Dr Camilla Pegram

BVetMed MRes PhD MRCVS
Lecturer in Veterinary Epidemiology

Department: Pathobiology & Population Sciences

Campus: Hawkshead

Camilla is a Lecturer in Veterinary Epidemiology within the PPS department. Camilla has a background in general veterinary practice followed by roles as an epidemiologist within VetCompass in the RVC VEEPH group. Camilla’s PhD focused on applying causal inference methods to emulate randomised clinical trials using VetCompass anonymised clinical records and she aims to expand this causal inference work within her research portfolio at RVC.

Camilla obtained a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from The Royal Veterinary College in 2015 and worked in first opinion small animal practice upon graduating. She developed an interest in research whilst an undergraduate and returned to The Royal Veterinary College in 2017 to complete a Master of Research degree in Companion Animal Epidemiology within the VetCompass team. Specifically, she studied the associations between neutering and urinary incontinence in bitches under primary veterinary care in the UK, which is a hotly discussed topic amongst veterinarians.

Following this, Camilla took on the Kennel Club Charitable Trust (KCCT) funded project within VetCompass called "Evidence-based prioritisation of disorders using epidemiological data on dog breeds from VetCompass primary-care veterinary clinical records". The aim was to expand the evidence-base for breed related conditions and identify breed health related priorities in order to improve canine health and welfare.

In 2021, Camilla started a PhD titled "VetCompass eClinical Trials (VETs) – Generating Interventional Evidence from Observational Data". The aim was to adapt and develop innovative causal inference statistical approaches to veterinary electronic patient records to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical interventions in dogs.

Camilla joined as a Lecturer in Veterinary Epidemiology in October 2024 and she aims to expand on her causal inference work within her research portfolio at RVC.

Camilla’s research is based on primary-care veterinary clinical data collected via the VetCompass Programme. During her Masters her focus was on exploring the associations between neutering and urinary incontinence in bitches. Following this, Camilla worked closely with Dr Dan O'Neill and Professor Dave Brodbelt to improve understanding of the role of breed in relation to disorder prevalence and severity. Camilla’s PhD focused on applying causal inference methods to emulate randomised clinical trials using VetCompass anonymised clinical records and she aims to expand this causal inference work within her research portfolio at RVC.

2024

Brand CL, O’Neill DG, Belshaw Z, Dale FC, Merritt BL, Clover KN, et al. Impacts of puppy early life experiences, puppy-purchasing practices, and owner characteristics on owner-reported problem behaviours in a UK pandemic puppies cohort at 21 months of age. Animals. 2024;14(2):336.

Pegram C, Diaz-Ordaz K, Brodbelt DC, Chang Y-M, von Hekkel AF, Wu C-H, et al. Target Trial Emulation: Does surgical versus non-surgical management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs cause different outcomes? Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2024:106165.

Pegram C, Diaz-Ordaz K, Brodbelt DC, Chang YM, Hall JL, Church DB, et al. Later-age neutering causes lower risk of early-onset urinary incontinence than early neutering-a VetCompass target trial emulation study. PLoS One. 2024;19(7):e0305526.

2023

Glanemann, B., Humm, K., Pegram, C., Chan, D.L., 2023. An investigation into an outbreak of pancytopenia in cats in the United Kingdom. J Vet Intern Med 37, 117-125. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16615

O'Neill DG, Gunn-Moore D, Sorrell S, McAuslan H, Church DB, Pegram C, Brodbelt DC. Commonly diagnosed disorders in domestic cats in the UK and their associations with sex and age. J Feline Med Surg. 2023 Feb;25(2):1098612X231155016. doi: 10.1177/1098612X231155016. PMID: 36852509.

Packer, R.M.A., Brand, C.L., Belshaw, Z., Pegram, C.L., Dale, F., Stevens, K.B., O'Neill, D.G., 2023. Is UK Puppy Purchasing Suffering a Long COVID Effect? Ongoing Negative Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Puppy Purchase Motivations and Behaviours in 2021. Animals (Basel) 13. DOI: 10.3390/ani13132186

Pegram C, Brodbelt DC, Diaz-Ordaz K, Chang Y, von Hekkel AF, Church DB, O'Neill DG. Risk factors for unilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture diagnosis and for clinical management in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Vet J. 2023 Jan 25:105952. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.105952. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36708945.

