We are delighted to have such an fantastic group of genuine veterinary experts contributing articles on such a wide range of important pet health topics
Andrew Coughlan, Founder of The Veterinary Expert
Matthew Gurney BVSc CertVA DipECVAA MRCVS
Anaesthesia & Critical Care Expert
Matt Gurney is a specialist veterinary anaesthetist based at Northwest Surgeons in Cheshire, UK. He is a Diplomate of The European College of Anaesthesia and Analgesia. In his day to day work, Matt is responsible for the anaesthesia and pain management of pets undergoing a range of complex and life-saving surgical procedures.
Northwest Surgeons
Aidan McAlinden MVB CertSAS MRCVS DipECVS
Surgery Expert
Aidan is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgery. He recently worked as a surgeon at Davies Veterinary Specialists, one of the largest multi-disciplinary referral centres in Europe. He is currently Lecturer in Veterinary Surgery at University College Dublin where his busy case load comprises cats and dogs requiring ENT, cardiothoracic, abdominal or cancer surgery.
UCD Small Animal Hospital
Laurent Garosi DVM DipECVN MRCVS
Neurology Expert
Laurent is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology and Head of Neurology at Davies Veterinary Specialist, one of the largest multi-specialist veterinary centres in Europe. He is in demand both home and abroad as a speaker and specialist neurologist.
Davies Veterinary Specialists
Simon Platt BVM&S DipACVIM (Neurology) DipECVN MRCVS
Neurology Expert
Simon is Professor of Veterinary Neurology at The University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine and previously Head of Neurology at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. He is a Diplomate of both The European College of Veterinary Neurology and The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
UGA Neurology Service
Gerry Polton MA VetMB MSc(Onc) DipECVIM(Onc) MRCVS
Cancer Expert
Gerry is a European Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Oncology and a Diplomate of The European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He is an internationally recognised authority on certain types of pet cancer and works as a clinical oncologist at North Downs Specialist Referrals in Surrey, UK.
North Downs Specialist Referrals
Nuala Summerfield BSc BVM&S DipACVIM(Cardiology) DipECVIM-CA (Cardiology) MRCVS
Cardiology Expert
Nuala is a European and American Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology. She has worked in University teaching hospitals in both the USA and UK and has been in specialty Cardiology referral practice since 2005. Nuala has lectured and published widely in the field of heart disease in cats and dogs.
New Priory Cardiorespiratory Referrals
Peter Southerden BVSc MBA DipEVDC MRCVS
Dental Expert
Peter is a recognised European Veterinary Dental Specialist. He runs a dental referral service in the South West of England where he sees difficult dentistry cases and patients requiring complex surgery of the mouth, jaw and face. Peter teaches dental techniques to vets in the UK and has lectured at both UK and European veterinary conferences.
Eastcott Referrals
Jon Wray BVSc DSAM CertVC MRCVS
Medicine Expert
Jon is an Internal Medicine Specialist at Dick White Referrals near Cambridge UK where his time is divided between seeing difficult medical cases and performing interventional x-ray techniques. Jon has held senior positions in university teaching hospitals and lectured widely. He has also been a chief examiner for UK Specialist examinations in Small Animal Medicine.
Dick White Referrals
Rob Rayward MA VetMB DSAS(Orth) MRCVS
Orthopaedic Expert
Rob is a recognised specialist in canine and feline orthopaedics. He worked for over 10 years in one of the largest veterinary multi-specialist centres in Europe. In 2011 he co-founded Coast Veterinary Referrals which provides specialist orthopaedic care to animals in the South of England.
Coast Veterinary Referrals
Claudia Busse Dr. med. vet., CertVOphthal, DipECVO
Ophthalmology Expert
Claudia graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, in 2004. She initially worked in general practice in Germany, while completing her doctoral thesis on hereditary eye disease. In 2005 she moved to the Animal Health Trust, becoming a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 2010. She has worked as a specialist veterinary ophthalmologist since then and is based at Dick White Referrals near Cambridge, UK.
Dick White Referrals
Simon Roch BVM&S DSAS(Orth) MRCVS
Orthopaedic Expert
Simon is a recognised specialist in canine and feline orthopaedics. He runs Kentdale Veterinary Orthopaedics, a well established orthopaedic and spinal referral service based in Cumbria and serving the north west of England and south Scotland.
