Category: News

The RCVS Fellowship Week is taking place between 30 September – 7 October 2021. It will include various free online activities, such as the Fellows of the Future student competition, culminating with the virtual Fellowship Evening at 7.30 pm on Thursday 7 October. The 38 new Fellows, including Willows Specialists Chris Shales, Head of Soft Tissue Surgery, and Richard Harvey, Head of Dermatology will be formally welcomed to the learned society.

Chris is taking part in the ‘Fellows in Focus’ section of the week and will be presenting his talk ‘the integration of webinars within our practice’, which will be available to watch online from Thursday 7 October 2021. A link will be made available on the RCVS website to access the talk.

Find out more here! >>> www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/events/rcvs-fellowship-week-virtual-event

#WillowsVeterinaryCentre #ReferralVets #VeterinaryMedicine #CommittedToExcellence

A huge congratulations to Willows Specialists Chris Shales and Richard Harvey who have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the UK veterinary profession by the award of Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS), by routes of Meritorious Contribution to Clinical Practice and Meritorious Contributions to the Profession respectively.

These are prestigious and thoroughly well-deserved achievements by two highly regarded Veterinary Specialists, recognising the material influence they have had in shaping the practical and professional landscape of the UK veterinary profession in advancing their respective subject areas.

FRCVS is the highest professional award available to be bestowed on veterinary surgeons in the UK and recognition of clinical and professional excellence, qualities that are of core value within the Willows hospital team.

Well done Chris and Richard!

Fold Hill Foods has taken precautionary action to recall several dry cat food diets due to safety concerns. This is a result of a concerning spike detected by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the number of pancytopenia cases in cats throughout the UK.

What should I do?

If you have bought any of the products detailed in the food recall, you should not feed them to your cat. Instead, you should do the following.

• Check if you have bought the affected products and batch code(s) / «use-by / best before» date(s). You can do this by taking a picture of the notice on the Fold Hill website or writing down the batch code(s) / «use-by / best before» date(s) for reference at home.
• Return the product(s) to the store for a full refund (with or without a receipt).

What is pancytopenia?

In the blood, there are three types of cells:

• red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the organs;
• white blood cells, which fight infection; and
• platelets, which help with coagulation or blood clotting.

Pancytopenia means that all these cell populations are lower than normal. Depending on the cell populations that are the most affected, different clinical signs can be detected (alone or in combination) but general signs are lethargy, bleeding (eg in urine, nosebleeds) and fever:

• low red blood cells can cause anaemia, weakness, and lethargy;
• low white blood cells can cause difficulties in fighting infection and fever; and
• low platelets can cause bruises and bleeding.

What is the treatment?

Treatment and diagnosis will vary depending on the cause of pancytopenia, but it can be fatal if left untreated.

Product recall information

The affected products include some of the ranges of AVA, sold exclusively at Pets at Home, Applaws and Sainsbury’s cat food.

For a full list of products and the affected batch numbers issued by the Food Standards Agency, click here.

To read the statement from Fold Hills Food – the facility where these diets are made, click here.

More information can be found on the RVC website, here.

If you have any concerns, please contact us as soon as possible.

A Romanian rescue dog has made a remarkable recovery from a rare cancerous tumour thanks to specialist-led treatment here at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service.

The stricken Corgi-crossbreed had only been in his new UK home a week when he developed worrying symptoms, including breathing difficulties and an increasing flow of discharge and blood from his nose.

After being referred to us here at Willows, European and RCVS specialists in internal medicine Mark Dunning and Megan Work, an ECVIM resident in internal medicine, investigated the issues being experienced by the dog, christened Mr Pickles by his new owners.

Megan said: “Mr Pickles had reduced airflow through his nostrils and experienced pain when the front of his nose was touched. A CT scan confirmed there was a large mass inside his nose, which was taking up much of the space within the nasal cavity and we were concerned this could be cancerous.

“Needle samples and biopsies were taken from the mass and sent to America for special testing and those tests confirmed the diagnosis of a Transmissible Venereal Tumour (TVT) inside his nose. Dealing with a TVT is quite unusual for us, as they are usually confined to tropical and subtropical areas around the world and are uncommon in the UK. The positive news was that, unlike other nasal tumours, TVTs have an excellent prognosis when treated with chemotherapy, so we started Mr. Pickles on a six-week course in January.

