TRIAD Tails: Graduate Owners Share Their TRIAD Journey

Three of the earliest participants in the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD) clinical trial had a common reason for enrolling their aging companion pet in the study: wanting to enhance their dog’s quality as well as quantity of life.

The trial, which is part of the Dog Aging Project (DAP), is a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The trial is evaluating the use of the drug rapamycin on aging canines’ health and lifespan through building on two previous studies that showed evidence that small doses may help mitigate or delay the diseases of aging. The TRIAD study is continuing to enroll new study participants, who take part in an initial cardiology or neurology screening exam at the nearest trial site or clinical trial partner, receive the study’s medication or a placebo weekly, and visit a clinical site every six months for the trial’s duration.

These “clinical trial graduate owners”—JoAnna O., Linda B., and Bill S.—appreciate the trial’s intent. “I absolutely believe in the project, which is a wonderful idea,” Bill said. “I’m a huge fan of the combination of extending the life of dogs, but more so extending the quality of life while they’re alive.”

All In

JoAnna, a long-time resident of the Seattle, WA area, enrolled Madi, an Akita-Rottweiler mix, in the trial. “She’s very loyal, sweet, and calm,” the University of Washington retiree said of the family’s canine companion, who was adopted in 2009. “My kids were in grade school when we got her, and now they’re in their 20s, so they grew up with her.”

She initially learned about the Dog Aging Project from a newsletter and decided to enroll her animal companion in TRIAD’s first cohort through Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. “I was interested because Madi was getting older and I knew that this study was a longevity study for dogs,” JoAnna explained. “I thought if I could extend her life and have good quality of life, which would be really fabulous.”

Linda, who lives in West Des Moines, IA, has always adopted older pets. “I’ve had a lot of pets, all from shelters,” she said. “They’re not normally the pets you see in the magazine articles; they’re second-, third- and fourth-chance pets,” said the senior analytics operating analyst.

She adopted Sadie in 2020 from the pet shelter in Marshalltown, IA. “She hadn’t seen a vet for about nine years, which is not uncommon for these pets,” Linda said. “She also wouldn’t walk on non-carpeted surfaces, so my vet always puts rugs out for her.”

Wanting Sadie to enjoy good quality of life for her remaining years, Linda quickly volunteered for the Dog Aging Project and TRIAD. “I’ve certainly been provided with second chances in life, and I’d like to offer that to pets,” she said, adding that she appreciates that other older dogs will benefit. “For a lot of them, their circumstances have not been great, so my goal is just to provide them with the best quality for life for as long as possible.”

Bill, who lives in Georgetown, Texas, has had his dog Zoe, a Labrador-Rottweiler mix, since she was a puppy. As she grew up, the pair enjoyed an active lifestyle, including regular walks around the hilly trails around his Georgetown subdivision.

Bill first heard about the DAP in December 2020 and enrolled Zoe, who was then 10 years old. “Because I was a computer repairman, I went into people’s homes a lot and saw a lot of dogs,” he said. “I ended up realizing the importance of quality of life as they get older.”

Car Ride!

Participating in TRIAD required the three participants to travel several hours to the partnering university. However, each said they as well as their companion animal benefited from those trips, which ranged from 40-300 miles one-way based on these participants.

Bill found that the team at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to be easy to work with. “They’re all so wonderful,” he said. “They did in-depth blood work, a heart study, and an extensive physical. They also suggested a medication to help ease her anxiety during vet visits.”

Linda appreciated seeing Iowa State University’s commitment to companion animals through TRIAD. “I got to know the people at Iowa State,” Linda said. “The first time we went there, Sadie was pretty nervous and there was concern about if she’d have to be sedated, but by the second appointment, she seemed to understand the routine and they understood her.”

She also enjoyed the opportunity to develop a deeper bond with Sadie. “She just liked being with me, so it was another opportunity to be in the car on a long trip as well as spending time going through the exercises that they ask you to do, such as running up and down steps,” Linda said.

JoAnna complimented the WSU team’s friendliness, competency, kindness and flexibility. “For the first few years of this study, we would go over to WSU for her visits, which is five hours away from Seattle and involves traveling over a mountain pass,” she said. “There was a huge snowstorm right before Madi was supposed to go for a check-in in December, so WSU’s team allowed me to go to my regular veterinarian and do all of the blood draws and necessary tests. They put safety first.”

Soon after, WSU affiliated with Olympic Veterinary Cardiology in Everett, WA, which meant that JoAnna and Madi could complete all check-ins and testing in the Seattle area. As a result, Madi “graduated” from Olympic, including a graduation certificate and a bandana.

Added Benefits

Each participant pointed to TRIAD’s thorough screening process, which helped participants learn about the health and mental status of their dogs.

Thanks to the TRIAD testing, WSU’s team identified that Madi had high blood pressure, which might have precluded her from the study. “They explained what that would mean and put her on medication,” JoAnna said. “I’m thankful that TRIAD allowed us to be in the study, even though she had high blood pressure. I’m also thankful that I learned that she had high blood pressure because it’s treatable, and I don’t know that I would have known that otherwise.”

Similarly, Bill noted that the Texas A&M vets identified a small heart murmur that did not preclude her from the study. He’s since been able to work with his local veterinarian to monitor it over the past three years.

He also appreciated the different activities that TRIAD required, including agility tests, mental challenges, and a test where dogs had to find a hidden treat. “I learned that Zoe was a lot healthier than I thought she was,” he said.

As part of the process, Iowa State’s DNA testing determined that Sadie was a lab/husky mix while her health screenings came back all-clear. “It’s reassuring that you can know some of those things because certainly, the cardiac test and screening and other tests were not things that I would have done otherwise, just because she was not symptomatic,” Linda said. “I remember when they were doing initial screenings. Out of 10 participants, seven had to be declined because they discovered undiagnosed arrythmias with these pets.”

Linda also complimented the primary care veterinarians’ willingness to participate in the study through sending updated records and information. “Mine has certainly played a part in our being able to successfully participate,” she said.

Next Chapter of Life

Now two of these TRIAD graduates are continuing to have opportunities to enjoy life—and Bill and JoAnna are looking for ways to keep them engaged.

Bill noted that while Zoe has developed some arthritis and deafness and is displaying some dementia, she still enjoys walks, although the duration is shorter.

This summer, Madi accompanied JoAnna and her husband on an adventure through the Western United States in their travel trailer. “She’s enjoying her life, and she gets to go on cool road trips,” JoAnna said. “When we’re at home, we’re busy doing things and going places, but when we were in the travel trailer, we would go places, but then we hang out at our campsite a lot and she has all of our attention. She loved it.”

Sadly, Sadie crossed the rainbow bridge after her graduation from the trial —but Linda doesn’t regret the time she and her companion spent with TRIAD. Instead, she sees their participation as part of Sadie’s legacy. “Through participation in TRIAD, Sadie was potentially able to ‘give back’ and contribute positively to the health, longevity and quality of life of others,” Linda said. “Given Sadie’s willingness to accept all canines, felines and people she encountered in life and her ability for compassion to others, I think that she recognized she was doing good.”

Dorian Martin
&
Harmony Peraza, RVT
Study Participant Manager