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At Joii Pet Care we have partnered with a pet food manufacturer to assess new foods that have been prepared as complete diets for dogs – adult and young – with itchy skin disease. We want to see if these foods are helpful when compared to dogs kept on their normal food. Volunteer dogs will receive either a test food or will be allowed to continue eating their regular food. Owners will be asked questions about their dog’s health in the Joii app and be required to attend regular video assessments with Joii vets and vet nurses during the four month study.
This is your study information and here you will find all the information you need about the study, such as:
Please read this carefully and we’d be grateful to hear from you if you would like to discuss anything in more detail. Please only agree to take part if you really want to. And if you decide not to take part, that’s fine. It will not affect your relationship with Joii Petcare in any way.
The aim of the study
We want to find out if these foods can help improve the skin of adult dogs and puppies with itchy skin disease. We also want to measure your pet’s itchiness and skin rashes and document any changes in their coat. We will ask you questions about how itchy skin disease affects your and your dog’s quality of life and ask you to take skin swabs to assess their skin, all from the comfort of your own home.
Can your dog take part?
Inclusion criteria |
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Exclusion criteria |
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Study design
Our study consists of two main groups – adult dogs and puppies, and three sub-groups within these. We are testing two foods in each main group and we have a control group for adults and puppies. You and your dog will be randomly allocated to one of the sub-groups. Study food groups will be provided with one of the foods we are testing for free and that’s all they will be allowed to eat during the study. Control groups will remain on their normal food and will be reimbursed for the costs of it while they remain in the study (see FAQs for further details). The study takes around four months to complete.
Benefits: What you’ll get for taking part in the study:
What you’ll need to do
Study food groups: |
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Control groups: |
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During the video calls (20-30 minutes duration) our vets and nurses will assess your dog or puppy’s:
They will also ask you to tell them about the wearable device your dog or puppy may be using, and guide you while taking skin swabs from your pet’s groin.
Our Joii app questionnaires take 3-15 minutes to complete and we will collect information about:
*Quality of Life questionnaire
Before the food transition nurse call and on days 35 and 77 questionnaires, we will ask you 36 questions that are part of a validated quality of life questionnaire scale. These are a series of statements that will help us assess how your pet’s skin condition affects you both. Your answers are registered using a sliding scale that indicates how much you agree or disagree with each statement. You may find some of these questions upsetting. If you feel this way, please reach out to us via the extra support card that you will have available in the app during the study period. Your answers are very important for us to understand the impact skin disease has on pets and their owners.
Adverse reactions
We ask you to consider the risks of taking part in this study. Changes in food may result in episodes of transient vomiting and diarrhoea, which often pets recover from easily, but at other times may require veterinary assessment and treatment. In the unlikely event that your pet has an adverse reaction to the study food, the costs will be covered up to a value of £400 if accompanied by clinical notes clearly stating the association between the episode and the food intake.
Treatment costs
You will have regular veterinary assessments where issues may be identified. When this occurs, you will be referred to your physical veterinary practice for further examination and treatment. All in-practice veterinary consultations and treatments will be charged by your vets as per their pricing and will be covered by yourself.
Handler safety
During the study, our Joii vets and nurses will need to assess your dog’s body and skin condition and you will be asked to take multiple photos of several areas of their body. Due to the remote nature of our services, you will be doing all of the handling. Please make sure you have help if your dog is a bit wriggly. It is very important that you make us aware of any other concerning behaviours (such as aggression) as soon as possible. You being unable to let us assess your dog, or aggressive behaviour that will put you at risk, will result in you and your dog being withdrawn from the study.
Important information
Transitioning to the new food
It is important that your pet only gradually switches from their current food to the provided study food to reduce the risk of any digestive problems such as diarrhoea. To transition, mix your pet’s current food with their new food. Over 7 days, gradually decrease the amount of the current pet food while increasing the amount of new pet food. To help you with the transition, refer to the 7-Day feeding guide which will be provided by the nurse after the onboarding video assessment. Once the transition onto the new food is complete, your pet is to eat that food only and is not allowed any additional food or treats.
