Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Amantadine for nerve pain in dogs with spine narrowing
By Caterino, Chiara et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Amantadine as a therapeutic option for neuropathic pain in dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis, a condition causing back pain and mobility issues, were treated with either amantadine alone or a combination of amantadine and meloxicam, a common pain medication. After 21 days, both treatment groups showed significant improvements in their ability to walk and bear weight. The dogs receiving both medications had noticeable improvements in their pain levels and mobility earlier in the treatment, while those on amantadine alone also showed benefits by the end of the study. This suggests that amantadine could be an effective option for managing pain in dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · amantadine for dogs · meloxicam side effects in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Degenerative lumbosacral stenosis is a multifactorial condition with no consensus on optimal therapeutic management. In mildly affected dogs, treatment often includes analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may be insufficient for effective pain control. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of amantadine in managing chronic neuropathic pain associated with this pathology in dogs, using ground reaction forces (GRFs) analysis, including Peak Vertical Force (PVF), Vertical Impulse (VI), and stance time (ST), and to evaluate whether the co-administration of amantadine improves the efficacy of meloxicam in patients who have shown a refractory response to meloxicam alone. METHODS: Client-owned dogs (≥ 12 months old, ≥ 20 kg) with a confirmed diagnosis of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis were enrolled in a randomized trial. Subjects were assigned to two treatment groups: Group A received meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg PO SID loading dose, followed by 0.1 mg/kg SID for 6 days) plus amantadine (3 mg/kg PO SID for 21 days); Group B received amantadine alone (3 mg/kg PO BID for 21 days). Gait analysis was performed using a force platform at baseline (T0), after 7 days (T1), and after 21 days (T2). RESULTS: Twenty dogs met the inclusion criteria and completed the study. At enrollment, the two groups (10 animals each) were homogeneous. After 21 days, both groups showed significant increases in PVF%BW (p < 0.0001) and VI%BW (p = 0.0064 in Group A; p = 0.0023 in Group B). For VI%BW, Group A demonstrated a significant improvement between T0 and T1 (p = 0.0120), and T0 and T2 (p = 0.0083), but not between T1 and T2 (p = 0.4040). Group B showed significant increases between T0 and T2 (p = 0.0012), and T1 and T2 (p = 0.0034), but not between T0 and T1 (p = 0.7788). Regarding PVF%BW, both groups exhibited significant differences across all time points, showing progressive improvement over time. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that amantadine, either alone or in combination with meloxicam, improves GRFs in dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis and, may be a valuable component of its multimodal therapy, though additional research is necessary to validate these findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40671053/