Controlling Osteoarthritis Pain: What Your Vet and Dog Want You to Know

(BPT) - "She just loves to go." That's how Patty and Jim M. talk about Taffy, their 9-year-old Golden Retriever. Taffy has been all over the United States with her pet parents, jumping at the chance to swim in lakes and rivers or take long walks with them wherever they go. But when they started to notice that Taffy wasn't her usual self, they knew that something was going on.

"We could see that her hips were giving her problems, she was having difficulty getting up and she wouldn't walk fast," Patty and Jim shared. "She wasn't doing the things she normally did. It was really hard to see her like that."

Patty and Jim took Taffy to their veterinarian as soon as they got home. Following an examination and X-rays, the veterinarian diagnosed Taffy with osteoarthritis (OA), a painful progressive condition, meaning that it gets worse over time. In partnership with Patty and Jim, Taffy's veterinarian started her on Librela™ (bedinvetmab injection), the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved monthly injectable monoclonal antibody therapy to control OA pain in dogs.

Understanding the Challenges of OA Pain

OA is a degenerative disease affecting the joints that causes cartilage to wear down over time, resulting in painful bone-on-bone contact. The pain caused by OA can affect a dog's health and well-being,^[i] decrease their willingness to be active and disrupt their interaction with family members, ultimately impacting the bond they share with their people.

Dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds can experience OA pain.^[ii] In fact, approximately 40% of dogs show signs of the condition.^[iii],[iv] While the signs of OA pain may be easier to detect in older dogs because they often have more advanced disease, the pain can start at a much younger age. Dogs even as young as 1 year old can develop the condition. Yet, despite its prevalence, only 33% of dogs with OA pain are diagnosed and treated for it.^[v]

Look Out for the Signs of OA Pain

While pet owners may expect dogs suffering from OA to limp or cry out, these are not the most common signs of this painful condition. Pet owners should also be on the lookout for decreased activity, lagging behind on walks, slowness to rise, hesitation or difficulty in jumping up or down, stiffness and difficulty going up or down stairs. Additionally, OA pain can cause behavioral changes in dogs, including withdrawal, lack of enthusiasm for activities and even aggression.^[i]

"Because animals cannot speak up when something isn't right, it's important that pet parents pay attention to their dog's physical and emotional behaviors and share any changes with their veterinarian," said Courtney Pierce, DVM, MBA, CCFP, Medical Lead for Canine Pain at Zoetis. "My own dog was diagnosed with OA at just 4 years old and, because I didn't ignore the signs, we were able to get him started on pain relief and a weight management program right away. While OA can't be reversed, the pain can be controlled, which is why it's so important to identify the signs and symptoms of OA pain early so we can provide our furry family members with an improved quality of life by controlling the pain."

If not treated, the inflammation and pain from OA can lead to chronic pain and ongoing joint damage. It also becomes more difficult to treat as the condition worsens.^[vi]

An Innovative Approach to Treating OA Pain

Librela was approved by the FDA in 2023 following rigorous testing of the therapy, including two field studies showing that dogs administered Librela as a monthly injection demonstrated a reduction in OA pain, as well as improvements in their mobility and overall quality of life.^[vii] Since its approval, Librela has been used to treat more than 1 million dogs in the U.S.^[viii] and success stories show the positive impact Librela has made on dogs' lives.

With once-monthly injections administered by a veterinary professional, Librela may also reduce pet owner stress about missing a daily treatment dose and help maintain the human-animal bond.

The Value of Partnering With Your Vet

Identifying OA symptoms and partnering with their veterinarian is an important step for pet parents to help manage their dog's OA pain. By maintaining regular visits and not overlooking signs that something may not be right, pet parents are not only doing what's best for their dog's health but also are forming a strong relationship with their veterinary healthcare team throughout their dog's health journey.

"Going to the vet regularly can help catch any potential health issues early on and also gives pet owners the opportunity to discuss anything out of the ordinary their dog may be experiencing," explained Dr. Pierce. "Veterinarians are partners in care, and we look to work with pet owners to find solutions to their dog's problems to ensure they live long, healthy, active lives."

Since starting Librela, Patty and Jim have noticed that Taffy is back to doing the things she loves and believe it's important for pet parents to give their dogs the best quality of life.

"Anybody who knows Taffy has noticed a change and says 'Wow, she's so energetic now!'" said Patty and Jim. "She's just running around like the other dogs, which she didn't do before. Her ability to do these things is just amazing, for us and for her."

Don't let OA pain steal another day of your dog's life. Pet owners can complete this Dog OA Quiz to determine if their dog may be suffering from OA and help foster conversations with their veterinarian so their dog can get back to doing the things they love most. You can also visit Librela.com to learn more about Taffy and other dog stories showing the positive impact of Librela.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: See full Librela Prescribing Information at LibrelaPI.com. For use in dogs only. Women who are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding should take extreme care to avoid self-injection. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, could potentially occur with self-injection. Librela should not be used in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Librela should not be administered to dogs with known hypersensitivity to bedinvetmab. The most common adverse events reported in a clinical study were urinary tract infections, bacterial skin infections and dermatitis.

INDICATIONS: For the control of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

See the Client Information Sheet at LibrelaPI.com for more information about Librela.

The animal health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with an animal healthcare professional. Testimonials represent individual experience only and the experiences and opinions herein may be unique to the patient and the speaker. Individual results may vary considering the unique characteristics of the patient.