Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Meloxicam vs glucosamine for treating cat arthritis pain
By Sul, R M et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2014·Small Animal Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Comparison of meloxicam and a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement in management of feline osteoarthritis. A double-blind randomised, placebo-controlled, prospective trial.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of older cats with arthritis was treated with either meloxicam, a common pain medication, or a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement to see which helped them more. The cats receiving meloxicam showed significant improvements in their mobility and activity levels during treatment. However, once the treatment stopped and a placebo was given, many of those cats experienced a decline in their condition compared to those on the glucosamine-chondroitin supplement. This suggests that while meloxicam was effective, the glucosamine-chondroitin may provide a more stable long-term option for managing arthritis in cats.
People also search for: cat arthritis treatment · meloxicam for cats · glucosamine for cat joint pain
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of meloxicam and a glucosamine-chondroitin (Glu-Ch) supplement in the management of feline osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Prospective, blinded, randomized clinical trial. Cats over eight years of age with clinical signs of chronic OA were assigned to one of two groups and Glu-Ch or meloxicam was administered orally for 70 days, followed by a placebo until day 98. Cats were assessed by a veterinarian on five occasions and the owner completed an assessment form at the same time. RESULTS: Data were collected from thirty cats. Pre-treatment disease scores were significantly higher in the meloxicam group for owner mobility (p=0.01) and veterinary lameness (p=0.02). Owner mobility scores at day 14 (p=0.01) and day 42 (p=0.002) were significantly improved compared to pre-treatment scores for the meloxicam group. When meloxicam and Glu-Ch were discontinued and the placebo commenced, a significant proportion of the meloxicam group showed worsening of all the owner-assessed scores between day 70 and day 98, when compared to the Glu-Ch group (mobility p=0.01; activity p=0.02; temperament p=0.04; lifestyle p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with meloxicam resulted in a significant improvement in mobility and activity levels of cats with OA until the placebo was introduced. A greater proportion of cats receiving meloxicam medication showed a significant worsening of owner assessment scores once the placed was introduced, when compared to the Glu-Ch group.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24146058/