The main class of drugs that are used for osteoarthritis are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). These drugs are effective at reducing the inflammation in the joints and providing pain relief to dogs with arthritis. In some pets we recommend a blood test prior to commencement of these drugs to ensure your pet is in good health. Generally these drugs are well-tolerated, but there can be side effects and it is important to monitor for these. The most common side effect is gastro-intestinal upset. When pet’s are on these drugs in the long-term, we generally monitor blood-work at regular intervals, as a more uncommon side effect is liver or kidney dysfunction.
Although there can be side effects from these drugs, a pet’s comfort and quality of life is the number one priority and these drugs are effective at improving these aspects. One of the more common NSAIDS is called Meloxicam. This is the link to a video explaining how to use this drug safely, including how to use the meloxicam syringes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0KQuWhpkCw&t=7s
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