I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London (BVetMed) in 1992, with a distinction in Small Animal elective studies. I have been working almost exclusively with companion animals since becoming a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS).
After several years of extramural studies, involving protracted home study, intensive residential courses and one-to-one tutoring by a recognised RCVS Specialist, I sat the clinical, written and oral examinations in August 1999. I was subsequently awarded the postgraduate Certificate of Veterinary Dermatology (CertVD, Masters level 7). I have been seeing internal referrals and client-driven second opinions for over fifteen years and offering an external dermatology referral service since 2000.
In 2015, I was retrospectively awarded the Certificate of Advanced Veterinary Practitioner (Veterinary Dermatology). The aim of the new CertAVP is to create a consistent yet flexible framework for postgraduate qualifications, aimed at the competent veterinary practitioner. It is a much less specialised certificate in which only one module is subject-specific.
I offer a dedicated, companion animal, dermatology referral service centred in Brighton, although I travel to many other centres throughout the South East (see Clinics page).
As a member of the British Dermatology Study Group (BVDSG) and the European Society of Veterinary Dermatology (ESVD), I actively attend local, national and international continuing education congresses, as well as the worldwide dermatology internet discussion group. ‘Networking’ at international meetings and the international dermatology listserv (‘chat group’) allows me to keep abreast of worldwide diagnostic and treatment options on common, rare and exotic diseases. I am also a member of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).
Spending twenty years in full, and then part time, general practice seeing countless first opinion dermatology cases, plus my shifts as an emergency vet in three separate centres up until the winter of 2019, ensured that I maintain a wider focus on the companion animal care. Specifically my ongoing involvement in complicated medical investigations, alongside other colleagues, both general practitioners and specialists, enables me to keep abreast of the widespread developments in diagnostic tests and therapeutic options within the ever expanding discipline of general small animal practice. I am now also consulting within two expanding, independent, multidisciplinary referral centres Brighton Veterinary Referrals and OptiVet (Veterinary Independent Specialists).
As a fully independent consultant, I am not constrained by any corporate rules regarding utilisation of specific laboratories, prescription of specific medications or diets nor the recruitment of the best specialists for complicated cases. This total clinical freedom allows me to make specific diagnostic and treatment decisions, with the referring practitioner and client, in the best possible way for each individual case I see.
I have given presentations to local practices, regional and national veterinary groups in Surrey and Sussex, plus Australia and New Zealand. I have also lectured to human university hospital dermatology group meetings in Brighton, London and Southampton, as well as an international, human medical, continuing education congress, Doctors’ Updates, in Val d’Isère, France. Since specialising as a dermatologist I have also been involved in informal and formal clinical trials for veterinary pharmaceutical companies and a human allergy company. Several companies use my images in their dermatology libraries and promotional copy. I have regularly been invited to both national and international drug launches, as well as ‘think-tanks’ on new therapeutics and round table discussions on emerging diseases, as a key opinion leader. In 2018, the RCVS invited me to join the panel of assessors for Advanced Practitioner status.
I contribute to BSAVA’s monthly Companion journal writing and photographing for articles on dermatology issues facing the profession as well as being a guest editor for both BSAVA’s Companion and also UK Vet’s Companion Animal Journal. I also contribute copy and images to Vetlexicon-VetStream (Click Here to Access), the world’s largest on-line clinical reference source. I have had details and images of my cases used by veterinary, human & zoological colleagues for publication in international scientific journals and texts*, and for presentations at national and international educational meetings. One of my feline cases has been reproduced in Virbac’s 2017 Dermatology Case Book (Clinical Applications and Treatment Regimes using CyclosporinA and Hydrocortisone aceponate).
I have also written articles and provided images for other publications such as this Feline Pemphigus article for CP/Clinic, Issue 2, 2016) co-authored with my colleague, Dr Inge Geens. This is a feline magazine for veterinary professionals published by Cats Protection:
1. *Canine epidermolysis bullosa acquisita a retrospective study of 20 cases. Bizikova P et al., Vet Dermatol 2015; 26: 441–e103
2. *Model systems duplicating EBA: A methodological Review. Ludwig, Autoimmunity, 45(1): 102-110
3. *Veterinarska Klinicka Immunologija, Hajsig D et al, Croatian Microbiological Society & The Veterinary Medical Faculty of Zagreb
EBA Illustration in Veterinarska Klinicka Immunologija
4. *Muller and Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology, 8th Edition, Elsevier, to be published in 2021 (delayed)
5. *Clinical Atlas of Canine and Feline Dermatology, Wiley Blackwell (Edited by Kimberly S Coyner), published in 2020
Recent Review (Vet Dermatol 2020; 31: 500-501): ‘One of the biggest strengths in this texts are the many wonderful photographs’