BSAVA PetSavers awards funding for eight new clinical research grants

27 October 2025

The BSAVA PetSavers’ Grants Awarding Committee has awarded total funding of nearly £110,000 to eight Clinical Research Projects, including four that are jointly funded by BSAVA affiliate groups.

The Clinical Research Project grants support the undertaking for small-scale research projects in companion animals, with the ultimate objective of advancing understanding of the causes and/or management of a clinical disorder.

The latest funding supports research that spans genetics, microbiology, and innovative diagnostics. This includes work by researchers at the University of Cambridge who hope to identify genetic risk factors for glaucoma in Welsh Springer Spaniels, paving the way for future genetic testing. The Royal Veterinary College is tackling antifungal drug resistance in canine Malassezia pachydermatis, informing therapeutic choices and drug stewardship programmes.

At the University of Glasgow, researchers are exploring saliva as a non-invasive tool for monitoring canine epilepsy, while the University of Edinburgh is examining links between the gut microbiome and autoimmune diseases in dogs, offering insights comparable to human medicine.

Jointly funded by the Small Animal Medicine Society, researchers at AURA Veterinary and the University of Surrey are investigating small-RNA sequencing profiles in dogs with prostatic carcinoma, with the aim of developing a minimally invasive diagnostic tool.

The British Veterinary Neurology Society are jointly funding research into the feasibility of AI in detecting tonic-clonic seizures in dogs at the University of Glasgow, to enhance seizure monitoring in both veterinary clinics and home environments.

Meanwhile, the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society has jointly funded two projects. The first investigates using micro-CT to help to determine the prevalence of congenital heart disease in the unexplained deaths of neonatal puppies at Bristol Vet Specialists and the University of Cambridge, alongside Great Ormond Street Hospital. The second examines acute phase protein concentrations in canine pericardial effusions at Willows Veterinary Referral Centre.

Sarah Williams, Fundraising and Grants Awarding Manager for BSAVA PetSavers said: “The applications were of a very high standard in this grant call, so our grants committee had some tough decisions to make, but we’re delighted to award funding to these new projects and look forward to the impact they will have on companion animal medicine.”

The projects are expected to be completed by 2028. For more information on BSAVA PetSavers, their funding opportunities, and previous completed research, visit: https://www.bsava.com/petsavers.