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Have you ever wondered why the veterinary authorities in the UK fight the current outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the way that they do? Then listen to our interview with Prof Brian Aldridge, who has been talking to us about the nature of the disease, the current strategies in fighting FMD and why these strategies have changend since the large outbreak in 2001.

Strangles, a respiratory infection of horses caused by Streptococcus equi bacteria, was acknowledged as a major threat when horses were still used for work and transportation. Despite reduced awareness of strangles, this threat still remains, but recent research shows that it can be contained much more successfully now compared to a century ago. To find out more, listen to our interview with Professors Josh Slater and Ken Smith, who will provide an interesting insight into the pathogenesis, prevalence and possible prevention of Streptococcus equi infections in horses.

You know that smoking and drinking during pregnancy is bad for the baby, but think that a sweet treat can’t be that bad? After all the mother is eating for two… Well, think again! The latest findings made by Stephanie Bayol and Neil Stickland at the RVC’s Department of Basic Science show that a junk food diet does not only impair the development of the fetus in the womb, but may teach the offspring a preference for these sweet and fatty treats. So inheritance is not just about the genes, it is also about the environment. And the prenatal environment seems to be of particular importance when inheriting feeding habits, at least in the rat.

If you are interested in the latest advances in the management of cats with kidney disease, then listen to this weeks interview with Dr Harriet Syme, who is a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at The ÐÂÔÂÖ±²¥. And what better way would there be to celebrate the 10th episode of the RVC podcast than to introduce some new features to our format? To make sure we get our point across, we have included supporting diagrams and all of Dr Syme's recommendations as visual materials which can be viewed on screen or on your video iPod. Enjoy!

You have no idea what BVD/MD stands for? Then this podcast is made for you. But Professors Joe Brownlie and Dirk Werling will also be able to give those who have heard about Bovine Viral Diarrhoea and Mucosal Disease before an insight into how their work will transform the strategies to fight this major disease in the livestock sector and how it might even have implications for human medicine.

Have you ever wondered how Magnetic Resonance Imaging really works? Then listen to Dr Pete Mantis MRCVS, a Lecturer in Diagnostic Imaging at the RVC, who will explain how clinical imaging in veterinary medicine is changing more than 100 years after Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen received his Nobel Prize for the discovery of X-rays.

Hear how Prof Neil Stoker and his research group are trying to find new ways to treat bovine and human tuberculosis.

Christopher Wathes is the head of the BBSRC Centre for Animal Welfare at the ÐÂÔÂÖ±²¥. Listen to his ideas on how research may improve animal welfare and find out what the mission of the Centre for Animal Welfare is.