Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Joint injections ease jaw pain in German Shepherd dogs
By Almansa Ruiz, J C et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2021·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Temporomandibular joint injections in dogs with temporomandibular joint pain: 11 cases (2015-2019).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of German Shepherds with jaw pain due to temporomandibular joint issues received injections of a steroid and local anesthetic to help relieve their discomfort. The results showed that many dogs experienced significant relief, with some remaining pain-free for over a year after the treatment. Dogs that had one side injected tended to have longer-lasting relief compared to those treated on both sides. Overall, this injection technique appears to be a promising option for managing jaw pain in dogs.
People also search for: dog jaw pain treatment · German Shepherd temporomandibular joint pain · dog orofacial pain relief
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate the clinical application of temporomandibular joint injections using betamethasone and ropivacaine in German Shepherd dogs suffering from non-odontogenic orofacial pain due to temporomandibular dysplasia and/or osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Outcomes in dogs presented with clinical signs of non-odontogenic orofacial pain associated to temporomandibular joint dysplasia and/or arthritis and treated with a temporomandibular joint injection were retrospectively-prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The overall clinical signs free period ranged between 25 to 1579 days, with an average of 461 days. The clinical signs free period for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis scores 1, 2 and 3 were on average 659 days (180-1579 days), 134 days (42-355 days) and 723 days (25-1377 days), respectively. Similarly the temporomandibular dysplasia scores 1, 2 and 3 were on average 306 days (26-1579 days), 1377 days and 669 days (25-1429 days) respectively. Those dogs in which only one side was injected the clinical signs free period average was 639 days (25-1578 days), compared with dogs in which both temporomandibular joints were injected showing a clinical signs free period average of 378 days (42-1377 days). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The temporomandibular joint injection technique proved to be feasible with a decent outcome in dogs suffering from non-odontogenic orofacial pain associated with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis and/or dysplasia. Further randomised studies are required to confirm the effectiveness of this intervention.
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/33145802/