Clinical evaluation of a nutraceutical, carprofen and meloxicam for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis

Abstract

The efficacy, tolerance and ease of administration of a nutraceutical, carprofen or meloxicam were evaluated in a prospective, double-blind study on 71 dogs with osteoarthritis. The client-owned dogs were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments or to a placebo control group. The influence of osteoarthritis on the dogs' gait was described by comparing the ground reaction forces of the arthritic dogs and 10 normal dogs. Before the treatments began, and 30 and 60 days later, measurements were made of haematological and biochemical variables and of the ground reaction forces of the arthritic limb, and subjective assessments were made by the owners and by the orthopaedic surgeons. Changes in the ground reaction forces were specific to the arthritic joint, and were significantly improved by carprofen and meloxicam but not by the nutraceutical; the values returned to normal only with meloxicam. The orthopaedic surgeons assessed that there had been an improvement with carprofen and meloxicam, but the owners considered that there had been an improvement only with meloxicam. The blood and faecal analyses did not reveal any changes. The treatments were well tolerated, except for a case of hepatopathy in a dog treated with carprofen.

Glucosamine and chondroitin use in canines for osteoarthritis: A review

“…In contrast, both NSAID arms experienced significant improvements in GRF values and orthopaedic surgeon assessment scores; however, only the meloxicam arm experienced a significant improvement according to owner assessment. The Moreau et al (2003) trial had several strengths. The study was double-blinded, prospective and subjects were randomized to treatment groups.…”

“…7(1): 36-49 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Moreau et al (2003) Design: Prospective, randomized (via computer-generated list), doubleblinded trial Subjects: 71 client-owned dogs with OA who were >12 months old and >20 kg with chronic and stable lameness reported by the owner plus radiographic signs of OA in one or two elbows, stifles, or hips; compared to pure-breed dogs with normal GRF measurements Exclusion criteria: Pregnancy; hypersensitivity to NSAIDs; neurological or musculoskeletal pathology; orthopaedic surgery within the same year; gait abnormalities involving both hind and fore limbs; concurrent osteoarthritis treatment Outcomes: Efficacy, tolerance, and ease of administration, measured at days 30 and 60…”

“…Evidence summary Clinical trial: Glucosamine and chondroitin versus NSAID or placebo Moreau et al (2003) conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study including 71 clientowned dogs >12 months old and >20 kg with ownerreported lameness and radiographic signs of osteoarthritis. The trial consisted of four arms in which the subjects received either: 1) glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulfate, and magnesium ascorbate (GSCM), 2) carprofen, 3) meloxicam, or 4) placebo.…”

Evaluation of Terminalia chebula Extract for Anti-Arthritic Efficacy and Safety in Osteoarthritic Dogs

“…To alleviate OA associated inflammation and pain, veterinarians often use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as carprofen (Rimadyl), meloxicam (Metacam), firocoxib (Previcox), etc., [42,43]. Most NSAIDs inhibit the activity of the COX enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) that produce prostaglandins [44], which are important factors for the pathogenesis of inflammation, swelling, pain and fever [42,45,46]. NSAIDs eliminate pain, but do not eliminate signs and symptoms of active disease, nor do they repair cartilage.…”

“…Currently, veterinarians have many options for managing the signs and symptoms of OA, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, nutrition, surgery, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, laser therapy, physical therapy, and acupuncture [9,15,29,34,[36][37][38][39][40][41]. To alleviate OA associated inflammation and pain, veterinarians often use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as carprofen (Rimadyl), meloxicam (Metacam), firocoxib (Previcox), etc., [42,43]. Most NSAIDs inhibit the activity of the COX enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) that produce prostaglandins [44], which are important factors for the pathogenesis of inflammation, swelling, pain and fever [42,45,46].…”