Feline Medicine

Feline medicine clinical research is very active in study recruitment via the Langford Vets Feline Centre

Much of this research integrates multiple disciplines (e.g. cardiorenal disease – where heart disease affects kidney function and vice versa) – with collaborations formed between multiple world-leading research groups within the University of Bristol and internationally. We are also interested in comparative research with cats providing a useful model of naturally occurring disease such as chronic kidney disease and coronavirus. Recent and on-going research studies aiming to improve our knowledge of cat disease from diagnosis through to treatment include:

Infectious disease – including mycobacterial disease (e.g. tuberculosis), feline infection peritonitis, haemoplasmosis (i.e. a blood-borne bacterial infection that causes anaemia), and viral respiratory disease ‘cat flu’ (e.g. feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus)
Heart and cardiovascular disease
Hyperthyroidism (i.e. overproduction of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, typically due to benign overgrowth of thyroid gland tissue within the neck) including comparison of sedation protocols for hyperthyroid cats, and a prospective study evaluating changes in thyroid, kidney, and heart function after curative treatment with radioactive iodine.
Feline acute and chronic kidney disease – including evaluation of the utility of biomarkers
Haematological (i.e. related to the blood) disease as well as variations between individuals as a result of their genetic background
Genetic causes of inherited traits and diseases (including susceptibility to complex diseases)
Development of molecular diagnostic assays for inherited traits and infectious disease
Antimicrobial stewardship – including urinary tract infections and antimicrobial resistance
Cohort studies (e.g. Bristol cats; studying a large number of cats over the course of their lifetime – looking for risk factors for common problems)
Skin and joint disease – including immune-mediated polyarthritis (inflammation of multiple joints, which can be a painful and debilitating condition)
Experiences and attitudes of veterinary students working with cats in a teaching hospital environment

A selection of recent publications

Whole-Blood Taurine Concentrations in Cats with Intestinal Disease
A UK-based survey of cat owners’ perceptions and experiences of antibiotic usage
Clinicopathological features and comorbidities of cats with mild, moderate or severe hyperthyroidism: a radioiodine referral population
Vitamin D toxicity of dietary origin in cats fed a natural complementary kitten food
Exploring early life events including diet in cats presenting for gastrointestinal signs in later life
Focused cardiac ultrasound and point-of-care NT-proBNP assay in the emergency room for differentiation of cardiac and non-cardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats
Feline non-regenerative immune-mediated anaemia: features and outcome in 15 cases
Thyroid and renal function in cats following low-dose radioiodine therapy
Unusual presentation of vitamin D3-dependent rickets type II in a kitten
The effect of non-absorbent hydrophobic sand litter on urine protein-to-creatinine ratio in feline urine in press