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Indoor cat study to look at joint disease
"... participants will help us to identify the earliest signs of joint disease.”
Activity monitors will be used to track mobility 

Bristol vets are seeking indoor cats to take part in a new study, looking at the impact of joint disease on activity levels.

Researchers from Bristol Veterinary School are planning to use activity monitors to measure the activity of cats with and without mobility problems, to improve understanding of joint disease.

Dr Emily Blackwell said: “By taking part in the study participants will help us to identify the earliest signs of joint disease which could make a difference to the lives of millions of cats in the future.”

The Feline Activity Study is part of ‘Bristol Cats’, a longitudinal project that launched in 2010. It follows the lives of over 2,000 cats to advance scientists’ understanding of common behaviour problems and diseases.

Cats participating in the activity study must be happy to meet and be stroked by strangers. They should be over six years of age, kept indoors and live within one or two hours’ drive from Bristol. They should not be on any pain medication.

The owners of the cats (aged 18 or over) will be required to complete two 15-minute questionnaires. Researchers will visit the cat at home and carry out a gentle examination of its joints. The animal will need to wear a breakaway collar with a light activity monitor attached for two weeks.

For more information view the Facebook page or contact Evelyn Maniaki on cat-study@bristol.ac.uk

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.