Ms Natalie Finch

Summary

My main areas of research include feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) and methods of evaluating renal function. I am particularly interested in limited sampling strategies for measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR). My previous research has included epidemiological studies to explore risk factors and predictors of azotaemic CKD in cats and evaluation of renal secondary hyperparathyroidism in the early non-azotaemic stages of CKD and factors which may contribute to the pathophysiological mechanism behind the development of this. In addition, I have validated limited sampling methods for plasma iohexol clearance which can be used to measure GFR in clinical patients. A further area of interest is body composition analysis in cats including fat free mass, extracellular fluid volume and total body water and the change in these in different disease states such as CKD, hyperthyroidism and hypertension.

Current ongoing research studies include a longitudinal study following cats which are non-azotaemic with renal ultrasonographic changes and monitoring GFR and the influence of protein/phosphate restriction in the diet on GFR in these cats and also a longitudinal study monitoring renal function and extracellular fluid volume among other measurements in hyperthyroid cats post-radioiodine treatment.

Biography

I joined the Feline Centre as a Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) sponsored senior clinical training scholar in feline medicine in May 2011. Following graduation from the University of Liverpool in 2005, I initially worked in small animal practice in Cheshire. I then obtained my PhD at the Royal Veterinary College in early 2011 for my research into chronic kidney disease in cats.

My passion is everything feline and my clinical research focus is feline geriatric medicine and in particular chronic kidney disease.

I have two Bengal cats, Phoenix and Toulouse who regularly cause mischief.

Keywords

• Feline
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Glomerular Filtration Rate
• Extracellular fluid volume

Skills

• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Hyperthyroidism

Methodologies

• Glomerular Filtration Rate

Memberships

Organisations

School of Veterinary Sciences

Research areas

• Comparative and Clinical Research