Note: The test food only comes in dry kibble form, there is no wet food alternative.
If you have any other pets at home that may share or have access to your dog or puppy’s food (another dog or cat perhaps), it’s important that you do what you can to avoid any food sharing.
Skin swab sampling
At the nurse food transition call, the day 28 and day 84 vet calls, we will ask you to take samples from your dog or puppy’s skin. Our nurses and vets will help you with this procedure. You will need to rub a swab on your dog’s groin area, make a note of the swab number and mark on it where it was taken from. Then you’ll have to post them back to us in the pre-paid envelope provided. These samples will help us understand how the skin’s normal bateria, called microbiome, is affected by allergies and diet. These results will not be reported back to you or your vet as the swabs are taken for study purposes only and won’t be evaluated until the end of the study.
Wearable tracker device
This device is linked to an app called Wearables Clinical Trials. The wearing of this device during the study is completely optional. The device will help monitor your pet’s activity (e.g. sleep, scratching, licking and head-shaking behaviours), but does not track location. This data will only be visible to the researchers in the background. If you decide to attach the device to your dog’s collar, you will need to download the app on Google Play or App Store. This app is not linked to Joii and has its own T&Cs. Signing up to the app will provide the food company (external company to Joii) with your personal details (name and email address).
At the end of the study you will be given the option to keep the wearable device or return it. If the latter, we will arrange for them to be collected or returned at the end of the study.
End of study questionnaire and rewards/remuneration
At the end of the study, we will invite you to fill out a questionnaire after you’ve completed the Day 84 video assessment. After completing the questionnaire and as a thank you for your participation we will send you a reward of Amazon gift vouchers of £150. For pets in the control group, we will give reimbursement for the food during the study period, based on your dog’s size, between £150 and £350. If you have to drop out of the study part-way through, we will reimburse you in accordance with how much time you were able to be part of the study.
Communication with your registered vet
We will ask your permission to request your pet’s clinical history from your registered veterinary practice during the screening call. We will provide your vet with details of the study and happily answer any questions they may have. It is important that you tell your vet you are planning to take part in the study and grant them permission to share your pet’s medical history with us.
After every Joii vet assessment, a full up-to-date clinical history will be shared electronically with your registered vet. We will also ask that your registered vet does the same to ensure the best advice and care is given. Joii vets are available 24/7 should you require urgent access to Joii histories. This can be sent following a video consultation with you at any time. If your pet is referred for specialist care, then the same will apply to the referral centre.
We will not change any treatment plans your vet may have in place. During the study vet assessments, if your dog or puppy is found to need further advice or treatment, you will be directed to your registered veterinary practice.
Data Protection/Confidentiality
By accepting our terms and conditions, you are giving permission for the data collected during the study to be shared with the pet food manufacturer for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the food. Your data will be pseudo-anonymised. This means that we will not share any information that could identify you, such as your name, address or your pet’s name, or any other contact details. If you opt out of using the wearable device, any identifiable information such as your name, contact details, address and your pet’s name will not be revealed to the pet food manufacturer.
At the end of the study we will ask you for consent to share your contact details with the pet food manufacturer for the purpose of testimonials. You are not obligated to give a testimonial and can opt out of this. Your personal data will not be shared with any other party. Any publicised results will be anonymous and your pet will not be identifiable.
If you want to know more about what data we will collect and who has access to it, please see the table below.
If at any point you wish to be removed from the study, you can request that your data be deleted. We are able to remove the data from accessible files but are obliged to keep clinical records in our database for a period of 5 years. This is a legal requirement.
After the study
You will receive an end of study report, summarising the changes your pet went through during the study period. For all of the groups, the equivalent commercially available food products will be recommended at the end of the study so that you can choose to keep your pet on the diet if you feel it has benefited them or, if you are in the control group, you can choose to try the test diets. We may also like to stay in touch with you after the study to learn how your pet is doing. If we decide to do this, we will be in touch nearer the time to confirm that you are happy to provide us with updates on your pet’s progress. Going forward, we would then check in with you approximately every 3 months via the Joii app.
