Why You Should Enter Your Cat Into a Veterinary Research Study

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Clinical research studies can be a life-changing program for those involved. There have been cases in which clinical trials have saved the lives of patients who suffer from dangerous and incurable illnesses, and it’s been a relief for not only the patient but also his or her family. There is something to be said about a clinical research study when it does save a life, but what about when it does not? There are people who hang their hates on the fact that they might find a cure for what ails them in these studies and are disappointed when it does not happen. So what happens when the clinical trial in question is for an animal such as a cat? What do you do then? Do you allow your cat to enter into a trial that might or might not work, a trial that could have potentially deadly results? There is a lot of information out there, and there are actually studies like this designed to do research on cats so that cures for illnesses and disease can be found. The catch is that the vets and scientists and researchers who are conducting these studies rely on participants suffering from various disorders, illnesses and disease. Would you let your cat participate?

Is your Cat’s Issue Life-Threatening?

If your cat suffers from a health issue that is incurable and deadly, you should allow your cat to take part in a study such as this. If it’s not a life-threatening illness, however, you can think about it all you want. The point is that your cat is going to receive help that has not been medically approved yet or it’s going to die. If it’s going to die anyway, why not give it the chance to survive, if not forever then at least for a little longer? It’s a tough decision, and we are certainly not saying that you should make this decision without careful consideration and a very pertinent list of information regarding the study, but it is worth your consideration.

It Could Save Your Cat

The real issue here is that this is a study that might just save your cat’s life. Do you want to save the cat’s life? If so, join the study. There is no guarantee that your cat will live, however, so it’s imperative that you understand this going in. A clinical study or trial is just that; a way for you to see if something works. The health issues being worked on have been studied heavily and they are very well-researched and chances are good that these health issues might be worked out in the clinical trial; but it’s not a guarantee. This is how medical researchers find out if their cures and drugs and treatments are effective; sometimes they are and sometimes they are not.

It Could Save other Cats

Even if the clinical trial in which you sign up your cat as a participant does not save the life of your cat, it might still save the life of another cat. What do we mean? We mean that you might be able to provide researchers with more information about how the treatment works or does not work so that they can tweak it and learn from it. This might mean that there comes a time in your life in which the treatment is fixed and does work, and you will know that your cat was a part of that. Even if your cat does not make it through, you will know that your cat provided it’s life so that other cats might one day have a chance at being cured from a very deadly disease.

Find out What it Takes

Not all cats can participate in all health trials. You have to meet some very extensive criteria, so try not to get too excited about the prospect until you do. Just like people, your cat has to suffer from a very specific disease. You cannot sign up a cat with arthritis in a clinical trial for cancer, you know. You also have to make sure your cat is available for all potential appointments, that you can be there at a moment’s notice and that your cat meets all the eligibility requirements. Depending on the study in question, your cat might need to meet requirements from age to size to type to everything in between.

Not all cats will be eligible for the study, even if your cat does suffer from the condition. Be aware of this going in as it’s going to be what helps you make the most of your cat’s issues.

Remember that it’s Experimental

This is what often goes right in one ear and out the other with pet owners looking to cure their animals of disease. These clinical trials are experimental. This means they’ve never been performed on cats in the past, and therefore you do not know what this will do to your cat. This means you will need to keep in mind the fact that anything could happen in this experimental research. Your cat might not have the results you hoped for, your cat might not live, and your cat might not live as long as you were counting on with an experimental trial.

So we ask you again, would you allow your cat to take part in an experimental health trial? The answer from me is yes. I would do whatever it takes to ensure that my cat is given every available possibility to live a healthy life if he was diagnosed with a deadly disorder. On that note, I would have to consider it if the issue my cat suffers is not one that will kill him. Then the term experimental seems a bit more dangerous. That is, of course, my own opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs and everyone will have a different opinion on the matter depending on their own personal experience and their own personal beliefs. We’d love to hear your opinion on the matter.

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