Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term treatment with carprofen of 805 dogs with osteoarthritis.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Mansa, S et al.
- Affiliation:
- SM-Vet
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 805 dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, researchers looked at how well carprofen, a pain-relieving medication, worked and how well the dogs tolerated it. The dogs, which came from various breeds, ages, and sizes, were given carprofen by their owners for 84 days. Some dogs had to leave the study due to side effects or other reasons not related to the treatment. After 14 days and again at the end of the study, veterinarians and owners assessed the dogs' conditions, finding that about 27% of the dogs were no longer lame and nearly half showed improvement. However, it was noted that too much exercise during treatment could lead to setbacks for some dogs. Overall, the treatment was effective for a significant number of dogs.
Abstract
The pain-relieving effect of carprofen and tolerance to the drug were investigated in 805 dogs that were lame as a result of osteoarthritis. The dogs were of different breeds, ages and bodyweights and of both sexes, and were selected from 51 veterinary clinics. Each dog was treated orally by its owner with 4 mg/kg carprofen for 84 consecutive days. Twenty-four dogs were removed from the study because of side effects, and 55 left the study for reasons unrelated to the treatment. The condition of the dogs and the benefit of the treatment were evaluated by the veterinary surgeons and the owners after 14 days, and at the end of the period of treatment, when 194 of the dogs (26.7 per cent) were no longer lame, and 357 (49.2 per cent) had improved. The period for which the dogs had been lame before entering the study significantly (P<0.01) affected the results and the rate of improvement. Too much exercise during the 84 days of treatment caused some dogs to relapse.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17400900/