Pegram C, Diaz-Ordaz K, Brodbelt DC, Chang YM, Tayler S, Allerton F, Prisk L, Church DB, O'Neill DG. Target trial emulation: Do antimicrobials or gastrointestinal nutraceuticals prescribed at first presentation for acute diarrhoea cause a better clinical outcome in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK? PLoS One. 2023 Oct 4;18(10):e0291057. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291057. PMID: 37792702; PMCID: PMC10550114.

2022

Brand, C.L., O'Neill, D.G., Belshaw, Z., Pegram, C.L., Stevens, K.B., Packer, R.M.A., 2022. Pandemic Puppies: Demographic Characteristics, Health and Early Life Experiences of Puppies Acquired during the 2020 Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK. Animals (Basel) 12. 10.3390/ani12050629

Burnett, E., Brand, C., O’Neill, D., Pegram, C., Belshaw, Z., Stevens, K., Packer, R., 2022. How much is that doodle in the window? Exploring motivations and behaviours of UK owners acquiring designer crossbreed dogs (2019-2020). Canine Medicine and Genetics 9, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-022-00120-x

Craven, A.J., Pegram, C., Packer, R.M.A., Brodbelt, D.C., Neill, D.G. (2022) Veterinary drug therapies used for undesirable behaviours in UK dogs under primary veterinary care. PLoS ONE, 2022, 17(1 January), e0261139.

O'Neill DG, Khoo JSP, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C, Geddes RF. Frequency, breed predispositions and other demographic risk factors for diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Canine Med Genet. 2022 Oct 10;9(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s40575-022-00123-8. PMID: 36217196

O'Neill DG, Kim K, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C, Baldrey V. Demography, disorders and mortality of pet hamsters under primary veterinary care in the United Kingdom in 2016. J Small Anim Pract. 2022 Jun 22. doi: 10.1111/jsap.13527. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35732354.

O'Neill DG, Rowe D, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C, Hendricks A. Ironing out the wrinkles and folds in the epidemiology of skin fold dermatitis in dog breeds in the UK. Sci Rep. 2022 Jul 6;12(1):10553. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14483-5. PMID: 35794173; PMCID: PMC9259571.

O'Neill DG, Sahota J, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Packer RMA, Pegram C. (2022) Health of Pug dogs in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections. Canine Med Genet, May 18;9(1):4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-022-00117-6

O'Neill DG, Skipper A, Packer RMA, Lacey C, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C. English Bulldogs in the UK: a VetCompass study of their disorder predispositions and protections. Canine Med Genet. 2022 Jun 15;9(1):5. doi: 10.1186/s40575-022-00118-5.

O'Neill, D.G., Yin, Y., Pont, R.T., Brodbelt, D.C., Pegram, C., Mustikka, M. (2022) Breed and conformational predispositions for prolapsed nictitating membrane gland (PNMG) in dogs in the UK: A VetCompass study. PLoS ONE 2022, 17(1 January), e02605

Teng KT, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C, Church DB, O'Neill DG. (2022) Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom. Sci Rep. 2022 Apr 28;12(1):6415. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10341-6.

2021

O'Neill DG, Mitchell CE, Humphrey J, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C (2021) Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. J Small Anim Pract. 2021 Aug 9, doi: 10.1111/jsap.13405

O’Neill, Dan G., Hannah James, Dave C. Brodbelt, David B. Church, and Camilla Pegram. 2021. "Prevalence of commonly diagnosed disorders in UK dogs under primary veterinary care: results and applications."  BMC Veterinary Research 17 (1):69. doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-02775-3.

O'Neill DG, Lee YH, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C, Halfacree Z. (2021) Reporting the epidemiology of aural haematoma in dogs and proposing a novel aetiopathogenetic pathway. Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 9;11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00352-0

O'Neill DG, Packer RMA, Francis P, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C. (2021) French Bulldogs differ to other dogs in the UK in propensity for many common disorders: a VetCompass study. Canine Med Genet. 2021 Dec 16;8(1):13. doi: 10.1186

O'Neill DG, Volk AV, Soares T, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C. (2021) Frequency and predisposing factors for canine otitis externa in the UK - a primary veterinary care epidemiological view. Canine Med Genet. 2021 Sep 7;8(1):7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-021-00106-1

Pegram, Camilla, Carol Gray, Rowena M. A. Packer, Ysabelle Richards, David B. Church, Dave C. Brodbelt, and Dan G. O’Neill. 2021. "Proportion and risk factors for death by euthanasia in dogs in the UK."  Scientific Reports 11 (1):9145. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-88342-0.

