Is Your Cat Itching to Participate in a Study?

If your cat keeps scratching its ears or shaking its head, then Dr. Pete wants you!  Battle Creek’s Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic is looking for cat families to be part of a study on a new medication to treat ear mites.

If your pet is showing the signs, just take a look inside their ear canal.   If you see brown or black dirt specks that look like coffee grounds, or an oily discharge, your pet may have ear mites.  And, if one pet has ear mites, they all probably do.  The tiny parasites are highly contagious among animals, and if left untreated can cause bacterial infections, swelling of the ear canal, and eventually partial or total deafness.

Multi-pet homes can save some money and even make some money if they qualify for the national clinical study.   Only 1 cat in the household must have ear mites to participate in the study, however, because ear mites are so contagious, participating pet owners will receive free exams and treatment for up to 5 cats in the household, as well as $100 compensation for completing the study.  Up to 5 dogs in the household will also be treated for ear mites during the study period and receive a heartworm test if needed.  Pet owners must agree to treat all animals with all medications provided, complete a daily log for 30 days, and complete all scheduled follow-up visits during the 30 days of the study.

Dr. Pete Van Vranken, owner of Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic and longtime host of “Animal Talk” on 95.3 WBCK said “Because ear mites are so contagious among pets, we are pleased that the study includes treatment of all the pets in the household.  Cats that are allowed outdoors and indoor cats in multi-pet households where other pets may go outdoors are especially at risk of an ear mite infestation.”

If your pet is demonstrating any of the signs of ear mites, you should make an appointment with a veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis.

If your cat has ear mites and has not been treated in the past 90 days with a medication to treat ear mites, you may be eligible to enroll your cat in the study. Open enrollment will be closing soon, so pet owners have a limited time to contact the Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic at 269-963-9347 to see if they qualify for the study.

For full eligibility and clinical study details, pet owners can also click here.

Dr. Pete Van Vranken hosts a call-in show on 95.3 WBCK on Saturday from 8:30am-9:00am.

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