Frequently Asked Questions

If your dog has signs of osteoarthritis in the front legs, such as limping, pain, swelling, reduced mobility, lags behind on walks, it could be elbow osteoarthritis, and Synovetin OA could be a treatment option.  Synovitis, or inflammation of the synovial membrane (the tissue around the joint) is common in dogs with elbow osteoarthritis and is a primary source of the pain your dog feels.  Synovitis also drives the degenerative process that leads to ongoing pain, inflammation, destruction of cartilage, and the progression of osteoarthritis.  In this graphic you can see the inflamed, thickened synovium in the osteoarthritic joint.

Image courtesy of Steven Fox, MS, DVM, MBA, PhD

Here’s a picture of the inflamed synovium in an actual joint. This inflammation is causing much of the pain that a dog with osteoarthritis feels.

Image courtesy of Steven Fox, MS, DVM, MBA, PhD

Synovetin OA works within the joint to eliminate harmful cells that produce further synovial inflammation.  So, the short answer is if your dog has signs of elbow osteoarthritis, then Synovetin OA may be right for you.  In some cases, the veterinarian may recommend surgery first to address any physical or anatomical issues that may be contributing to the osteoarthritis.

Here are 4 examples of best cases for Synovetin OA treatment.  It’s always best to speak with your veterinarian to learn more.

In the joint fluid of an arthritic joint, cells called macrophages drive the inflammation, pain and progression of osteoarthritis.  The macrophage can be considered the source of pain–where pain begins.  Macrophages in inflamed joints produce substances that cause even more inflammation and damage to the joint.  This is called “the vicious cycle of inflammation” and if left untreated, causes ongoing inflammation, pain, and damage to the cartilage.

Synovetin OA is different from all other arthritis pain treatments.  It is a targeted treatment that focuses directly on the macrophage.  Synovetin OA consists of microparticles of tin-117m, a radioisotope with therapeutic properties. Once injected into an arthritic elbow joint, the microparticles are engulfed by macrophages, which are subsequently deactivated and eliminated.  By eliminating macrophages, Synovetin OA breaks the vicious cycle of inflammation, providing long-lasting pain relief with no adverse effects.

The procedure is called “radiosynoviorthesis” and has been performed in millions of people with arthritis worldwide for over 60 years–safely, effectively, and with long-lasting results.

Watch this short video to learn exactly how Synovetin OA works.

The effectiveness of Synovetin OA was studied in multiple clinical trials of dogs with elbow arthritis. Researchers evaluated Synovetin OA in its ability to relieve arthritis pain in dogs, such as lameness (limping), level of activity, and signs of pain during the 12-month long studies.

The majority of dogs showed significant improvement after receiving Synovetin OA compared to how well they were able to move before getting the injection.  92% (12/13) of dogs with mild to moderate elbow OA improved, and 71% (10/14) of dogs with more severe elbow OA improved.

After Synovetin OA was given, the dogs were less lame, in less pain, and had a greater level of activity.

In most cases, you should begin to see improvement in your dog’s mobility within a few weeks depending on the severity of the joint being treated. Some pet parents see results almost immediately, while in other instances of severe elbow osteoarthritis, it can be up to two months. This improvement should continue over time as Synovetin OA works inside the joint to reduce inflammation.  The chart below shows the percent of dogs responding to treatment over the 12-month clinical trial.*  The line shows the amount of active tin-117m remaining in the dogs’ joints. So, dogs get very long-lasting pain relief despite the fact that there is no remaining tin-117m in the joint.  This is very different from pain drugs that need to be dosed daily to provide relief that day.  With Synovetin OA, dogs get pain relief with no medicine in the dog.

*Aulakh KS, Lopez MJ, Hudson C, Gaschen L, Fabiani M, Beale B, Andrews FM, Liu CC, Lattimer J. Prospective Clinical Evaluation of Intra-Articular Injection of Tin-117m (^117mSn) Radiosynoviorthesis Agent for Management of Naturally Occurring Elbow Osteoarthritis in Dogs: A Pilot Study. Vet Med (Auckl). 2021 Jun 4;12:117-128. doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S295309. PMID: 34113552; PMCID: PMC8187093.

