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Dog owners sought for autoimmune disease research
The study will collect information about dogs that have been recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
Study will be the largest of its kind ever conducted in veterinary medicine.

Owners of dogs with autoimmune diseases are being called upon to participate in a vital piece of new research being undertaken by the RVC.

The research will be one of the largest studies of autoimmune diseases ever conducted and aims to collate data and insight into the diagnosis, treatment response and outcomes of dogs with autoimmune conditions.

Results will be distributed among local veterinary practices and specialist hospitals to help owners and vets make informed decisions when their animals are diagnosed.

Dr Barbara Glanemann, lead researcher and senior lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at the RVC, said: “This study will be the first time that the treatment and progress of dogs with autoimmune diseases has been investigated outside universities, providing an essential perspective on the challenges faced by affected dogs and their owners in wider veterinary practice."

The study, named the ImmunoRegistry, has been launched to address the current shortage of information about autoimmune diseases. It will garner information about dogs that have been recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, following them for a year in real-time to learn how they respond to treatment.

In total, the team aims to collect information from 400 dogs, making it the largest planned study of autoimmune diseases ever conducted in veterinary medicine globally and providing a crucial resource for future research.

James Swann, a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University, New York, said: "There is an urgent need to optimise the treatment of dogs with autoimmune diseases, and this study represents an important first step in gathering vital information to make clinical recommendations and guide future research projects.”

For more information about the study, along with the criteria for enrolment, visit rvc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/immunoregistry

 

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Free event for the global unowned cat community

News Story 1
 International Cat Care (ICatCare) has announced a free, virtual event dedicated to caring for unowned cats to explore new ideas and ways of working.

iCatConnect 2025 takes place on Wednesday, 12 November, and is open to everyone working and volunteering with unowned cats. It will include a line-up of 12 international cat welfare experts, who will consider the bigger picture of unowned cats and explore practical, effective, and inclusive solutions.

Following the session, attendees can put their questions to the experts and share their views. They will also hear frontline challenges and real-world case studies shared by contributors working in shelters, TNR, community cat programmes, and veterinary teams from around the world. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue reaches Wales for first time in 2025

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has revealed that bluetongue has been confirmed in Wales for the first time in 2025.

In their latest statistics, APHA records a total of 109 cases of BTV-3 or BTV-8 in Great Britain in the 2025-2026 vector season.

The total number of BTV-3 cases in Great Britain this season is 107. This includes 103 cases within the England restricted zone and four cases in Wales.

There has also been two cases of BTV-8, which were both in Cornwall.

As a result of the cases in Wales, a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) is enforced in Monmouthshire. Animals can move freely under general license within the England Restricted Zone, however animals with suspected bluetongue must stay on their holding.

All premises testing positive for blue tongue can be viewed on this map.