“The results were excellent after just the first weekly chemo injection. The discharge from Mr Pickles’ nose immediately improved and he was snoring less. Within three treatments, the nasal discharge had stopped completely. He was no longer experiencing pain around his nose and airflow through his nostrils returned to normal.”

Owners Kathryn and Brian Dean, from Kings Heath, Birmingham, are delighted with the transformation in Mr Pickles’ demeanor.

Kathryn said: “The treatment Mr Pickles received at Willows was fabulous. I cannot speak highly enough about their expertise, their empathy, and their outstanding care. His life has been transformed. His snore, which was so loud it was laughable, has gone and he can breathe through his nose now.

“He’s stopping to smell everything now, too, in the garden and on our walks, and he particularly likes sniffing the flowers. It’s quite joyful to see. We are delighted and extremely grateful.”

Willows’ internal medicine team, has more than 70 years’ collective experience in diagnosing and treating complex medical conditions.

Willows Specialists in Neurology and Emergency and Critical Care have battled for a month in order to save the life of a beloved family pet stricken by tetanus.

Copper, a one-year-old lurcher-cross, was brought to us after his devastated owner was told there was little his local vets could do to treat the rare condition.

On arrival with us, the deadly tetanus toxins were already causing Copper’s body to shut down, with the beloved pet stiff and rigid, and unable to move.

European Specialist in Neurology, Lluis Sanchez, headed up Copper’s treatment, alongside Emergency and Critical Care Specialists Ludivine Boiron and Poppy Gant as part of a multidisciplinary approach that saw Copper hospitalised here at Willows for a month.

Poppy said: “Tetanus is quite a rare condition in dogs and cats – they are much more resistant to infection compared to people. In Copper’s case, the entry point of infection could not be confirmed, however, it usually occurs from puncture wounds to an animal’s feet.

“It is a very serious condition and Copper’s symptoms were so severe he could not walk, eat or urinate. Therefore, he required intensive nursing, including feeding by a special stomach tube, plus a urinary catheter and regular physiotherapy.

“Tetanus muscle spasms are also very painful and exacerbated by touch and noise, so he required continuous infusions of sedative and pain relief medications. There are other risks, too, for severely affected patients such as Copper, that become immobile due to severe muscle rigidity.

“They can suffer from episodes of severe hyperthermia because their ‘lock-jaw means they are unable to pant and regulate their temperature. They are also at risk of pneumonia due to inhalation of oral contents as they have difficulty swallowing, especially during periods of anxiety due to their immobility.

“Prolonged hospitalisation with indwelling devices like urinary catheters and feeding tubes can also cause infections so constant, careful nursing is required. Significant time is also required for a full neurological recovery like this, which is why Copper was hospitalised in our ICU for a month and is still recovering now, almost two months later.”

Now, almost two months since his arrival at Willows, owners Rob and Cassie Tyack, from Banbury in Oxfordshire, can barely believe the transformation, as Copper is almost back to his old self.

“Everyone at Willows was absolutely wonderful. We can’t praise them enough. Lluis and the emergency and critical care specialists Poppy Gant and Ludivine Boiron were absolutely brilliant.

There’s no doubt that they saved Copper’s life and we will never forget that and the way they looked after him and us was very special. They rang us every single day, sometimes twice a day, to keep us informed about how he was progressing and recovering. That was a huge comfort as it was such a traumatic and emotional time.

“When we first went to Willows it was a very sad occasion with us fearing the worst but the mood was totally different when we went to pick up Copper a month later. That was a very happy moment indeed. They really had worked a miracle.”

Our emergency and critical care team were equally delighted, with Poppy saying: “We were all so excited to be able to discharge Copper back to his family, who hadn’t been able to see him since his admission a month before.”

Here at Willows, we are building on our industry-leading Clinical Nutrition offering with the launch of a Specialist Parenteral Nutrition service.

Our team has marked the one-year anniversary of its Specialist Clinical Nutrition service with the launch of the additional treatment, making Willows one of the very few in the UK to offer such a comprehensive nutritional service.

Isuru Gajanayake, a board-certified specialist in Veterinary Nutrition, is leading our parenteral nutrition service, which sees intravenous feeding carried out for patients who may not be able to take on nutrition in other ways.

“Since launching our clinical nutrition service last year, we have seen a number of cases in which patients have been either dehydrated or malnourished, sometimes both. Working alongside our other services in a truly multidisciplinary approach, we have been able to offer suitable treatment to support a significant number of dogs and cats.

