Dr Joe Fenn

BVetMed MVetMed DipECVN FHEA MRCVS
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery

Department: Clinical Science and Services

Campus: Hawkshead

Research Groups: Musculoskeletal Biology, Brain Health and Behaviour, CPCS (Research Programme)

Clinical Groups: Small Animal Neurology

 Lecturer in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery

Joe graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 2009 and spent the next 2 years in general practice in Derbyshire. He then returned to the RVC to complete a rotating internship at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (QMHA), followed by a Senior Clinical Training Scholarship (residency) in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery. Following completion of his residency and attainment of a Masters in Veterinary Medicine (MVetMed), Joe successfully sat the examination for the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2015. Following this he stayed at the RVC as staff clinician, and in 2017 was appointed as a lecturer in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery. Joe is a European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Neurology.

Joe's research interests centre around acute spinal cord injury in dogs, canine epilepsy and advanced neurosurgical techniques such as transsphenoidal hypophysectomy.

Please click on the following link to see a list of Joe's publications: Google Scholar

  • Epilepsy in companion animals

    Researchers and clinicians at the RVC have devoted more than a decade of work to improving our understanding of epilepsy in dogs, as well as cats.  Ongoing RVC epilepsy research is improving the characterisation of this chronic disorder and its comorbidities, develops technology to aid its long-term management for vets and owners, and identifies fresh new ways to manage this age-old disorder.

  • RESET: Reducing Epileptic Seizures and improving Emotional state with behavioural Therapies

    RESET is a randomised controlled trial in which participants are randomly allocated to one of three groups, including a baseline group so that different behavioural management techniques can be compared. Canine epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disease in dogs, estimated to affect 0.6-0.75% of the population, which represents approximately 60-70 000 dogs of the 10.1 million pet dogs in the UK population. 

    This trial investigates how behavioural therapies can work alongside medication as a method to reduce seizure frequency and anxiety in drug-resistant canine epilepsy.

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