DVM Blog Post – Osteoarthritis AKA Degenerative Joint Disease

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a condition which will affect most dogs in their lifetime. As dogs age the incidence of arthritis increases and other confounding factors such as breed predisposition, previous injuries, chronic overuse of the joints, and obesity can cause earlier progression of the disease and therefore more significant effects on their daily mobility and quality of life. 

While there is no way to prevent the occurrence of arthritis, we can support the joints with supplements such as Dasuquin and by maintaining a lean body weight. We can also monitor our pets for signs of arthritis, such as being slow to get up, looking stiff, difficulty with stairs, difficulty or hesitancy jumping, or lagging on walks. Once you see these signs, it is important to bring your pets in to get a physical exam and determine ways to make changes in their environment and use medications to treat their discomfort. While the only way we can truly diagnose arthritis is through x-rays of the joints, most times clinical signs and exam findings are enough alone to have a presumptive diagnosis and start treatment. 

In the US, there is a new drug that has recently become FDA approved for the treatment of arthritis. This drug is called Librela and it is the first anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody therapy for dogs. There has been a similar product, Solensia, approved for the management of arthritis in cats for a couple of years in the US. Librela specifically targets a protein involved in the pathway of pain associated with OA. It is a once a month injection in hospital, just as you would administer a vaccine. This has become a helpful tool in the management of pain associated with arthritis, whereas before our main mode of pain management for these dogs was non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

It can take up to 3 injections to see maximum benefit from Librela, and there is a subset of dogs that will not show significant improvement. While this drug is new in the US, it has been used in the EU for years. Known rare side effects can include urinary tract infections, bacterial skin infections, dermatitis, injection site pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and inappetence. This new injection allows us to provide better pain management to our older dogs with arthritis who may also have kidney or liver disease, where previously NSAIDs were not a great solution. If you are noticing signs of arthritis in your dog, we recommend talking with your primary care veterinarian about what steps you can take to prolong their mobility and improve their quality of life!