A research and diagnostic laboratory specialising in Vitamin D biology research in companion, production and wild animals
Vitamin D Animal Laboratory (VitDAL)
Led by Professor Richard Mellanby, we explore the relationship between vitamin D, inflammation and health outcomes in companion, farm and wild animals.
Research
VitDAL is based in the Roslin Institute and the Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh and brings together expertise in clinical veterinary endocrionology and nutrition, proteomics and immunology with the overarching ambition of advancing understanding of vitamin D biology in all species.
Assay Service
The VitDAL have developed an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) assay to accurately key vitamin D metabolites in serum and plasma.
Latest News
VitDAL detects hypervitaminosis D in a Giant Anteater
The VitDAL was able to help colleagues at Edinburgh Zoo recently who highlighted to us that several of the anteaters and armadillos were developing hypercalcaemia. Working collaboratively together, the team were able to diagnose marked hypervitaminosis D in a Giant...
VitDAL highlight dangers of feeding vitamin D deficient diets in dogs
A recent case report published by VitDAL highlighted the metabolic complications which can arise if dogs are fed a diet deficient in vitamin D. The dog presented with a very low ionised calcium and subsequent analysis by the VitDAL indicated that the serum had very...
VitDAL highlights rickets is a health concern in hill sheep
VitDAL published a collaborative study with colleagues at SRUC which highlights the problem of rickets in Scottish hill sheep. The collaboration discovered that a significant number of sheep had very low serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and several had skeletal...