A malignancy can be detected by the study team in one of three ways: 1) use of a biopsy kit connected to our diagnostic lab account, 2) direct communication from an owner or veterinarian, 3) social media posts using identifying information about the dog. Once notified, the operations team requests a malignancy related questionnaire to be completed by the veterinarian.
Samples collected at the time of diagnosis may include healthy and tumor tissue in RNAlater as well as blood, serum, urine, feces, hair and nails. However, these samples are not guaranteed to be collected as it depends on the discretion of the owner and veterinarian at the time of diagnosis. Our focus is always on keeping the study observational, ensuring veterinarians and owners are making the decisions for their dogs.