Small Animal Surgery

Welcome to the Small Animal Surgery Studies Page!

If you would like more information about a study, or think you would like to enroll your pet, contact the person listed under the study. You may also Contact Us at the CIC.

Does Intra-articular botulinum toxin (Botox) relieve joint pain in dogs with elbow arthritis? 

Current Status:  Active and enrolling
Principal Investigators:
Liz Pluhar, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVS
Erin Corbin, DVM
Contact:
Dr. Corbin at 612-626-8387, eecorbin@umn.edu
Sara Pracht, study technician, at 612-626-3574, prach011@umn.edu

We are looking for healthy dogs diagnosed with chronic elbow osteoarthritis to study the the use of Botox in pain relief compared to placebo.

Study requirements:

• Dogs > 20 kg with an obvious gait abnormality (one forelimb clinically worse than the other)
• Previous complete orthopedic and neurological examination with radiographs to confirm the diagnosis

Description of study:

• Two randomly assigned groups: Botox vs. placebo (saline) injections
• Pain relief is monitored via client questionnaires, lameness examinations, elbow measurements, and force platform gait analysis.  Recheck examinations are at 1, 3, and 6 months.
• Once enrolled, the study covers the cost of injection, and all recheck examinations.

To see if a dog qualifies, please contact Dr. Corbin or Sara Pracht (see above).

The efficacy and safety of an oral nutraceutical on dogs with OA: a double blind placebo controlled study

Current Status: Active and enrolling
Principal Investigator: Michael Conzemius, DVM, PhD, DACVS
Contact:
Dr. Conzemius at 612-625-3147
Sara Pracht, study technician, at 612-626-3574, prach011@umn.edu

Arthritis is a common problem in the dog and often decreases quality of life. One treatment option often recommended by veterinarians for treating the signs of arthritis is a food supplement called a nutraceutical. However, little clinical evidence supports their use. The purpose of this study is to test if a commercially available nutraceutical is safe and effective for the treatment of arthritis in the dog. Nutraceuticals are not considered drugs by the FDA and are generally felt to be safe. This is a placebo-controlled study, meaning a dog could receive placebo or the nutraceutical.  The study is also double-blind, meaning neither the owner nor Dr. Conzemius will know which treatment a dog is on until the conclusion of the study.

Description of study:

• To enroll, dogs need to be taken off certain medications and food addititives, including steroids, pain relievers, and glucosamine and/or chondroitin products. This includes foods such as Hills J/D or Purine J/M.
• Initial visit to the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) to confirm OA by radiographs and fitting with activity monitor collar.
• Week 1 - return to clinic to begin oral supplement and read activity off the monitor.
• Visits at week 4 and week 7 to read activity and physical exam. Throughout, there are owner forms to complete.

Following the study period, all owners will be provided with a 6-month supply of the nutraceutical as a thank you for their time and trouble.

To see if your dog qualifies, please contact Dr. Conzemius or Sara Pracht (see above).

For more information about the Surgical Research Laboratory, please see our website:  http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vcs/surgery/srl/home.html