Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term NSAID use for dog osteoarthritis safety and benefits
By Innes, J F et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2010·Small Animal Teaching Hospital and Musculoskeletal Research Group, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Review of the safety and efficacy of long-term NSAID use in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A review of studies found that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help dogs with osteoarthritis (a common joint condition) feel better and move more comfortably. Most studies showed that dogs treated with NSAIDs for 28 days or more had less pain and limping compared to those on shorter treatments. While there were some reports of side effects, the overall safety of long-term NSAID use appears acceptable, although more research is needed to confirm this. If your dog has osteoarthritis, talk to your vet about the best treatment plan for their needs.
People also search for: dog osteoarthritis treatment · long-term NSAID use for dogs · dog limping pain relief
Abstract
The published, peer-reviewed literature was systematically searched for information on the safety and efficacy of long-term (defined as 28 days or more of continuous therapy) NSAID use in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis. Online databases were reviewed in June 2008 and papers were selected based on their relevance. Fifteen papers were identified and evaluated. Six of seven papers indicated a benefit of long-term treatment over short-term treatment in terms of the reduction of clinical signs or lameness; one study showed no benefit. Fourteen papers evaluated safety with calculated experimental (adverse) event rates (EER) between 0 and 0.31, but there was no correlation between study length and EER (rs=-0.109, P=0.793). The balance of evidence for the efficacy of NSAIDs supports longer-term use of these agents for increased clinical effect. There is no indication in the literature that such an approach is associated with a reduction in safety, although robust data on the safety of long-term NSAID use are lacking in large numbers of dogs.
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/20173106/