Please read our FAQs on the following page, followed by our terms and conditions. Finally, we would like to let you know that the food company who has commissioned this feeding trial is an investor in Joii Pet Care. Joii Pet Care have been commissioned by the food manufacturer to perform this study and will act impartially to complete the trial in the best interest of you and your pet.
To get started, please download the JOII APP.
We look forward to seeing you in the Joii app. For any questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Thanks again for being part of the Joii community.
Yours sincerely,
The team at Joii Pet Care
Data Collection Type | Data | Accessed by |
Registration Questionnaire on the website | Owner name, address, email & phone number (for history request and trial bundle delivery) | Vet-AI |
Registration Source, Joii Registration, Insurance Partner | Vet-AI | |
Pet name, gender and age bracket | Vet-AI | |
Basic Medical History Questions (Skin condition, Preventatives, Diet, pregnancy status) | Vet-AI | |
Initial consent to Terms & Conditions | Vet-AI | |
Joii App questionnaire | Joii App Profile (Owner name, email; Pet name) | Vet-AI |
Joii App Profile (Pet name, breed, gender, DOB, neuter status) | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Detailed consent to T&Cs, incl. consent to request history from reg. vet practice | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Registered Vet Practice (Name, Address, email, phone number) | Vet-AI | |
Itch Score & Coat Quality Score | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Faecal Score & Frequency | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Eating Enthusiasm & Weight | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Quality of Life Questionnaire | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Vet & Nurse assessment during calls | Weight (confirmed) & Body Condition | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer |
Skin Scoring (CADESI) | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Medical History & Concurrent conditions | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Current treatments for skin & antiparasitic preventatives | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Diet history (detailed) | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Further clinical notes, such as patient history, examination notes, adverse events, etc. | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Activity Tracker & Wearables App – (OPTIONAL) | Owner name, email & phone number | Food manufacturer |
Pet name, gender, breed, neuter status, date of birth, weight | Food manufacturer | |
24h motion detection via tri-axial motion sensor: shaking, scratching, licking and rest/sleep behaviour | Food manufacturer | |
Skin swab / Analysing Laboratory | Skin microbiome, inguinal area; Sample ID numbers | Food manufacturer & Analysing Laboratory |
End of study questionnaire Website Type Form / Owner input | Owner Feedback on Study | Vet-AI |
Owner testimonial on food | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Consent request for sharing Owner name and contact details as well as Pet Name with food manufacturer for them to contact owner for purpose of further testimonial. | Vet-AI & Food manufacturer | |
Owner name and contact details | Vet-Ai …& Food manufacturer if consent above was given. |
Why are you running this study?
The purpose of this study is to evaluate newly developed, complete and balanced diets for puppies and adult dogs with itchy skin disease, to see if they have any effect on their skin health as well as their appetite. Previous studies have proven similar diets to be beneficial for dogs with itchy skin disease.
Why will you ask me questions?
We need to ask questions to have some background information about your pet and their condition in order to understand as much as we can about them and make sure they are eligible for the trial. We will do this through Joii app questionnaires or during the video assessments with the vet or vet nurse.
We will ask about eating enthusiasm, weight, stool consistency as well as their level of itchiness. We will also ask to see and grade 20 different sites of your pet’s skin. Our vets will record this score. Furthermore, we will ask you to take swab samples on your pet’s skin 3 times throughout the study and to place a wearable device on your pet’s collar and install its respective app on your phone to monitor sleep, scratching, licking and shaking behaviour. All of this information helps us to build a picture to understand if this food really can help support dogs like yours with itchy skin disease.
Do I have to pay?
No, the food, scales, swab kit, wearable device and Joii video assessments that are part of the study will be provided free of charge to you for the duration of the study. If your pet needs any additional products or medicines for their health as a result of a veterinary assessment, they will be referred to your own Vet practice, these will be charged at their standard rates.
What will happen to the results of the study?
We, along with the pet food manufacturer, may decide to publish the results and to use them in promotional materials. All answers to the questions will be kept strictly confidential. Results from the study may be printed in veterinary journals and also in the non-veterinary press, but you and your pet will not be identifiable from any published work.
Do I have to be a Joii customer to participate?
