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Clinicians sought for research into kidney injury following general anaesthesia
The team analysed the medical records of 12 dogs that presented for acute kidney injury.
Vets with similar experiences in the last 24 months urged to get in touch with authors.

Clinicians with experience in acute canine kidney injury following general anaesthesia are being sought to help further research published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP).

In the study, researchers attempted to characterise common factors after a suspected increase in the incidence of post-procedure acute kidney injury in animals without identifiable risk factors.

The team analysed the medical records of 12 dogs that presented for acute kidney injury following general anaesthesia across three multidisciplinary referral centres and one primary care practice in the UK. Information obtained included signalment, general anaesthesia, surgical procedure and peri-surgical management.

“A suspicion that there was an increase in non-geriatric dogs suffering acute kidney injury (AKI) shortly after elective procedures led to this study,” commented Emma Rogers-Smith, a resident in internal medicine at Davies Veterinary Specialists and corresponding author for the paper.

“Whilst our data supported this suspicion, there was an increase in incidence, the change itself is not statistically significant and so we are unable to be conclusive.

“This study is limited by small sample size and retrospective nature of the data. At this time no definitive causal link between these cases has been found. As such, we are urging clinicians with similar experiences in the last 24 months to get in touch. We hope to ascertain if there is any commonality between these cases and, if possible, better define the incidence of AKI in non-geriatric animals following elective procedures.”

JSAP editor, Nick Jeffery, concluded: “Nowadays, most veterinarians consider general anaesthesia safe in dogs and routinely allay pet-owner concerns. Whilst AKI following general anaesthesia seems to be rare, it is worrying that a specific risk factor was not identified in any dog, despite a wealth of available clinical data. I would urge any veterinarians that have similar cases to contact the authors.”

Clinicians with similar experiences during the last 24 months should contact Emma Rogers-Smith on emma.rogers-smith@vetspecialists.co.uk.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.