og lungerne. En klar fordel ved teknikken er, at den er hurtig at lære, udføre og tolke. Denne opgave beskriver teorien bag lungeultralyd, protokol for udførelse og artefakter. Desuden beskrives patofysiologiske tilstande ofte set i klinisk praksis, sammenkoblet med de karakteristiske ultrasonografiske fund.

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Rune Enghoff Petersen defended his Master's thesis in February 2020

Surgical Margins in Canine Mast Cell Tumors - A Systematic Review

Master student: Michael Wessel
Specialisation: Oncology

Background

Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are the most common potential malignant cutaneous tumors in dogs. MCTs tend to be well-circumscribed, solitary, and slow growing tumors. Surgery is the treatment of choice whenever it is possible. The surgical goal is wide margins, making complete excision more likely.

Objective

To evaluate the literature for evidence of the surgical margins in MCTs. Can margins less than 3 cm and 1 facial plane be accepted and still give the patient a comparable life expectancy and disease free interval?

Method

A systematic search of various electronic databases was performed to identify studies published before September 2019. Included studies were peer-reviewed articles investigating surgical and histological margins in relation to MCT removal.

Results

12 studies were included containing 501 dogs with 578 MCTs. Among all tumors, clean histologic margins were found in 470 (81,6%) cases, dirty margins in 94 (16,3%) and unknown margins in 12 (2,1%) cases. Meta-analysis showed that the overall chance of clean histologic margins was 85,2% and the risk of recurrence was 2,9%. Removing grade I or II MCT with a surgical margin of ≤2 cm, the chance of clean histologic margins was 94,6%. For surgical margins >2 cm the chance was 82,6%.

Conclusion

Considering the unpredictable nature of which clean vs. dirty margins recur, and the potential complications and pain the patient must endure following a 3 cm surgical margin - excising a MCT with 2 cm surgical margin or less seems to be a reasonable and adequate choice.

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Michael Wessel defended his Master's thesis in February 2020

The use of a “horizontal centrifugation protocol” to prepare autologous platelet-rich fibrin membranes for corneal reconstruction surgery in dogs with complicated corneal ulcerations: A case series.

Master student: Louise Baadsgaard Bruun
Specialisation: Ophthalmology

Objective

The purpose of this case series was to describe the effect of autologous PRF membrane for corneal reconstruction surgery in dogs. PRF membranes made from two healthy dogs unrelated to the current case series were used for PRF histologic analyses.

Animals

Seven dogs with complicated corneal ulcerations.

Procedure

A complete ophthalmic examination, hematology, and fibrinogen analysis were performed pre-surgery. A PRF clot was made from autologous blood in a serum tube after centrifugation in a horizontal Bio-PRF® Centrifuge at 700 × g for 8 min. The PRF clot was processed in a PRF-Box® into a PRF membrane. The PRF membrane was sutured to the corneal ulcer bed. Each dog had a follow-up at days 5–7, 12–14, and 30–40 post-surgery. A final long-term follow-up was performed as well.

Results

A positive outcome with healing and a “good” quality PRF membrane was seen in six out of seven dogs. One dog had a fibrinogen level below normal range and the PRF membrane was of “poor” quality. This dog developed a descemetocele 13 days post-surgery and needed rescue surgery. Mean healing time for all dogs was 9 ± 5.5 days. Minimal scarring, corneal pigmentation, and vascularization were observed at the final long-term follow-up 288 ± 44 days post-surgery.

Conclusion

PRF membrane was successful as graft material for corneal ulceration reconstruction surgery. Low fibrinogen appeared to have negative effect on the quality of the PRF membrane, showing the importance for the surgeon to evaluate the quality of the PRF membrane prior to surgery.

Read the article here

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Louise Baadsgaard Bruun defended her Master's thesis in 2022

Ametropia and ocular health status in Danish Broholmer dogs

Master student: Søren Nyhuus Rasch & Mette Nielsen
Specialisation: Ophthalmology

Objective

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of known and presumed hereditary eye diseases as well as the refractive status of the eyes in Broholmer dogs

Animals

Thirty-seven Danish Broholmer dogs were included for the ocular health study and 32 dogs for the refraction study

Procedures: Eye examination using slit lamp biomicroscopy and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy was performed for the ocular health study. Streak retinoscopy using a hand-held retinoscope was performed prior to dilation of the pupils and repeated post dilation of the pupil.

Results

The prevalence of eye diseases in the studied population was ectropion/macroblepharon (24%, 9 dogs), distichiasis (19%, 7 dogs), persistent pupillary membranes (11%, 4 dogs), cataract (11%, 4 dogs), retinal abnormalities of unknown significance (8%, 3 dogs), iris cysts (5%, 2 dogs), entropion (3%, 1 dog), eversion of the cartilage of the nictitating membrane (3%, 1 dog), keratoconjunctivitis sicca (3%, 1 dog), cornea dystrophy (3%, 1 dog) and vitreous prolapse (3%, 1 dog) was found on ophthalmic examination. Mean refractive status before dilation of the pupil was - 0.09 diopters and post dilation 0.20 diopters with a standard error of 0.25. The difference between pre-dilation and post-dilation was 0.29 diopters (p < 1 x 10-4). Ametropia was found in 8 dogs (25%) pre-dilation of the pupils and in 14 dogs (44%) post-dilation.

Conclusions

Known and presumed hereditary eye diseases are frequently found in the Danish Broholmer dogs. The average refractive status in Danish Broholmer dogs is emmetropic but ametropia is frequent.

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Søren Nyhuus Rasch & Mette Nielsen defended their Master's thesis in 2022