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New canine oral cancer drug to be trialled
Owners of dogs with oral melanoma are being encouraged to participate in the trial.
The drug is already licensed to another form of canine cancer.

A pilot trial is set to be carried out to test the ability of a drug derived from berries to treat canine oral melanoma.

Researchers at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, Scotland will assess the effectiveness of the drug tigilanol tiglate, which is derived from the berries of the blushwood tree, a species found in Queensland, Australia.

The drug, which disrupts blood vessels inside tumours without harming healthy tissue, is currently licensed to treat mast cell tumours. If it is shown to work to treat canine oral melanoma, it may save some dogs from having to undergo surgery.

The researchers hope that the trial could also provide insights that could benefit human medicine, as canine oral melanoma shares many features with human mucosal melanoma. In both diseases, symptoms typically remain hidden until the disease has already reached an advanced stage.

The research is being funded by QBiotics, the manufacturer of tigilanol tiglate, which it sells under the brand name Stelfonta.

The trial will involve eight dogs, although the number of participating animals may be increased if the initial results prove to be promising. Owners of eligible dogs are being asked to get in touch with the research team.

Kelly Blacklock, professor of small animal soft tissue surgery, said: “If successful, this treatment could transform the way we approach cancer therapy in veterinary medicine, sparing many dogs from the need for surgery.

“We encourage pet owners with dogs diagnosed with oral melanoma to consider participating in this trial. Your involvement could not only contribute to advancing treatment options for this challenging disease but also help improve the quality of life for dogs in the future.”

Eligible dog owners wishing to take part should email Professor Blacklock.

Image © Shutterstock

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New guidelines published for wildlife disease surveillance

News Story 1
 A set of international guidelines for disease surveillance in wildlife has been updated for the first time since 2015.

Released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Organisation for Animal Health, General Guidelines for Surveillance of Diseases, Pathogens and Toxic Agents in Free-ranging Wildlife is designed to help wildlife authorities and others working with wildlife carry out effective surveillance programmes.

The document, which cover areas including choosing appropriate strategies, safety and biosafety protocols, and ethical and legal considerations, can be read here.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.