Pegram, C., E. Raffan, E. White, A. H. Ashworth, D. C. Brodbelt, D. B. Church, and D. G. O'Neill. 2021. "Frequency, breed predisposition and demographic risk factors for overweight status in dogs in the UK."  Journal of Small Animal Practice n/a (n/a). doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13325.

Pegram, Camilla, Charlotte Woolley, Dave C. Brodbelt, David B. Church, and Dan G. O'Neill. 2021. "Disorder predispositions and protections of Labrador Retrievers in the UK."  Scientific Reports 11 (1):13988. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-93379-2.

Packer, R.M.A., Brand, C.L., Belshaw, Z., Pegram, C.L., Stevens, K.B., O'Neill, D.G., 2021. Pandemic Puppies: Characterising Motivations and Behaviours of UK Owners Who Purchased Puppies during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Animals (Basel) 11.  doi: 10.3390/ani11092500

2020

Frykfors von Hekkel A.K., Pegram C., Halfacree Z.J (2020) 'Thoracic dog bite wounds in dogs: A retrospective study of 123 cases (2003-2016)' Veterinary Surgery. 49(4):694-703 , available: https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13402

Kathrani, A., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C., Pegram, C. and O'Neill, D.G. (2020) 'The use of hydrolysed diets for vomiting and/or diarrhoea in cats in primary veterinary practice', Journal of Small Animal Practice, 61(12), 723-731, available: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13214.

O'Neill, DG; Pegram, C; Crocker, P; Brodbelt, DC; Church, DB; Packer, RMA Unravelling the health status of brachycephalic dogs in the UK using multivariable analysis Scientific Reports, 10 (2020)

O'Neill, D.G., Packer, R.M.A., Lobb, M., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C. and Pegram, C. (2020) 'Demography and commonly recorded clinical conditions of Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016', BMC Veterinary Research, 16(1), 42, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-2258-1.

Pegram, C.L., Bonnett, B.N., Skarp, H., Arnott, G., James, H., Hedhammar, Å., Leroy, G., Llewellyn-Zaidi, A., Seath, I.J. and O'Neill, D.G. (2020) 'Moving from information and collaboration to action: report from the 4th international dog health workshop, Windsor in May 2019', Canine Medicine and Genetics, 7(1), 4, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40575-020-00083-x.

Pegram, C.L., Rutherford, L., Corah, C., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C. and O'Neill, D.G. (2020) 'Clinical management of lipomas in dogs under primary care in the UK', Veterinary Record, vetrec-2019-105804, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.105804.

Pegram, C., Wonham, K., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B. and O'Neill, D.G. (2020) 'Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the UK: their disorder predispositions and protections', Canine Medicine and Genetics, 7(1), 13, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40575-020-00092-w.

Rix C, Westman M, Allum L, Hall E, Pockett J, Pegram C, et al (2020) 'The effect of name and narrative voice in online adoption profiles on the length of stay of sheltered cats in the UK'. Animals. 11(1):62, available: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010062

Sanchez Villamil, C., Phillips, A.S.J., Pegram, C.L., O'Neill, D.G. and Meeson, R.L. (2020) 'Impact of breed on canine humeral condylar fracture configuration, surgical management, and outcome', Veterinary Surgery, 49(4), 639-647, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13432.

2019

O'Neill, D.G., Ballantyne, Z.F., Hendricks, A., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C. and Pegram, C. (2019) 'West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders', Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 6(1), 7, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40575-019-0075-2.

O'Neill, D.G., Rooney, N.J., Brock, C., Church, D.B., Brodbelt, D.C. and Pegram, C. (2019) 'Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders', Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 6(1), 4, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40575-019-0072-5.

Pegram, C., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B., Hall, J., Owen, L., Chang, Y.-M. and O'Neill, D.G. (2019) 'Associations between neutering and early-onset urinary incontinence in UK bitches under primary veterinary care', Journal of Small Animal Practice, 60, 723-733, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13072.

Pegram, C., O'Neill, D.G., Church, D.B., Hall, J., Owen, L. and Brodbelt, D.C. (2019) 'Spaying and urinary incontinence in bitches under UK primary veterinary care: a case–control study', Journal of Small Animal Practice, 60(7), 395-403, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13014.

Camilla is involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students. She teaches evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM), epidemiology and statistics to BVetMed veterinary undergraduates, BSc and BScVN students and the Clinical Residents (SCTS) at the RVC. She also contributes to the Distance Learning MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health at the RVC.

Top of page