Cornell University Research Project Requests Your Help

by ESSFTA | Mar 17, 2018 | Health

Professor Santiago Peralta, DVM, DAVDC at Cornell University and DVM candidate, Nicholas Roman, MA are requesting your participation in a research study on the incidence of orofacial clefts (cleft lip, cleft palate, or both) at birth in several dog breeds. They are asking our breeders to fill out a survey about litters you have whelped in the past year.  The Genetics and Health Committee of ESSFTA has endorsed and requests your participation in this study.  It is completely anonymous.

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFjjygwfW7atWIJ

Purpose of the study:  To determine whether certain purebred dogs have a higher risk of orofacial clefts and to estimate the financial impact on breeding programs.

Time commitment:  The survey should generally take 10 to 20 minutes to complete (it may take longer for extremely large breeding programs). No personally identifiable information is collected as part of the survey.

What you get out of it:  Getting involved in research is a powerful way to be a part of veterinary medical breakthroughs. While we cannot offer financial compensation for participating in this survey, we hope that the research may eventually help to improve breeding programs. By participating in this study, you can help improve researchers’ understanding of the frequency with which orofacial clefts occur as well as possible causes, predictors, and risk factors. The information gained may potentially help veterinarians and researchers to diagnose, treat, and prevent orofacial clefts and thus improve breeding operation economics.

This study is being performed by Professor Santiago Peralta, DVM, DAVDC, and other colleagues in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine.  Should you have questions or concerns about the study, Dr. Peralta can be contacted via email at sp888@cornell.edu.

Participation in this survey is voluntary.  All participants must be at least 18 years old.  You may refuse to participate, discontinue at any time, or skip any questions, with no penalty, although incomplete surveys may not be included in the study analysis.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a subject in this study, you may contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Participants at 607-255-6182 or access their website at http://www.irb.cornell.edu. You may also report your concerns or complaints anonymously through Ethicspoint online at www.hotline.cornell.edu or by calling toll free at 1-866-293-3077. Ethicspoint is an independent organization that serves as a liaison between the University and the person bringing the complaint so that anonymity can be ensured.

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFjjygwfW7atWIJ