Advances in diagnosing and managing osteoarthritis in dogs

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Did you know that September is Animal Pain Awareness Month? dvm360 will be highlighting it this month through interviews, articles, social media posts, and podcasts such as this one, advancements in pain management, leaders within the field, and new treatments available, such as Galliprant (grapiprant tablets).

To kick off the month, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomed special guest Elise Kelly, DVM, to chat all things pain management in veterinary medicine. Throughout the episode, the duo discusses canine osteoarthritis (OA) and highlights multimodal approaches to manage OA, the importance of consistent and long-term pain management, plus more on Galliprant (grapiprant tablets) and its safety profile.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Let's kind of start first by talking about some of the important signs of OA pain in dogs, and are they consistent in all dogs with OA?

Elise Kelly, DVM: That's a great question. No, they're not consistent in all dogs with OA. And we know from an owner perspective, oftentimes they're going to tell us that their dogs may be kind of lagging behind on walks or hesitant to go up and down stairs, jump in bed, jump up in their vehicles, maybe not enjoy their favorite activities like they used to. One thing that I think a lot of times pet owners and vets alike don't think about is sleep. Sometimes dogs when they're very restless at night or they can't lay down and get comfortable, that can be a sign of pain and osteoarthritis as well, but it can present differently in all different types of dogs and as veterinarians, when we're doing our physical exam, of course, we're looking for things like changes in range of motion, crepitus in the joint, swelling, inflammation, any pain when we manipulate that joint.

But again, every dog is a little bit different, and I think it's important to understand also here that we tend to think about osteoarthritis as an old age dog disease, and it's really not. It's really a young dog disease. And I don't know about you, Adam, but [the] youngest dog I ever diagnosed with osteoarthritis was a 9-month-old Boston Terrier who had awful hip dysplasia, and so it's really a developmental disease for these dogs, and sadly, most of them aren't diagnosed until they're between 8 and 13.

So, one of my pleas for veterinarians today is to be really vigilant about asking these questions to pet owners to look for these specific changes we talked about at home earlier on, even maybe starting at 2 or 3 years of age. So if we can catch osteoarthritis earlier and start treating earlier, it's just going to be better long-term quality of life for that pet and the pet parent.

Indication
Galliprant controls pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

Important Safety Information
For use in dogs only. Keep this and all medications out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental ingestion or overdose. Galliprant is a non-COX inhibiting NSAID. As a class, NSAIDs may be associated with gastrointestinal, kidney and liver side effects. Evaluation for pre-existing conditions and regular monitoring are recommended. Do not use in dogs that have a hypersensitivity to grapiprant. Concomitant use of Galliprant with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids should be avoided. Concurrent use with other anti-inflammatory drugs or protein-bound drugs has not been studied. The safe use of Galliprant has not been evaluated in dogs younger than 9 months of age and less than 8 lbs (3.6 kg), dogs used for breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs, or dogs with cardiac disease. Owners should be advised to observe for signs of potential drug toxicity. Adverse reactions may include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, watery or bloody stools, and decreases in serum albumin and total protein. Click here for full prescribing information

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