Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Activity monitors show carprofen helps dogs with osteoarthritis
By Brown, Dorothy Cimino et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2010·Department of Clinical Studies-Philadelphia, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Use of an activity monitor to detect response to treatment in dogs with osteoarthritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 70 dogs with osteoarthritis wore activity monitors for 21 days to see how their movement changed with treatment. Half of the dogs received carprofen, a common pain medication, while the other half got a placebo. The dogs on carprofen showed a significant increase in their activity levels, moving about 20% more than those on the placebo. This suggests that using an activity monitor can help track how well dogs respond to arthritis treatment, making it easier for vets to assess their progress.
People also search for: dog osteoarthritis treatment · carprofen for dogs · how to measure dog activity levels
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an activity monitor (AM) could be used to detect changes in activity in dogs with osteoarthritis treated with carprofen or a placebo. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS: 70 dogs with no clinically important abnormalities other than osteoarthritis for which they were not currently being treated. PROCEDURES: Dogs wore an AM continuously for 21 days. On days 8 through 21, the dogs were treated with carprofen (n = 35) or a placebo (35). Total activity counts for days 1 through 7 (baseline) were compared with total activity counts for days 15 through 21 (endpoint). The change in total activity count from baseline to endpoint was assessed within each treatment group as well as between groups. Linear regression analysis was performed to test for an association between treatment and percentage change in activity counts while controlling for other variables. RESULTS: For placebo-treated dogs, median baseline total activity count was not significantly different from median endpoint total activity count (1,378,408 vs 1,310,112, respectively). For dogs receiving carprofen, there was a significant increase in median activity count from baseline to endpoint (1,276,427 vs 1,374,133). When age and baseline activity counts were controlled for, dogs in the carpofen-treated group had a 20% increase in activity counts, compared with placebo-treated dogs (95% confidence interval, 10% to 26%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that the AM used in the present study may be a valid outcome assessment tool for documenting improved activity associated with treatment in dogs with osteoarthritis.
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/20590496/