Projects
SAMSoc members work in first-opinion and referral practices as well as in academia. SAMSoc is therefore a platform to reach potential project collaborators. SAMSoc encourages the promotion of projects for members (e.g. questionnaire-based studies) and the generation of new projects in first-opinion practice.
Details of current projects are listed below.
PROTECT poster
ImmunoRegistry
This is a prospective observational study, in which dogs diagnosed with an immune-mediated disease (IMHA, ITP, IMPA, or SRMA) for the first time will be enrolled and then followed for 1 year to document their progress. Automated questionnaires will be sent by email to the attending clinician (to obtain details from the medical record) and directly to owners (to get information about adverse effects of treatment). If you diagnose a dog with any of the diseases mentioned above, please direct the owner to complete the registration and consent form on the study website.
Duration
4 years (from October 2021 onwards), with the last case to be recruited in October 2024. Enrolled dogs will be followed prospectively for 1 year after diagnosis of the immune-mediated disease.
Contact
Barbara Glanemann -
James Swann -
Cases & Criteria
Funded by a grant from SAMSoc, the principal aim of the study is to collect more information about dogs with immune-mediated diseases, particularly from first opinion practices where these conditions have been understudied. We aim to establish whether the natural history and outcome of key autoimmune diseases, including IMHA, ITP, IMPA, and SRMA is similar between referral and first opinion practices, helping us to determine whether existing guidelines for treatment of these diseases is relevant to both settings. We also aim to describe comprehensively the side effects experienced by dogs receiving immunosuppressive medications and to determine whether the severity and types of adverse effect are associated with patient characteristics, such as age, breed, and bodyweight.
The study aims to collect information about 400 cases.
Project Leaders
Barbara Glanemann, Royal Veterinary College
James Swann, Columbia University
Veterinary Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Study
There is currently a deficit or conflicting evidenced based medicine for the placement, management when in situ and management if a complication arises of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in cats and dogs.
Up to 77% of cats and 50% of dogs develop a PIVC related complication, and up to 43% of PIVCs develop bacterial colonisation. An understanding of the reason for PIVC placement and how they are managed in veterinary medicine may allow us to better understand why the complication rate is high.
Duration
Start date 01/01/2022
Contact
Cases & Criteria
- Data will be collected using a questionnaire, which can initially be on paper and then imported into Castor Electronic Data Capture, or information can be directly imputed into Castor. Each centre to record data for up to 3 months
- Data will be analysed for factors associated with increased risk for PIVC complication
- The results will then be used to develop a PIVC “care bundle”. This will include recommendations regarding skin preparation, bandaging, frequency of PIVC flushing, length of time PIVC should remain in situ etc
- A second round of questionnaires to be performed within 12 months of implementation of the care bundle.
This project has ethical approval.
Project Leaders
Vicky Maund
Eleanor Haskey
Chris Scudder
STOP on Sunday (SOS) Urinary Tract Infection Trial
The current standard antibiotic course prescribed for dogs with cystitis is typically between 3-7 days. The purpose of this trial is to establish the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infection in female dogs. 900+ cases are sought, with involvement of pet owners.
Duration
Start date 01/02/2021
Contact
Fergus Allerton (
Andy Kent (
Cases & Criteria
1. To receive your individual Castor login details please email Fergus at
2. Owner consent form – this must be discussed with the owner prior to referral (please store completed consent forms and record that they informed consent has been acquired on your practice management system and on Castor)
3. A summary PDF of all the steps in the study (including inclusion and exclusion criteria)
4. A copy of the User’s guide to help familiarise yourself with CASTOR
5. A copy of the questions for each phase of the CASTOR questionnaire:
a. Initial presentation
b. Monday after completion of the treatment course
c. 4 week follow up
This project has ethical approval.
Project Leaders
SOS UTI Team
REGLUCAT
Investigating the ability of a novel prescription diet to induce weight loss and diabetic remission in overweight diabetic cats.
A 1-year, randomised trial to assess the ability of a new prescription diet to induce weight loss and diabetic remission in overweight cats with Type 2-like diabetes (DM). Cats will receive free trial diet, disease screening and other benefits.
Duration
01/04/20201 - 01/01/2023
Contact
Amrita Mohanty
01707 666605
Cases & Criteria
Cases: Cats with Type 2-like DM who are overweight (ranging from mildly overweight to morbidly obese). Cats should have been diagnosed as diabetic within 6 months of trial recruitment.
Underlying disease screening performed by trial before recruitment
Criteria: Inclusion: Overweight/ obese cats with Type 2-like DM diagnosed within 6 months of recruitment, treated with BID PZI for at least 4 weeks before recruitment, no prior DM remission episodes.
Exclusion: Other DM types, fractious/nervous cats
Project has ethical approval.
Project Leaders
Amrita Mohanty, PhD Student, Royal Veterinary College
Ruth Gostelow, Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Royal Veterinary College
Urine cortisol:creatinine ratio and low-dose dexamethasone suppressed 24-hour urine cortisol:creatinine ratio in dogs with ‘Atypical Hyperadrenocorticism”
We aim to compare the 24-hour cumulative UCCR, pre and post dexamethasone suppression, between a population of dogs diagnosed with ‘atypical’ hyperadrenocorticism and a population of dogs with non-adrenal illness. Please contact us for more info.
Duration
12/8/20 to 12/8/21
Contact
Tel 01425 485615
Cases & Criteria
The diagnosis of ‘atypical’ hyperadrenocorticism will be based on having at least 2 clinical signs of hyperadrenocorticism, negative results on both LDDST and ACTH stimulation testing, elevated 17-OHP concentration post ACTH administration.
We aim to recruit 10 dogs diagnosed with ‘atypical’ hyperadrenocorticism. The costs for measuring UCCRs in recruited cases will be covered by the investigators and there will be no additional cost to owners.
Anyone contributing 2 or more cases will be offered inclusion for authorship.
Project has ethical approval.
Project Leaders
Darren Kelly - Internal Medicine Clinician at SCVS
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