Kate Hill Email and Phone Number

Massey University’s Master of Veterinary Medicine covers all disciplines of veterinary practice, including companion animal, production animal, equine, epidemiology and veterinary business. It allows veterinarians to complete individual courses of study and put them together for a qualification. Delivered by distance, the MVM programme brings the world’s veterinary expertise to its students. Led by internationally-recognised lecturers from around the world, the courses are reputed for their in-depth education in specific areas and use of real-life case studies. The MVM provides high quality, accessible and relevant continuing education for veterinarians looking to build on their competencies. Find out more at www.massey.ac.nz/mvm.

Adjunct associate professor for research

The position of Associate Editor involves advising the Co-Editors-in-Chief of the suitability for publication of manuscripts submitted to the JVIM, which involves appraisal of submitted manuscripts, identifying reviewers, evaluating reviewers’ comments and making recommendations. The Associate Editor is expected to attend the annual meeting of the JVIM Editorial Board held at the ACVIM Forum. The term for this appointment is for 3-5 years.

Online instruction and tuition of graduated veterinarians

Benign hyperplasia of the thyroid is a very common condition in cats older than ten years of age. Medical therapy with anti-thyroid drugs such as methimazole or the pro-drug of methimazole, carbimazole, is one of the treatment options for cats with hyperthyroidism. All previous studies of methimazole applied to the inner ear of cats have used Pluronic® lecithin organogel as the vehicle, however carbimazole and methimazole are lipophilic drugs, and PLO gel might not be the most suitable vehicle for a lipid soluble drug. A series of studies were designed to test a new, lipophilic formulation of carbimazole and subsequently a new formulation of methimazole for transdermal application to the inner ear of cats for the therapy of hyperthyroidism. Two pharmacokinetic studies in healthy cats, one pilot trial and one clinical trial in client owned hyperthyroid cats, established that the lipophilic formulation could be absorbed from the ear and was a safe and efficacious therapy for hyperthyroidism in cats. A drug company (Bomac Ltd, now Bayer NZ Ltd) was interested in the novel formulation and the product was patented (International Application Number PCT/NZ2008/000011). The commercial product containing the drug and vehicle was sold in New Zealand as Hyper-T™ Earspot. Finally, a series of three in vitro studies were performed to determine that methimazole in the lipophilic vehicle was: a) absorbed across the pinnal skin; b) absorbed more completely at that site than the same formulation applied to the neck, groin or thoracic skin; and c) able to penetrate from the inner to the outer ear of cats in an in vitro model.These studies represent the most extensive studies to date of a drug applied to the inner pinna of cats. The results from these studies suggest that methimazole in a lipophilic vehicle can be absorbed across the skin of cats and is an efficacious therapy for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats.

This position was partly clinical - working in the Small Animal Referral hospital, instructing final year veterinary students, veterinary interns and veterinary residents. The remainder of the position involved research, undergraduate didactic teaching and service.

Clinical and classroom teaching of veterinary students

Clinical and classroom teaching of veterinary students