Participation in a clinical trial means that your animal can receive a treatment option for their illness/injury that might not be available through other avenues. These may include novel procedures or medications that are under study. Participants in clinical trials also contribute to the advancement of medical research, and may help to validate a new drug or approach that will become more widely available for other pets. Pets that are participants in clinical trials receive close monitoring and other standard of care observation just as other patients. Participants in clinical trials may receive medication or other treatments at a reduced cost.

All of our clinical trial participants receive excellent veterinary care just like all of our other hospital patients. However, they are designed to study novel procedures that may have unanticipated side-effects that would not be expected with the standard treatment options. In addition, the new treatment may not work for your pet, even if it benefits other patients in the clinical trial. Participants in clinical trials may require more frequent veterinary visits and tests compared to standard therapy, as all patients are closely monitored. All potential risks and benefits will be discussed with you in detail before enrolling in the clinical trial, and you may stop participation in the trial at any time if desired. To help ensure the safety of participants, all clinical trials performed at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital must be approved by the Clinical Research Committee, the Hospital Board, and the University of Georgia Research Foundation.

Although some clinical trials cover most or all of the costs to the pet owner, others only partially cover the cost of diagnostic tests and/or treatments. Please refer to each clinical trial listing for more information.

Each clinical trial has specific criteria that patients must meet to be candidates for inclusion. Please refer to specific clinical trial listings for more information

This also varies by trial, and you should be sure that you can meet the requirements before signing the Owner Informed Consent. If you have any questions about the study, please ask your veterinarian or study staff for clarification. Some studies will require diagnostic tests to be performed at your veterinarian at specific intervals, or may require you to keep track of your pet’s behavior at home. In addition, please note the study schedule if your pet will be required to have recheck examinations performed with your vet or at UGA. In addition, if the health of your pet changes, or you are no longer willing to participate in the study, please notify the principal investigator.

To learn more about our clinical trials, please contact our Clinical Research Coordinator.