Small Animal Internal Medicine is the branch of medicine specializing in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, hematology, respiratory tract, kidneys and urinary tract, and infectious diseases. Common disorders seen by Internists include hormonal imbalances such as Cushing’s or Addison’s, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes, liver disease, and chronic kidney disease. Abdominal ultrasound, CT scans, specialized blood tests, and scoping procedures are common diagnostic tools. Our Small Animal Internal Medicine service has many studies involving these disorders as well as new treatment options, so please check back often to see if your pet may qualify to enroll in one of our studies. Thank you!
dogs with Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia
We are looking for 8 dogs newly diagnosed with primary immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) for a clinical trial measuring cytokine levels to see if they are a good marker of inflammation and can help guide treatment and predict relapse. Dogs will need to have blood collected at enrollment, recheck appointments at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4, and every 4 weeks until in remission. The owners will get a free recheck CBC at each appointment. Please contact Amy Elbe, CVT, LAT with any questions or to enroll at 608-890-3484 or clinicalstudies@vetmed.wisc.edu
Dogs with Chronic Kidney Disease
We are looking for dogs with chronic kidney disease level II, III, or IV to spend one day in the hospital. They will have baseline bloodwork done to confirm their stage. Then they will get a single oral dose of doxycycline. They will have all their urine collected while in the hospital for 12 hours and blood collected at 2 and 4 hours to measure the level of doxycycline in the blood. The study will pay for all the bloodwork and samples and you will get a copy of the results.
For more information or to enroll in the study, please contact Amy Elbe, CVT, LAT, at 608-890-3484 or clinicalstudies@vetmed.wisc.edu.
Cats with FIP
We are recruiting cats who have been diagnosed or are suspected to have FIP (feline infectious peritonitis).
We have completed our study that includes enrolling FIP affected cats + their healthy housemates.
Updated 11/28/23:
We have a related FIP study that is looking at response to remdesivir (more info to be posted soon).
We can now get remdesivir from the human hospital to treat cats suspected to have FIP! If you have a kitty that needs ER supportive care and treatment, they can come to UW Veterinary Care's ER department. Our clinical trial pays for an FIP FA test and an IFA PCR test, performed on chest/abdominal fluid or CSF (can be sent with the client if collected already). Clients are responsible for all additional costs.
Please call 608-263-7600 to refer in your cat patients suspected to have FIP. Or, call 608-890-3484 or email clinicalstudies@vetmed.wisc.edu for questions about the FIP study.
Boxers with lymphoma
Boxer Lymphoma flyer
The Small Animal Internal Medicine and Oncology services are currently recruiting Boxers with lymphoma. They are looking to determine whether exposure to certain environmental chemicals contributes to lymphoma risk in Boxer dogs. Investigators hope the results of this study will help find better ways to prevent lymphoma in dogs.
Eligibility: Any purebred Boxer dog diagnosed with lymphoma by a veterinarian performing cytology or biopsy, and any healthy unaffected Boxers of the same age and sex to act as controls.
Owners will collect a voided 25 mL urine sample (about 2 tablespoons) at home using a kit that is provided. Owners will also be asked to fill out a questionnaire about the dog's household and collect drinking water and air samples from the home using materials provided by the study.
The samples and environmental questionnaire will be processed by Dr. Lauren Trepanier's laboratory. Please contact Hannah Peterson or Dr. Lauren Trepanier with any questions or to obtain a sampling kit and questionnaire.
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 Amy Elbe, CVT, LAT or Dr. Michael Wood with any questions.