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First case of Fragile Foal Syndrome found in thoroughbred horse
"While clearly a distressing condition for affected foals and their owners, the good news is that this lethal syndrome can be avoided with testing and careful mating selection" - Jessica Roach, PhD Student at the RVC.

The disorder was previously thought to affect only warmblood horses

A new study has discovered the first case of Fragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) in a thoroughbred horse, a condition previously found only in warmblood horses.

The collaborative study was carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the University of California Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) and Rossdales Laboratories, Newmarket. 

FFS is a connective tissue defect caused by a change in DNA within the procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase1 (PLOD1) gene. It causes extensive skin lesions and musculoskeletal abnormalities, and the affected foals are aborted, stillborn or euthanised soon after birth owing to their condition.

As a autosomal recessive disorder, foals are affected if they have two copies of the mutation, so genetic testing is important for informing breeding decisions. This discovery is therefore particularly significant in highlighting the necessity of testing thoroughbred horses before breeding. 

PhD student at the RVC, Jessica Roach, said: “Pregnancy loss, stillbirth and neonatal death remain an important source of reproductive losses for horse breeders worldwide.

"Over the course of my PhD we have collated a large biobank of tissue and data from late term pregnancy losses through the generous co-operation of UK and Ireland TB stud farms and Rossdales Laboratories, Newmarket. 

“This has allowed us to explore the risk factors and pathology of many different causes of abortion and stillbirth. The collaboration with UC Davis and Lexi Grillos provided a fantastic opportunity to explore Fragile Foal Syndrome in our TB population and identify the first TB affected individual. 

“Whilst clearly a distressing condition for affected foals and their owners, the good news is that this lethal syndrome can be avoided with testing and careful mating selection.”

The study is published in Equine Veterinary Journal, and is available online at beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.