Yes, you’ll need to have the Joii app downloaded and register your pet.
Will a vet be able to give me advice on my pet’s health?
The study calls are mainly to assess your pet’s skin and their progress. If our Joii vets come to the conclusion that your pet would require further support/treatment, you will be directed to your vet in practice for a physical examination and treatment. However, if you notice your pet declining in health whether skin or otherwise, please do contact one of our vets via the study support card in the Joii App. Extra support consultations are free during the study period.
My pet only eats wet food, can they still participate in the study?
The tested diets only come in a dry kibble/biscuit formulation. If your pet will not eat dry kibble then unfortunately they will not be able to participate in the study.
My pet is already on a skin treatment plan, is this a problem?
If your pet is already receiving regular treatments – whether they are prescription medications or skin treatments like shampoos, mousse, or wipes – they can still participate in the study.
If your pet needs to get additional prescription medication for their skin during the study, then it is important to follow your vet’s instructions. Please do let us know about any medication changes as they may affect the health of the skin as well. Only under certain circumstances and especially if your pet needs to start on a specific diet other than skin-related, we may need to exclude your pet from the study. Any decisions for removal from the study and reward eligibility are made on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that skin supplements are not allowed to be used during the study period and should not be necessary due to the study diets already containing elements with the same effect.
What if my pet starts a new medication or develops a new condition?
If your pet starts a new medication or develops a new health condition during the study period we would ask you to inform us as soon as possible. The best way to do this is to notify us in the Joii app, via the study support card. We will ask you a few questions and direct you to a vet call. Our vets will assess your pet and a decision will be made if they can remain in the study or not.
Can I feed my pet treats and other food during the study period?
If your pet is assigned to one of the groups receiving study food after the transition period we ask that you feed solely the food that is provided as part of the study, as directed, and nothing else to your pet during the study. Please use the food supplied as training treats and rewards. If you feed anything else during this time the results will be inaccurate. If you have any concerns about your pet’s eating please call through the Joii app to discuss this with a vet or nurse.
What happens if my pet becomes pregnant or needs to feed puppies with her milk?
If your dog becomes pregnant or is feeding puppies, please notify us and they will be withdrawn from the study.
What happens if my pet’s health declines during the study period?
If your pet’s skin health declines to the point where they require (additional) prescription medication or if they develop a gastrointestinal condition that requires a change in food during the study period, we would ask you to inform us as soon as possible. It may no longer be appropriate for your pet to stay in the study. Please contact us via the study support card in your Joii App.
Signs of declining skin health may appear as:
Signs of declining gastrointestinal health may appear as:
You can request a vet video consultation instantly via the Joii app. In cases of prolonged diarrhoea, we may offer a free probiotic and/or stool sample test to help determine the cause of diarrhoea.
What can I do if my pet isn’t eating the provided food?
After the transition period, we would expect for your pet to continue to like the food. However, in the case your pet starts refusing to eat the feed, please give our Joii nurses a call for support and advice (free of charge).
What can I do if my pet accidentally eats something else during the study?
Please try to avoid your pet eating anything else during the study. In the event that this does happen, please make a note about the day it happened and what exactly it was that your pet ate. Please let us know about it in the next video assessment with the Joii team.
How do I get the food?
If your pet is in the test food group, the food will be automatically sent out to you after the onboarding assessment with a Joii nurse. You will be asked for your address in the Joii questionnaire so that delivery can be arranged. We will send out one 10kg bag and when you are close to running out, please do notify us via the study support card and we can send you more food. If your pet is in the control group, they will remain on their current food and we will reimburse you for the cost of feeding your pet for the study period. Based on your pet’s size, we will reimburse you between £150 and £350.
My other dog/pet has accidentally eaten some of the food, is this safe?
The food is safe to eat for your other pet(s) but please try to avoid this from happening, by storing the food bag in a pet-safe place and by feeding your dog separately from other pets (e.g. in a different room with the door closed). However, should it happen that one of your other pets eats a bit of your dog’s food, there are no adverse consequences to expect. If your other dog normally eats a specific prescription food (e.g. supportive diet for kidney disease) it would not be good for your dog to eat the study food long-term. The same applies to your cat(s). If they eat the study food as a one-off accidental event, it is not harmful. But if they were to eat this food – that is not meant for them – long-term, they could get nutritional deficiencies that can lead to health issues.
