Pet Owners: Researching for a Clinical Study
June 15, 2022
How Do I Start My Research for a Clinical Study As a Pet Owner?
Clinical trials for pets are quite common in veterinary medicine. There are trials available for most disease conditions that are diagnosed in dog and cat patients. But where should you start?
If your pet has recently been diagnosed with a condition and you are interested in what clinical trial options could be available, it is easiest to start with a general internet search (i.e. Google). You should also speak with your veterinarian about trials that they are aware of.
The American Veterinary Medical Association also maintains an online portal where the majority of veterinary clinical trials get posted, which can be accessed here.
Ethos Veterinary Health also lists all of the clinical trials being conducted and active enrolling within our hospitals here.
What are the costs?
The cost for enrolling your pet in a clinical trial can vary from trial to trial. Some trials, especially those involving new/novel treatment options for a disease, are often fully funded. This means that there are no costs to the owner (the study covers everything).
Smaller studies generally still provide some incentives, but don’t usually cover the entire cost of care. Instead, they may provide a small stipend to be applied to the final bill.
Does my pet need to be a patient of Ethos?
Most Ethos clinical trials are only available within our Ethos hospitals. Since Ethos does not currently have full geographic coverage of the United States, this could be a limiting factor. However, in an effort to make clinical trials available to as many patients as possible, some of our larger trials (such as Ethos-PUSH) have been opened in a select number of non-Ethos hospitals in regions of the country not served by an Ethos hospital.
Even if you think there isn’t a clinical trial in your area, or if you’re not sure if your pet is the right fit, ask your vet and do some research. You may be surprised at what’s available and how you can contribute to scientific research!