Veterinary scene down under: Funding grants for research, plus a new report investigating the exotic pet trade

Diverse suite of veterinary research funded

The Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation (ACAHF), which funds veterinary research to improve pet health, has awarded a milestone AUD $100,000 in grant funding to 10 recipients.

Garth McGilvray, AM, BVSc, FAICD, ACAHF chairperson, explained exclusively to dvm360 that the foundation is very excited to be funding a diverse range of projects, which will enhance the clinical capability of veterinarians in practice.

“2025 has been a momentous year for the Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation. In addition to a major bequest from a veterinarian and donations from pet owners, there has been a strong return from the foundation's investment portfolio. On top of this, we also received a large number of high-quality research applications from veterinary researchers. Consequently, the foundation has—for the first time in its 36 years—been able to distribute just AUD $100,000 to researchers into companion animal medicine in Australia,” McGilvray said.

Garth McGilvray, AM, BVSc, FAICD, chair of the Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation (image courtesy of Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation)

“The projects being funded range from assessing the development of antimicrobial resistance in dogs, elucidating the role of interleukins in the pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis, to ongoing research into important cat diseases,” he said.

Christine Griebsch, DrMedVet, DECVIM-CA, of the University of Sydney, received the Roger Clarke Memorial Grant for her research project titled, "Comparison of Two Leptospira spp Antibody Point-of-Care Testing Methods in Healthy Dogs After Vaccination Against Leptospirosis and its Implications for Diagnosis of Naturally Occurring Leptospirosis."

Peter Atkinson, BSc, DVM, of the University of Adelaide, received a grant for his research, titled "Revision of the Clinical Guidelines for Canine Heartworm Prevention in Australia Against Best Current Evidence," whereas Corrin Boyd, BSc, BVMS, MVCS, DACVECC, PhD, of Murdoch University, received 2 grants for his research projects, titled "Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Dogs Administered Erythromycin as a Gastrointestinal Prokinetic" and "Association Between Potassium Chloride Administration, Hyperchloraemia, and Acute Kidney Injury in Dogs."

The foundation’s funding rounds occur once a year, with applications assessed and ranked by an expert research committee. Selected research is primarily focused on gaining a better understanding of a disorder, with the aim of improving long-term health outcomes and better treatment and prevention options to companion animals.

Anyone interested in more information about the ACAHF's research grant program should visit the foundation’s website.

Report into the exotic pet trade

Nature Needs More, an Australian nonprofit organization that works on tackling the key systemic enablers of the illegal wildlife trade, released a new report, "The Exotic Pet Trade—An Unnecessary Luxury In Need of Regulation." Cameron Murray, BSc, BVMS, a director of Nature Needs More and coauthor of the report, explained the goal of the publication to dvm360.

“I would hope this report leads to meaningful change in how the exotic pet trade is managed, starting with an honest assessment of what is appropriate to be owned and then looking at the process through the whole supply chain,” Murray said. “Additionally, I would hope to inspire the veterinary profession to be part of the solution with regard to recognizing and addressing the risks that lie within the trade. It is a real opportunity for our profession to lead on behalf of the animals in this case.”

Murray’s interest in rhino conservation led him to investigate the wildlife trade more widely. He explained that, as a veterinarian, he was interested to see the issues surrounding the exotic pet trade examined carefully.

“It is time to put the interests of animals first and see the real and potential risks that the trade presents. Looking past the biodiversity loss risk, then, from a veterinary point of view, the welfare and biosecurity concerns alone should be enough for the profession to support the move to a precautionary principle management approach. I will continue to advocate that the profession in Australia and globally should be more active in driving positive change in this trade,” Murray said. “It seems there is a real inertia in the willingness to...change the mindset of the last 50 years of conservation. Systems don’t necessarily need to be thrown out and recreated but rather...reappraised and modernized. The exotic pet trade would seem to be a good test case for this. A trade that is not essential could be turned on it’s head and managed with the animals interests at heart while mitigating a range of risks associated with it.”

The full report is available on the Nature Needs More website.