“With the launch of the parenteral nutrition service, we can now expand this offering and, in doing so, become one of only a very few referral centres across the UK to provide this as a Specialist service.

“Put simply, parenteral nutrition is a very useful technique to provide nutrition to patients when they are not eating or cannot be fed using a feeding tube. Examples include patients with severe vomiting, very low blood protein levels and those who have undergone major surgery. It gives life-saving calories and nutrients to patients when there are no other ways to do this.

“Patients who are given parenteral nutrition will be hospitalised in our advanced Intensive Care Unit to ensure they can be monitored closely by our Specialist Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) team, who provide exceptional expertise in critical care and treatment for every patient when they need it most.

“It is typically administered via a catheter in the neck (like any other fluid or medication drips) and patients do not need to be sedated to give parenteral nutrition.”

Isuru added that the benefits of a Specialist service ensure nutrition and hydration are taken into account as part of the multidisciplinary approach to patient care here at Willows.

“At Willows, we are frequently faced with patients who are suffering from serious illnesses such as infections or cancer, where the underlying condition becomes the sole focus.

“As a Specialist in clinical nutrition, I work as closely as possible with our team of multidisciplinary Specialist Vets and Nurses to ensure we also take nutrition into account. As with people, animals who are malnourished are more likely to suffer complications if they are ill or injured, which will mean continued treatment, increased risk of complications and longer stays in hospital.

“For both pet owners and Vets, the key thing is for every one of us to be far more mindful of this.”

We are delighted to announce that we are celebrating a double triumph after picking up two top prizes at this year’s Best UK Vet Awards.

We scooped the prestigious ‘Best Referral Hospital’ accolade after achieving the most top-rated client reviews over the last 12 months, while glowing reviews also saw us land the ‘Best Veterinary Hospital in the West Midlands’ award.

Our Managing Director Toby Gemmill was delighted with clinching a tremendous double and paid tribute to our team for their incredible work.

“These awards are a rewarding recognition of the consistently high level of care and service which we are delivering to our patients, their owners and our referring vets. At Willows we pride ourselves on providing world-leading veterinary care and it wouldn’t be possible to maintain our high standards without our outstanding team of vets, nurses and support staff who are truly committed to excellence.

Our friendly, dedicated and caring team constantly strive to deliver a gold standard experience, looking after pets as if they were their own. The team are outstanding; whether it be manning our busy reception desk, helping process insurance claims, overseeing the smooth running of the hospital or delivering specialist treatment to pets.”

The Best UK Vets Awards are an owner’s choice award run by VetHelpDirect.com, based on reviews left by owners over the course of a year on VetHelpDirect and Any-UK-Vet.

The number of four- and five-star reviews are used to determine the winner. Clients are asked to review the practice based on five areas of care – respect for my pet, professionalism, friendliness, cleanliness and value for money.

Susie Samuel, CEO of VetHelpDirect.com said: “Vet practices are all very different with their own unique characteristics and it can be challenging to understand all those differences and find the best match. This is why hearing from existing clients via online reviews is so helpful. These awards are a lovely opportunity to reward the practices that are at the top of their game.”

Take a look at what our clients say about us by clicking here.

A key member of our Specialist-led Ophthalmology team here at Willows has landed a leading role in the training of veterinary ophthalmologists across Europe.

Samuela Mazzucchelli is joining the Education and Residency Committee of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO).

The ECVO is officially recognised by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation and works to provide expert care for animals with ophthalmic diseases via their residency-trained European Specialists, who can offer the highest quality service and care.

Samuela, an RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, is looking forward to taking up the ECVO position and making a meaningful contribution to the training of future eye experts for animals.

“I have always wanted to join one of the ECVO committees, so when the chair of the Education and Residency Committee (ERC) asked if I was interested, I immediately agreed. Joining the ERC feels great as I will be involved with residents on their pathway to becoming the next generation of Specialists. The committee has two main roles, beginning with assessing the new, regular residency training programmes. We also review the online forms of each resident at the end of each year to check if they are doing well in terms of clinical cases, surgeries, external activities, and publications.”

Toby Gemmill, Managing Director here at Willows highlighted that “this is an important recognition of Samuela’s expertise in veterinary Ophthalmology and we are delighted for her. It will also serve to highlight the excellent, Specialist-led Ophthalmology team we have at Willows to all those ECVO residents who are seeking to make a difference in the veterinary world.”

