Canine OA is a degenerative disease that damages a dog’s joints. It is the most frequent type of arthritis in dogs and commonly affects the elbows, hips, and knees (called the “stifle”), but can also affect the shoulders, wrists (called the “carpus”), and the spine. This chronic disease occurs in roughly 25% of dogs and can cause significant damage to the joint(s) if not diagnosed and treated.

The main problem in OA is that it causes the progressive breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your dog’s joint(s) and enables him or her to run after balls, jump to catch frisbees, dive into lakes, and play joyfully with your family without pain. The cartilage breakdown in OA is caused by inflammation of the thin membrane that lines the joint, called the synovium. Normally, the synovium produces fluid that lubricates and nourishes the joint; but in OA, this normal process is disrupted by inflammation.

The vicious cycle of inflammation in canine OA. The inflammatory cycle begins when the synovium becomes irritated or inflamed, causing the body to go into overdrive producing immune cells. These immune cells mistakenly go to work attacking the synovial lining, and eventually invade and destroy cartilage, leading to chronic pain, disability, and ongoing inflammation. This ongoing inflammation then continues the cycle, leading to greater and greater cartilage deterioration over time. As the disease progresses in this way, your dog’s bones rub together painfully, causing increasingly debilitating pain and lameness.

The progressive nature of canine OA is why early diagnosis and treatment are so important. The usual approach to canine OA diagnosis and treatment involves a trip to the veterinarian who will perform several different tests to make sure that it is OA and not some other problem causing a dog’s limping or lameness. This may include a gait and mobility assessment, physical examinations, X-rays, and other types of imaging to see what’s going on inside the joint.

Once a dog has been accurately diagnosed with OA, the typical approach to treatment has been to prescribe daily pills or chews to help reduce pain, various types of injections which have to be given fairly frequently, and dietary supplements. Surgery is another approach that may be appropriate for more advanced cases.

However, despite these numerous treatment options, chronic OA continues to be one of the most crippling conditions in companion animal health. In the case of canine elbow OA, pain medications are often needed in dogs as young as 2 years of age, and fewer than 50% of all treated dogs have satisfactory long-term recovery.

Treatment with Synovetin OA® goes to work at the source of the pain to fight inflammation. This is a totally different approach to treating canine elbow OA. It isn’t a daily pill or chew that has to go through your dog’s entire body in order to provide joint pain relief. Additionally, Synovetin OA doesn’t involve surgery or the need for your dog to be restrained while he or she heals after treatment.

Unlike these other approaches, Synovetin OA is a quick and simple procedure that doesn’t put any drugs into a dog’s body system. Instead, it is a targeted type of treatment that is given directly into the arthritic joint. Once there, it goes to work to effectively eliminate the inflammatory cells that cause OA pain and limit your dog’s ability to run, jump, and play. Just 1 simple treatment eliminates the source of joint pain for up to 1 full year of long-lasting, enduring relief that can help you and your dog get back to the things you love to do together. See how Synovetin OA works to treat canine elbow OA. Learn more.

Read real-life Synovetin OA success stories here.