Kentdale Orthopaedic Referrals
Kit Sturgess MA VetMB PhD CertVR DSAM CertVC MRCVS
Medicine Expert
Kit is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognised specialist in internal medicine and has been in clinical practice for over 25 years. He now provides independent specialist internal medicine services to colleagues in general practice. Kit has authored two textbooks and lectures internationally.
Vet Freedom
Shailen Jasani MA VetMB DipACVECC MRCVS
Emergency Expert
Shailen has spent the last 12 years working in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. This has included six years at the Royal Veterinary College, London; 3 years as a primary clinician in first opinion emergency practice; and 3 years as a trainer and mentor to vets and nurses working in primary care Out-of-Hours practice. He is currently working on various projects in an independent capacity. He also founded and runs the Ralph Site, a non-profit pet loss support resource.
More about Shailen
David Walker BVetMed(hons) DipACVIM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
Medicine Expert
David Walker is an American, European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine. David is head of medicine at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire, UK. This is a large, multi-specialist referral practice serving dogs and cats across the South of England.
Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists
Catherine Sturgeon BVetMed(hons) CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS
Soft Tissue Surgery Expert
Catherine qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1994 and with a passion for soft tissue surgery, she has become a recognised specialist of both the Royal and European College of Veterinary Surgeons. Catherine has been exposed to hundreds of cases, giving her the practical ‘know how’ to assist any patient with a soft tissue surgery problem. A pet lover through and through, Catherine has a pampered cat and a Lurcher with selective hearing.
Visiting Vet Specialists
Elise Robertson BS BVetMed MACVSc (Feline) DipABVP(Feline) MRCVS
Feline Expert
Elise graduated from the Royal Veterinary College and is an American Board Certified Specialist in Feline Practice. She currently operates a visiting feline medicine referral and endoscopy consultancy service for veterinary practices in South-east England and also heads the Feline Medicine Referral Service at VRCC Referrals. Elise’s professional interests include medical endoscopy and endosurgery (‘keyhole surgery’).
Feline Vet Referrals
Mayank Seth BSc(hons) BVetMed(hons) DipACVIM(SAIM) MRCVS
Medicine Expert
Mayank is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and Head of Internal Medicine at The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. In additional to working in specialty practice in the UK, Mayank has worked in general practice and at The University of Pennsylvania where he oversaw the renowned Penn Animal Blood Bank transfusion program.
Animal Health Trust
Marge Chandler DVM NS MACVSc DipACVN DipACVIM DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
Pet Nutrition Expert
Dr Marge Chandler is a Consultant in Small Animal Nutrition and an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Edinburgh. After qualifying from Colorado State University she was in general practice for 4 years before returning to do a double residency in small animal internal medicine and clinical nutrition at Colorado State University and Massey University in New Zealand.
Roger Powell MA VetMB DipRCPath Diplomate ACVP FRCPath MRCVS
Pathology Expert
Roger is a clinical pathologist running PTDS, an independent veterinary diagnostic centre in Hertfordshire. He has both the British and American Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Pathology and fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists. He consults with first opinion and referral vets, daily analysing samples from sick animals to help diagnose what is wrong with them, in order to allow them to be treated correctly.
PTDS
Anita Patel BVM DVD MRCVS
Dermatology Expert
Anita is a Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology and runs a busy dermatology referral service from 4 clinics in London and the South East of England and lectures both in the UK and abroad. She has over 20 years experience in the subject, with the last 12 years dedicated to small animal dermatology.
Dermatology Referrals
Terry Emmerson MA VetMB CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS
Surgery Expert
Terry is an RCVS and European Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery. He is Clinical Director of Surgery at North Downs Specialist Referrals; a large multidiscipline referral hospital serving dogs and cats in the South East of England. He has been working as a specialist surgeon since 1998. Terry has wide experience of all aspects of surgery but has developed a particular interest in cancer surgery.
North Downs Specialist Referrals
Molly Varga BVetMed CertZooMed DZooMed (Mammalian) MRCVS
Exotic Mammals Expert
Molly graduated in 1992 from the Royal Veterinary College, and spent four years in small animal and exotics practice in Canada before moving back to the UK. She currently runs the first opinion and referral exotics service within a small animal practice in Cheshire. Molly has contributed to several textbooks, and veterinary journals as well as peer reviewing for the Veterinary Record and Journal of Small Animal Practice.
