Fanconi Syndrome Seminar

Fanconi Syndrome is a renal tubular, high output, reasbsorption failure, which can be inherited or induced, and has been identified in many mammals. It is prevalent in certain canine breeds, such as Basenjis and Norwegian Elkhounds, but has been treated in a large number of other breeds, as well as cats, horses and in humans. Fanconi can affect the rodent pet population as well.  Fanconi was uniformly and rapidly fatal in most cases until a standardised program for testing, identification and supplementation of lost buffers, electrolytes and nutrients was introduced as the "Fanconi Management Protocol for Veterinarians" (see http://www.voyuz.net/fanconi.html). In use throughout the world for 15 years, this Protocol has now been peer reviewed and subjected to an independent efficacy study. The Protocol’s remarkably high rate of success in maintaining animal survivability and quality of life, despite affliction with this previously fatal disease, has now been established and published in the formal veterinary literature (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) - Vol 225, No. 3, August 1, 2004). Our speaker, Dr. Steve Gonto, has worked as an Anesthetist on staff at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia since 1985, where he is a hands on clinician as well as clinical instructor (in the Operating Room) of Anesthesiology and Advanced Life Support Systems to Medical Students, Resident Physicians, Nurse and Physician Assistant Anesthesia Students and Surgical Residents from Emory University School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine and University of Georgia School of Medicine. He also acts as a clinical instructor for Anesthesia students elsewhere in the USA, as well as other institutions and programs. He is based at a Level One Trauma Center, Obstetric and Neonatal Teaching and Referral Medical Center, as well as a regional center for neurological, cancer care, cardiac and orthopedic surgery.  He is also licensed by the US Federal Government to set up and monitor quality control for human Blood Gas Laboratories as a Certified Blood Gas Technologist. Dr. Gonto has traveled and lectured extensively on Fanconi Syndrome and presented his monograph as a guest lecturer to the American Academy of Veterinary Urology and to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association meetings. He has been the guest lecturer at the US Basenji Nationals twice in the last ten years.  He currently follows hundreds of cases of Fanconi worldwide and continues to publish and update the Protocol (now in it's sixth incarnation) and to offer advice and assistance to veterinarians and owners, as always, free of any charge. The seminar will be held at Langford Village Hall, Langford, Nr. Biggleswade, Beds, on Saturday 18 June.  Dr. Gonto’s talk will include all aspects of Canine Fanconi, from the basic current understanding of the physiology and the needed veterinary and owner provided medical care, to the cutting edge research being done to identify the responsible gene sets and allow testing and eradication of the disease in the future. Dr. Gonto is flying in from Georgia, USA, and is particularly interested in meeting and talking to vets in the UK. For additional information on the Fanconi Syndrome click here Enquiries to the Breed Council Secretary: Paul Singleton, 01206 514952 ([email protected]).

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