THE LEAKY GUT STUDY: EVALUATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GUT AND JOINT HEALTH
Principle Investigator
Description
NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking dogs with or without mobility problems that are 5 years of age or older and weigh at least 10 kg to take part in a study aiming to evaluate the relationship between intestinal permeability and multiple joint osteoarthritis.
Testing Requirements
This study has 3 main parts.
- Part 1 (all dogs): Characterizing (phenotyping) your dog
- Two visits total over 14 days
- Your dog will receive:
- X-rays of every joint in the body
- Comprehensive bloodwork and urinalysis
- Physical, orthopedic, and neurologic examinations
- Measurement of intestinal permeability using a protocol that involves oral administration of a contrast agent and subsequent hourly blood draws for a few hours
- On completion of Part 1, you will receive a $50 “thank you” gift card
- A subset of dogs will be offered colonic endoscopy and biopsies at a third visit. You will receive a $200 “thank you” gift card if you choose to include your dog in this subset.
- Part 2 (OA dogs only): Monitoring the progression of your dog’s OA over 8-months
- Visits occur every 2 months (4 visits total)
- Your dog will receive:
- X-rays of every joint in the body
- Comprehensive bloodwork and urinalysis
- Physical, orthopedic, and neurologic examinations
- Measurement of intestinal permeability as described above
- On completion of Part 2, you will receive a $150 “thank you” gift card
- Part 3 (OA dogs only): Testing the effects of a prebiotic supplement vs. placebo on intestinal permeability and osteoarthritis pain
- Visits occur every month for 3 months, including at the start (4 visits total)
- Your dog will receive:
- Comprehensive bloodwork and urinalysis
- Physical, orthopedic, and neurologic examinations
- Measurement of intestinal permeability as described above
- A supplement or placebo to be taken daily
- On completion of Part 3, you will receive a $100 “thank you” gift card
All dogs must first complete Part I in order to be considered for Part 2 or Part 3. There are additional inclusion criteria for Parts 2 and 3, so some dogs will be finished with the study after Part 1. If a dog is eligible for Part 2 and Part 3, they can enter either part or, alternatively, owners will have the option of including their dog in both parts (the order of these last two parts does not matter).
For all parts of the study, patients will need to wear an extra collar with a ‘fit bit’ like device to measure activity.
Enrollment Start
03/01/2023
Enrollment Finish
06/01/2023
Eligibility
To be eligible for Part 1 of the study, your dog must meet the following requirements:
- Weighs ≥10 kg (22 pounds)
- Is ≥ 5 years of age
- Is not currently on any analgesic therapy (NSAIDs, steroids, gabapentin, amantadine, etc.) or is willing to stop these medications for 2 weeks prior to the start of the study and for Part 1 (~4 weeks total).
- Is healthy enough to receive moderate sedation
For Part 2 and Part 3, your dog must have osteoarthritis.
Flyer
Questionnaire
Leaky Gut Study Owner Contact Questionnaire
Contact
Tracey Cole: 919-513-6376 or cvmpainrelief@ncsu.edu
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