 

Meet Arfur, a 15-year-old ginger gent who was referred to Willows Internal Medicine team in October ‘19 with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition found in older cats and is caused by an over-active thyroid gland. In 98% of cats, this is a benign condition. However, in a very small percentage of cats, this can be due to a malignant tumour in the thyroid gland.

Arfur was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in March ‘18 and initially responded very well to oral medications. Unfortunately, Arfur soon became resistant to his medications. Resistance to medication can be an indication of cancer in the thyroid gland. As such, Arfur’s local Vet promptly referred him to Willows Specialist-led Radioactive Iodine team for further investigation.

Willows is home to one of the country’s few Specialist-led Radioactive Iodine (RAI) services providing expert treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism.

Radioactive Iodine therapy (RAI) allows abnormal thyroid hormone-producing cells to be targeted. RAI is injected under the skin (like a vaccination). The thyroid gland then takes this up so that other parts of the body are not affected. The RAI releases radiation that destroys the overactive thyroid glands and stops them from producing excessive hormone.

RAI is the safest and most effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. Unlike medical therapy with tablets, RAI cures hyperthyroidism, meaning there is no need for lifelong medications or invasive surgery.

Our RAI patients stay with us for 15 days in our specialised unit following the administration of the RAI injection, allowing our team to closely monitor their progress and minimise the people who are exposed to the radiation – it’s a fully-catered feline holiday!

Arfur underwent his first RAI therapy in November 2019. Despite RAI therapy, Arfur was found to still be hyperthyroid, indicating that he had a thyroid carcinoma.

For cats with thyroid cancer that causes hyperthyroidism, much higher doses of RAI are required. As Arfur required a much higher RAI dose, Willows RAI suite was privately reserved for our very special guest to undergo high dose Radioactive Iodine therapy in January ‘20. After this therapy, Arfur’s thyroid hormone was finally low, so low that it was undetectable! Arfur is now on replacement thyroid hormone for life to keep his levels normal.

Two weeks later, Arfur returned home to his family, feeling like his normal self for the first time in five months (and perhaps even 1.5 years!). His owners were pleased to report his appetite, weight, and general happiness was returning to normal.

We are overjoyed to report that Arfur has been back to visit our team for follow-up appointments twice in the past year, and we are so pleased to share that he remains in remission and continues to do really well.

#extraordinaryvetsforextraordinarypets #alegacyofexcellence #radioactiveiodine #pawsuptocancer

Our incredibly talented Specialist Cardiology team have carried out life-saving surgery to repair heart defects on FIVE different puppies in a single day – a UK record for the number of life-saving heart operations in one day.

Head of Cardiology here at Willows, Chris Linney, and fellow RCVS and EBVS Heart Specialist Brigite Pedro are two of the country’s most experienced interventional cardiologists who performed the incredible five-in-a-day feat.

Following the successful surgeries, a delighted Chris said: “Willows’ Cardiology team is widely recognised as one of the most experienced and established services in the UK and this remarkable day in theatre illustrates why.

“We are very lucky to have some of the best facilities, equipment and staff to be able to provide such world-leading veterinary care for our patients.

“We were concerned that the number of puppies being sent to us for treatment of heart problems has been rising and we were very keen to avoid a waiting list building up, which could have led to treatment having to be postponed for some pets.

“It was so fulfilling to successfully operate on five puppies with heart defects in one day and the best news is they all now have a fantastic shot at leading normal lives.

“To be able to help puppies such as this, who would otherwise have a very bleak future, is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.”

Snuggles, a French Bulldog; Basil, a Norfolk Terrier; and crossbreeds Betty, Lola and Luna, are the living proof of that, as we marked February, which is National Heart Month in the UK, in fine style.

Snuggles was first on the operating table, having surgery to repair a pulmonic stenosis, a malformation of the heart’s pulmonic valve, which obstructs the flow of blood from the heart into the lungs.

Betty, Basil, Lola were next in line during an intensive morning of surgeries, with Luna the fifth and final patient to be treated in the afternoon.

All four pups were treated for a condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus, a common birth defect that can cause heart failure if not treated and repaired quickly.

Brigite explained: “Without surgery, these puppies were destined to lead much shorter lives but we were able to treat them successfully which means they should all now lead perfectly healthy lives.

“So, the most important message from all of this is that a heart murmur in a young animal is not an automatic death sentence.

“It may be possible to correct it, so my best advice to owners is to talk to your vet about an ultrasound scan to find out more about your pet’s problem and what treatments and surgeries are available.”