Cats with Kidney disease
The Small Animal Internal Medicine Service at UW Veterinary Care is recruiting cats for a study of oxidative stress in early kidney disease. Cats with stage 1 and stage 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD) are eligible for the study. The goal is to understand whether very early intervention may be useful in these cats.
Cats of any age are eligible if they have a USG < 1.035 and a stable serum creatinine up to 2.8 mg/dL. Cats cannot have clinical evidence of accompanying systemic disease such IBD, pancreatitis, untreated hyperthyroidism, heart failure, or systemic neoplasia (e.g. lymphoma, carcinoma). Cats cannot have been treated within the past month with prednisone or with any antioxidant supplements (e.g. S-adenosylmethionine, vitamin C, or vitamin E), and cannot be on a renal diet when enrolled.
The study involves one visit to UW Veterinary Care. Cats will receive free baseline blood work (CBC, biochem panel, UA, T4 and SDMA), and the results will be provided to your clinic. Additional blood (0.5 mL) and urine (1-2 mL) will be obtained to measure blood and urine levels of isoprostanes, a byproduct of lipid oxidation.
Some cats may be eligible for an optional second part of the study, a one-month diet trial with a commercial renal diet (free food provided), followed by a recheck at no cost for a renal panel, SDMA, and isoprostane levels. The renal panel and SDMA results will also be provided to your clinic.
If you have a feline patient that may be eligible, please contact Amanda Brooks, CVT, at (608) 890-3484, or email Dr. Lauren Trepanier at lauren.trepanier@wisc.edu or Dr. Martin Granick at mngranick@wisc.edu.
Clinically Healthy Dogs
Bladder Cancer Early Detection
The Small Animal Internal Medicine Service is helping the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine to screen dogs for bladder and prostate cancer, called urothelial carcinoma or transitional cell carcinoma (UC/TCC).
They are looking to determine if the CADET® BRAF Mutation Detection Assay can be used to diagnose UC/TCC before clinical signs develop. Investigators hope that early diagnosis will allow them to initiate treatment earlier to delay progression and improve survival for dogs with this disease.
Eligibility: Any clinically healthy American Eskimo Dog, Beagle, Jack Russell Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Shetland Sheepdog, or West Highland White Terrier that is at least 6 years of age with no sign of urinary tract infection.
If interested in applying to participate in this study, you can do so here. You can view a short video about this study on the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Facebook page. Please contact Amanda Brooks at simons5@wisc.edu or Dr. Michael Wood at michael.wood@wisc.edu with any questions.
Dogs with bladder cancer
The Small Animal Internal Medicine and Oncology Services are recruiting patients with bladder tumors. They are interested in whether exposure to certain environmental chemicals contributes to the risk of bladder cancer in dogs.
They are looking to obtain a urine sample from dogs of any breed diagnosed with bladder cancer. In addition, we have an environmental exposure questionnaire for dog owners to fill out.
Eligibility: Any dog diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder or urethra. Dogs should ideally be enrolled prior to any surgery or chemotherapy. We will collect a 25 mL urine sample (about 2 tablespoons), either at UW Veterinary Care or at home with a special kit.
The urine and environmental questionnaire will be processed by Dr. Lauren Trepanier's laboratory. Please contact Kaitlyn Craun at (608) 263-5520 or craun@wisc.edu with any questions or to obtain a urine sampling kit.
Dogs with chronic gastrointestinal signs
The Small Animal Internal Medicine Service is recruiting patients with chronic vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, and weight loss. They are investigating whether or not dogs need to be fasted for a commonly recommended test in dogs with these symptoms.
They are looking to obtain blood samples at scheduled times throughout the course of a day from dogs affected by chronic vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, and weight loss.
Eligibility: Any adult medium-to-large breed dog experiencing the above-noted symptoms. All dogs must be willing to eat a normal meal in the hospital setting. All dogs must be current patients of UW Veterinary Care and be first evaluated by a veterinarian.
This study may indicate that the current standard fasting requirements for the gastrointestinal panel blood test are not necessary. Removing or reducing these fasting requirements will result in decreased patient stress, as well as reduction of challenges for owners and clinicians in the investigation of chronic gastrointestinal disease.
Please contact Amanda Brooks at simons5@wisc.edu or 608-890-3484 or Dr. Alex Saver at saver@wisc.edu for more information regarding this study.
Dogs with Immune-mediated Hemolytic anemia and Immune-Mediated thrombocytopenia
Dogs with IMHA or ITP Study Flyer
The Small Animal Internal Medicine Service is recruiting dogs with newly diagnosed (untreated) immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP). To help in understand why dogs become ill from these conditions and to develop new therapies, investigators will determine the percentages of different blood cells
Both IMHA and ITP can result in life threatening bleeding and anemia IMHA and ITP have high rates of mortality and relapse in dogs. Treatment of these diseases involves the administration of immunosuppressive medications, which can be lifesaving. However, these drugs may be costly and can cause potentially life threatening side effects. More specifically, safer treatments are necessary. In humans, changes in the number or function of a type of immune cell, the B regulatory cell (Breg), have been identified as a possible contributor to the development of these diseases.
The investigators will compare regulatory B cell content, phenotype and IL-10 function between dogs with IMHA and ITP versus healthy dogs. Results of this study will expand knowledge of the causes of these diseases in dogs and serve as the initial groundwork for the administration of B regulatory cells to treat IMHA and ITP both in dogs and humans.
Eligibility: Any dog with newly diagnosed (untreated) primary Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia or primary Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia may qualify. Blood are collected throughout the dog's treatment.
Dogs with Pneumonia
Enrollment in this study is currently filled.
The Small Animal Internal Medicine Service is recruiting dogs with aspiration pneumonia to determine if a marker in the blood helps to determine when to stop treating the patient with antibiotics.
Canine aspiration (bacterial) pneumonia is a common condition that is treated with antibiotics. The length of antibiotic treatment in these cases is a challenge as no consensus has been reached for the ideal length of therapy. A measurable marker could aid in determining the needed duration of treatment with antibiotics. In human medicine, 5-7 days of antibiotics, based on clinical markers, are recommended for patients with bacterial pneumonia. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is considered an objective (measurable) biomarker that is elevated when there is inflammation in tissues. CRP is used to direct antibiotic treatment. A goal of this study is to evaluate if CRP can be a marker for resolution of bacterial pneumonia in dogs. Clinicians will determine if CRP levels correlate with clinical and radiographic (x-ray) resolution of aspiration pneumonia.
Any dog with aspiration pneumonia may qualify for the study. Patients are treated as normal for aspiration pneumonia including lab tests, radiographs, antibiotic therapy, etc. Extra blood is taken for the special CRP testing. Patients return 7, 14 and 30 days after hospital discharge for rechecks. Clients complete several questionnaires regarding pet’s condition. There is no cost for the study follow-up exams.
DOGS WITH THORACOLUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HERNIATION
The Small Animal Neurology and Internal Medicine Services are recruiting dogs with acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation, Hansen type I, localized to T3-L3, that undergoes surgical decompression.
This study will investigate the natural clinical course of bacteria in the urine of dogs following decompressive surgery for an acute thoracolumbar herniation. This will help develop future antibiotic recommendations/guidelines in this clinical population of dogs, as antibiotic therapy may be unnecessary.
If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Dr. Natalia Pfaff at npfaff2@wisc.edu.