What should I do if the food becomes damaged or spoiled or is eaten up by another pet?
If the study food becomes damaged, spoiled or finds any other harm or loss, please notify us via the study support card within the app.
What is the wearable device?
The wearable device is a small (2“x1.5”x1” / 5x 3.8 x1.3cm dimensions), lightweight (1oz/ 28g) activity monitor that sits on your pet’s collar. It monitor’s your pet’s movement during the day and night and sends the information to the linked wearable app (Wearables Clinical Trials; Google Play App Store) on your phone. It will need charging for a few hours once every 4-7 days. It calculates how much time your pet spends sleeping, scratching, shaking their head, and running around. It has been developed by the pet food manufacturer and used in previous studies for measuring pet activity. When signing up with the app dedicated to the activity tracker, you will be agreeing to share your personal information (your name, your pet’s name and email address) with the Colgate Palmolive group of companies (who are the food manufacturers).
What if there is a problem with the wearable device or its app?
There is a support line available for any problems with the wearable device or its app. Please follow the instructions for use that come with the wearable and reach out to their dedicated support helpline with any problems. [email protected]
How is a skin swab taken and will it hurt my dog?
At three assessments throughout the study, you will take swab samples of your pet’s skin, guided live by one of our Joii vets or nurses. You will be brushing across the skin of your pet’s groins – one swab for each groin. The vet or vet nurse will be recording the individual sample number and you will then be asked to send them off via mail. The postage is covered by us. This should not hurt your pet at all and will not cause any harm.
Is there a risk to my pet?
The skin support food is a complete and balanced dry food intended to be consumed by dogs and puppies respectively. It is not expected to cause any harm to any of the pets participating in the study.
What happens if my pet passes away or needs to be put to sleep (euthanised) during the study period?
In the unfortunate and very sad event that your pet dies or is put to sleep during the study period we ask that you inform us as soon as possible. The best way to do this is to notify us in the Joii app, via the study support card.
When do I need to contact you outside the scheduled video calls and app questionnaires? How do I do this?
We ask that you contact us via the study support card in the Joii app or email in the following circumstances:
Will you share my data with anyone?
If you opt to use the collar-mounted activity tracker on your pet during the study you will need to sign-up with its respective app with your personal details (name, pet’s name and email address) with Colgate Palmolive group of companies. The study data collected via our Joii App, will be matched with the data collected in the app of the activity tracker.
If you give us express permission, we will share your contact details (name, pet’s name and email address) with Colgate Palmolive group of companies (who are the food manufacturer) so that they can contact you at the end of the study for a testimonial about the study food. If you do not wish to provide a testimonial it will not affect your involvement in the study or your use of Joii.
You can opt out of both if you like but we will share your pet’s study data with Colgate Palmolive group of companies in pseudo-anonymous form, meaning they will NOT receive any personal or identifying information of yours (name, pet name, address).
How will the data be stored?
Videos and clinical information obtained during the study may be retained for at least 5 years and possibly used in future research projects, and for training and education purposes. All data will be stored in a secure database only accessible by people working on the study. Please note that any video assessment taken in your home will be visible to us. If you are unhappy with this you can request to have your video removed and permanently deleted without penalty to yourself; although please note that we are legally required to keep clinical notes for at least 5 years.
The data collected via the wearable device and its app (Wearables Clinical Trials; Google Play App Store) will be stored with the pet food manufacturer as well because they are the owner of the device and the app that goes with the device. The Wearables Clinical Trials app that is needed to use the wearable device, has Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies that you need to accept on registering the device on the app. Apart from your pets sleeping, scratching, shaking and licking behaviour, the app will ask you for your name, email address, your pet’s name, age and breed. All data will be stored in a secure database only accessible by people working on the study. You can have your data removed and permanently deleted without penalty should you wish so. If you do not wish to use the wearable device or sign up for the Wearables Clinical Trials app, please contact us at [email protected].
