Having just returned from a conference in Brisbane, Dr Karin Davids tells us the latest.
As many owner’s of arthritic pets are probably already aware, osteoarthritis is best treated via a ‘multimodal approach’. This involves a combination of anti-inflammatories, disease-modifying agents (chrondroprotectives and neutraceuticals), a tailored exercise programe, and weight control. We ideally aim to minimise the dose and frequency of anti-inflammatories required, as these are the drugs that can potentially cause some side effects with long-term use. There are many disease-modifying agents on the market and many have limited or no clinical evidence to support their efficacy (the same situation exists in the human market). There has been increasing evidence for the use of fatty acid supplements because they have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Again, there are many out there and many have minimal scientific evidence behind them.
I recently attended a lecture give by Dr Brian Beale – an internationally recognised and published orthopaedic surgeon from the USA. His preferred osteoarthritis treatment regime included a fatty acid supplement called Antinol, and he presented some solid clinical studies as evidence supporting it’s results of improved weight-bearing and pain control in dogs AND cats. Antinol is a concentrated fractionated extract of New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel, and contains a unique lipid extract (PCSO-524) that has a different chemical bonding structure of omega fatty acids compared with other marine oils. PCSO-524 has been proven to modulate enzymes in the inflammatory pathway. It is very safe (there are no known side-effects), can be used long-term and also can be used in conjunction with anti-inflammatory medications. Most patients with mobility issues show a visible improvement after 10-14 days of treatment.
Antinol has recently become available in Australia and will soon be available at Southern Animal Health. We are always looking for the latest and best, evidence-based treatment for our arthritic patients. Feel free to call and chat to us further if you would like to know more!