Help Advance Feline and Canine Osteoarthritis Research

The prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs is nearly 40%, and radiographic evidence of the condition is found in 90% of cats aged 12 or older.^1-3 In Zoetis Petcare Proceedings on the Experience of Chronic Pain Ross Palmer, DVM, MS, DACVCP, referred to OA as a “silent killer” that greatly affects patients’ quality of life and overall well-being.⁴

Basepaws is a Zoetis company that conducts clinical research using host genetics and the state of the oral microbiome to better understand osteoarthritis and other common diseases in dogs and cats.⁵ Their multi-pronged approach investigates how genes contribute to the potential for disease development, as well as how the composition of the oral microbiome at any given time serves as a powerful indicator of an active, developing disease state.⁶ The main goal of this research is to detect diseases earlier, even before clinical signs may appear, so that patients can benefit from individualized treatment plans sooner.

Join Basepaws’ New Osteoarthritis Clinical Program

Basepaws seeks veterinary partners to help recruit DNA samples for its brand new feline and canine osteoarthritis clinical program. They provide partners with all oral swab kits and compensate for every sample that matches program criteria. Basepaws manages all aspects of the program to keep participation straightforward and easy for veterinary partners, who simply perform a quick and painless swab of a patient’s mouth as the first of three easy steps:

1. Follow a simple study protocol to collect oral swab samples from qualifying patients,
2. Fill out a basic screening form for each sample, and
3. Share patients’ clinical records.

Basepaws welcomes the participation of veterinary professionals in a practice or university research setting who would like to help advance osteoarthritis research that could contribute to the development of an early detection test for OA in cats and dogs.

To get started, please take a few moments to fill out a short intake form on the Basepaws webpage for veterinarians at https://basepawsvet.com/research-register.

References

1. New Insights Into Canine and Feline OA Pain. Zoetis Petcare. Accessed June 5, 2023 at https://www.zoetisus.com/conditions/petcare/oa-pain/
2. Wright A, Amodie AM, Cernnicchiaro N, et al. Identification of canine osteoarthritis using an owner-reported questionnaire and treatment monitoring using functional mobility tests. J Small Anim Pract. 2022;63(8):609-618.
3. Enomoto M, Mantyh PW, Murrell J, Innes JF, Lascelles BDX. Anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibodies for the control of pain in dogs and cats. Vet Rec. 2019;184:23. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104590
4. The Experience of Chronic Pain (2019). Zoetis Petcare Proceedings. Accessed June 6, 2023 at https://www.zoetisus.com/content/pages/Conditions/Petcare/oa-pain/Resources/documents/chronic-pain-proceedings-na-02124.pdf.
5. Zoetis Completes Acquisition of Basepaws, an Innovative Leader in Petcare Genetics, to Strengthen its Portfolio of Precision Animal Health Solutions. Businesswire release. June 22, 2022. Accessed June 7, 2023 at https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621006057/en/Zoetis-Completes-Acquisition-of-Basepaws-an-Innovative-Leader-in-Petcare-Genetics-to-Strengthen-its-Portfolio-of-Precision-Animal-Health-Solutions
6. Rose, R. (2023). Clinical research: the oral microbiome for earlier disease detection. Dvm360. February 23, 2023. Accessed June 7, 2023 at https://www.dvm360.com/view/clinical-research-the-oral-microbiome-for-earlier-disease-detection