Supervisor View 2021-2022

• one health

• Veterinary Medicine

• Other

Veterinary clinical science

Our research is primarily aimed at investigating clinical disease in small animals, with special emphasis on animal models of human disease and those of importance to One Health. Current work includes elucidating the cause of a novel meningoencephalitis in dogs, evaluation of bone metabolism in hypercortisolaemic dogs, and investigating the aetiology and optimising treatment of hepatic disease in dogs. We have ongoing projects on both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Shiel, R.E., Nolan, C.M., Nally, J.E., Refsal, K. R. & Mooney, C.T. (2021) Qualitative and semiquantitative assessment of thyroid hormone binding proteins in greyhounds and other dog breeds. Domestic Animal Endocrinology doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2021.106623
Mooney, C.T., Shiel, R.E., Sekiya, M., Dunning, M. & Gunn, E. (2020) A preliminary study of the effect of hyperadrenocorticism on calcium and phosphate concentrations, parathyroid hormone and markers of bone turnover in dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 311. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00311

Hypercortisolism, either naturally occurring or iatrogenic, is an important cause of osteoporosis in humans. Naturally occurring hypercortisolism is a common endocrine disease in dogs. Unlike in people, clinically significant osteoporosis is not a feature. Despite this, dogs with hypercortisolism develop hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphataemia and increased calciuria. This does not appear to be associated with a decrease in bone formation (as assessed by osteocalcin) or an increase in bone resorption (as assessed by ICTP and urine NTX). Investigating the mechanisms by which dogs with hypercortisolaemia appear resistant to osteoporosis may provide important information applicable to humans.