What if I change my mind?
If you decide you want to withdraw from the study, you may do so without explanation, and without penalty (your use of Joii products and services will not be affected).
In the event that you decide to withdraw from the study for whatever reason, please notify us so that we can arrange for a returns package to be sent to you in order for the wearable device (and any surplus food) to be returned.
Any information you have given can be removed from accessible files but any clinical information from assessments will be kept in the database for a period of 5 years. If you do wish to withdraw, please let us know via the study support card in the Joii app.
If you would like a copy of the complete study timeline, please email: [email protected]
When you are registered in the Joii app, you will be asked to agree to the following: Dog & Puppy Skin Support Food study run by Joii Petcare (“you” or “Joii”)
Key Details
Detail | Meaning |
Study Period | 3 months plus initial screening, onboarding and transition period (approx 28 days) |
Treatment | Dog and Puppy Skin Support food |
Information Sheet | Means the information sheet included above dated May 2023 relating to the study |
I have been provided with details of the upcoming study, relating to the Treatment, described in the Information Sheet (the “study”). I fully understand the scope of the study and wish to participate with my Pet. Additionally:
1. I confirm that I am the owner of the Pet.
2. I confirm that I have read and understood the Information Sheet for the study. I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.
3. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason, and without penalty.
4. I understand that, to the extent you process any of my personal information that will be done under the Privacy Policy that can be found on the Joii web site at https://www.joiipetcare.com/.
5. I confirm that I wish to take part in the above study with my pet.
6. I give permission for the Joii team to inform my registered veterinary practice that my pet is participating in the study and to request and provide clinical history updates from and to them regarding my dog’s condition during the feeding study.
7. I agree and understand that for as long as I participate in the study I will:
Receive the Treatment diet at no charge
Complete associated questionnaires and provide pictures & videos of my pet before, during and after the study if requested
If in the test food group, feed solely the food that is provided as part of the study, as directed and nothing else to my pet during the study (and I will instruct all persons involved in the care of my pet the same). This includes eating other household pets’ food. But fresh clean water should always be provided.
If in the test group, prevent any other household pets from sharing the food provided for the study
Provide the Joii team with feedback on my pet’s condition and response to management (before, during and after the study)
Notify Joii vets/ vet nurses as soon as possible if:
– I am concerned about my pet’s participation in the study or my pet’s condition,
– my pet becomes pregnant/nursing puppies,
– my pet does not eat the food for 3 days in a row,
– my pet deteriorates, or if my pet dies/is euthanised at any point.
Provide honest feedback regarding my pet’s experience and complete any questionnaires as requested
Attend the planned follow-up appointments with the Joii veterinary team.
8. I agree and understand that in parts during the quality of life questionnaire personal data from me as the pet’s owner will be gathered.
9. I agree and understand that the study is entirely voluntary. In the unlikely event my pet suffers any ill effects from participation I accept that it is my responsibility to stop the study immediately and seek advice from a pet care professional. I understand that the costs of any veterinary treatment for an adverse event arising from my participating pet eating the food will be covered up to a maximum amount of £400. I will need to provide veterinary medical notes that prove a direct relation between my pet’s episode and the ingestion of the study food. I understand that this sum is for veterinary fees only and I am liable for any additional or other expenses incurred in relation to my pet.
10. I understand that at any time the study may be discontinued at your sole discretion.
11. I understand that by using the wearable device and its respective app “Wearables Clinical Trials”, I will be sharing my personal contact information (my name, my pet’s name and my email address) with Colgate Palmolive group of companies (the food manufacturer).
12. I understand and agree that by opting out of paragraph 11, my pet’s study data will still be shared with the pet food manufacturer, but in pseudo-anonymised form, meaning you will not share any identifiable information, such as my name, my pet’s name, my address or other contact details, unless further specific consent is given by myself at the end of the study for the food manufacturer to contact me seeking testimonials pertaining to the study food. testimonials pertaining to the study food.
Again, if you need to contact us, please email: [email protected]
If you need to contact our data protection officer please email: [email protected]
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