Cheshire Pet
Ignacio Calvo LdoVet CertSAS DiplECVS MRCVS
Orthopaedic Expert
Ignacio (Nacho) Calvo graduated from Cordoba University in 2000. He has worked in Madrid, Dublin and Glasgow University, where he was the Head of Small Animal Orthopaedics. He is now Senior Surgeon at Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey. His main clinical and research interests are orthopaedic disease in cats, tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA), total hip replacement and arthroscopy.
Fitzpatrick Referrals
David Perpiñán DVM MSc Dip ECZM (Herpetology) MRCVS
Exotic Pet Expert
David graduated from the University of Barcelona in 2000. Since then he has been very active in the field of zoological medicine and has worked on wildlife research and rehabilitation, exotic animal referral and first opinion cases, and zoos and aquariums. He is a Lecturer in Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh. David is currently finishing his PhD on viral diseases of ferrets. He has a special interest in the medicine of parrots, ferrets and rabbits.
Exotic Animal and Wildlife Service
Steve Bright BVMS CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS
Orthopaedic Expert
Steve qualified from Glasgow University in 1998. He has been with Northwest Surgeons since 2006 and is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics). Steve delivered small animal orthopaedics teaching to the first group of undergraduate vets to be trained at the University of Nottingham, the UK’s newest veterinary school. Steve has a keen interest in arthroscopy (key-hole surgery of joints), minimally invasive surgical techniques and joint replacement.
Northwest Surgeons
Peter Forsythe BVM&S DVD MRCVS
Dermatology Expert
Peter graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1983. Peter runs a referral Dermatology practice based in Glasgow and Aberdeen. He is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Dermatology and an Honorary Lecturer in Dermatology at Glasgow Veterinary School.
The Dermatology Referral Service
Simon Priestnall BSc VetPath (Hons) BVSc PhD PGCert(VetEd) FHEA DipACVP FRCPath MRCVS
Infectious Diseases Expert
Simon qualified from the University of Bristol, School of Veterinary Science and completed his PhD thesis at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). Simon is currently a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology at the RVC. He is a Fellow of Royal College of Pathologists, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Pathology.
Royal Veterinary College
Jon Hardy MA VetMB MVetMed DipECVD MRCVS
Dermatology Expert
Jon graduated from Cambridge University in 2007 and is a European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology. He ran a dermatology referral service based in Surrey and Hampshire before joining the Specialist Team at Willows Referral Service in the West Midlands.
Willows Referral Service
Lucas Beierer BVSc GradDipEd MACVSc (Surgery) MVetSurg DipACVS-SA MRCVS
Orthopaedic Expert
Lucas has spent time training in the USA, UK, and Australia and currently works at Northwest Surgeons in Cheshire. He holds graduate teaching qualifications and masters in veterinary biomechanics and has wide ranging surgical interests with a particular passion for minimally invasive surgery and implant biomechanics.
Northwest Surgeons
Carl Bradbrook BVSc CertVA DipECVAA MRCVS
Anaesthesia & Critical Care Expert
Carl is a specialist veterinary anaesthetist who provides a consultancy service to practices across the UK. He is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia.
ace vets
Ellie Mardell MA VetMB DSAM(fel) MRCVS
Feline Expert
Ellie joined ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists in 2009 after completing a residency in feline medicine at the Animal Health Trust, and working for a year in canine, feline and emergency medicine at Bristol University. Ellie holds the RCVS Diploma in Feline Medicine and is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine. She enjoys all aspects of feline medicine, particularly respiratory disease and haematology.
ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists
Simon Tappin MA VetMB CertSAM DipECVIM MRCVS
Medicine Expert
Simon is a European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine. He works at Dick White Referrals near Cambridge UK and divides his time between emergency and critical care and seeing difficult medicine cases. Simon is has published widely and frequently lectures both in the UK and abroad.
Dick White Referrals
Ian Wright BVMS MSc MRCVS
Parasitology Expert
Ian is a practising Veterinary Surgeon and co-owner of the Mount Veterinary Practice in Fleetwood. He has a Master’s degree in Veterinary Parasitology and is Head of the European Scientific Counsel of Companion Animal Parasites UK & Ireland which gives pet parasite control advice to vets, nurses and pet owners. Ian is regularly published in veterinary journals, is an editorial board member for the Companion Animal Journal and researches parasites in practice including recent work on tick-borne disease and worms of cats and dogs.
The Mount Veterinary Practice
ESCCAP UK & Ireland