Synovetin OA is administered directly into the arthritic joint (intra-articular injection).  Your veterinarian will either sedate or anesthetize your dog, and then inject Synovetin OA.  This is very fast and straightforward procedure, following which your dog will be released to you to and you can return home.  The veterinarian will provide home care instructions that you’ll follow for a short period of time.  Watch the video below to see how Synovetin OA is dosed into the joint.  You’ll see that it is a simple, minimally invasive procedure.

Synovetin OA is a radiotherapeutic treatment that uses the isotope tin-117m.  The procedure is called “radiosynoviorthesis”, which means “restoration of the synovium using radiotherapy”.  While Synovetin OA is specifically for dogs, radiosynoviorthesis using other isotopes has been performed in millions of people with arthritis worldwide for over 60 years.  It is exceptionally safe, highly effective, and provides very long-lasting pain relief.  Radiotherapy is widely used in human medicine to treat cancers, and radiotherapeutics are used extensively in diagnostic procedures such as the millions of cardiac stress tests performed each year.

In dogs, Synovetin OA uses very low, very weak radiotherapeutic activity to safely eliminate harmful cells that cause the inflammation, pain and progression of elbow osteoarthritis.  The tin-117m activity diminishes gradually and is effectively gone within weeks.  But the pain relief is very long-lasting–up to 1 full year.  The chart below shows how much activity is emitted by Synovetin OA versus other common sources in our everyday lives.

Synovetin OA is administered directly into the arthritic elbow joint where it remains and works locally to eliminate inflammation–the driver of pain and progression of osteoarthritis. It does not travel systemically through the dog’s body, and therefore causes no systemic side effects.  This is in contrast to pain drugs such as NSAIDs, which are a metabolized systemically in the dog’s body and have known side effects.

The safety of Synovetin OA has been extensively investigated in numerous studies. Both the researchers and the pet parents of the treated dogs reported that Synovetin OA had no systemic side effects or safety issues.  In some cases, it has been reported that pain in the treated joint can occur following treatment that can last up to 3 days following the procedure.  Consult your veterinarian if your dog appears uncomfortable after treatment with Synovetin OA.

Today, many dog owners give their dogs multiple treatments to manage pain, including daily pain pills and joint supplements, and injections.  Often, some of these medications also require routine monitoring for side effects.  The costs for all this can really add up fast!  Plus, the daily process of giving all those drugs can be a real hassle.

Synovetin OA is a convenient way to manage chronic elbow OA pain because it provides very long-lasting relief with just 1 simple, safe, non-systemic treatment.  The overall cost for Synovetin OA should be comparable to other treatments over the course of a year.  Synovetin OA is also covered by major pet insurance providers. Talk with a veterinarian at a Synovetin OA Treatment Center near you for specific pricing for your dog.  With Synovetin OA, you get far more convenient treatment that saves you time, money, and hassle.

Synovetin OA works quite differently than NSAIDs. NSAIDs act systemically providing short-term (~1 day) joint pain relief while Synovetin OA works locally in the painful joint providing a much longer duration of relief–up to one full year. Synovetin OA works locally so organs such as the liver, kidneys and GI tract are not involved and are not put at risk. Synovetin OA works at a source of the elbow joint pain breaking the vicious cycle of inflammation and thereby providing pain relief up to one year from a single joint injection.

After treatment, your veterinarian will provide instructions on how to care for your dog.  Your dog may show some signs of joint pain from the procedure, which should resolve in a few days, and your veterinarian may prescribe medicine for this.  You do not need to restrain your dog following treatment–they can return to whatever level of activity they’re comfortable with.  Be sure to follow your veterinarian’s instructions.  You will also receive easy-to-follow Synovetin OA home care guidelines that are shown in the short video below. You’ll only need to follow these guidelines for a short period of time following treatment–typically just 2 weeks.

For a quick reference, see this Home Care Instructions handout.  Your veterinarian will provide you with more information.