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Stiffness, lameness, painful joints, limited range of motion and a reluctance to exercise, jump or climb are all symptoms of canine osteoarthritis (OA) ^[1]. Much like the progression of the disease in humans, canine OA is characterized by progressive destruction of articular cartilage with loss of proteoglycan and collagen, subchondral sclerosis and chronic inflammation of the synovial membranes ^[2].

Although canine OA can develop at any age, its higher prevalence in older dogs indicates that it’s a disease associated with ageing ^[1]. Around 80 per cent of dogs over the age of five suffer from this degenerative joint disease ^[3]. One of them is Friday, a five-year-old German Shepherd. Because of his OA, he had severe pain that affected his ability to walk, climb stairs and get up after lying down. As a result, he became less active and easily exhausted.

Scientifically proven efficacy of PETAGILE^® helps arthritic dogs

Treating canine OA can be quite challenging for veterinarians and pet owners in terms of success and cost. Current treatments tend to focus on the symptoms of OA by reducing inflammation and pain through the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, but this is only a temporary solution as it does not address the root cause of the problem, and can also result in adverse effects ^[4]. Independent controlled field studies with PETAGILE^® in dogs with clinical signs of osteoarthritis demonstrated significant improvements in mobility, pain reduction and a higher quality of life ^[5]. These findings were also observed with Friday, who was treated with PETAGILE^® and received the Bioactive Collagen Peptides (BCP®) with his regular food on a daily basis for 12 weeks.

“After 3 months of supplementation with PETAGILE^®, Friday showed outstanding improvements compared to the baseline. His lameness was reduced and he found it easier to climb stairs and get up after lying down. He gained more stability and balance, which we saw when he stood on a bench with his front feet. Before his treatment, he could barely stand for 5 seconds and now, after 3 months, he can stand for a full minute. He is also able to walk on the treadmill for much longer than before. It’s so great to see Friday getting better and happier,” says Alex Rothacker, a highly experienced dog trainer from the USA.

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References

^[1] Johnson, K.A., Lee, A.H. and Swanson, K.S. (2020) Nutrition and nutraceuticals in the changing management of osteoarthritis for dogs and cats. JAVMA, VOL 256, NO. 12, 1335-1341

^[2] Fritsch D, Allen TA, Dodd CE, et al. Dose-titration effects of fish oil in osteoarthritic dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2010; 24:1020–1026.

^[3] Roush JK, Dodd CE, Fritsch DA, et al. Multicenter veterinary practice assessment of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on osteoarthritis in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010; 236:59–66.

^[4] Belshaw, Z., Asher, L. and Dean, R.S. (2016) The Attitudes of Owners and Veterinary Professionals in the United Kingdom to the Risk of Adverse Events Associated with Using Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to Treat Dogs with Osteoarthritis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 131,121-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.07.017

^[5] Schunck, M., Louton, H., & Oesser, S. (2017). The effectiveness of specific collagen peptides on osteoarthritis in dogs-impact on metabolic processes in canine chondrocytes. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 7, 254. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojas.2017.73020