Arthritis Therapy For Dogs
Professor Éric Troncy, senior author of the study, says: “Natural health products are quite abundant in our lives, and I was interested by the results of other colleagues in human pharmacology with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of plants used in native Indian communities in Canada.”
They proceeded to select several plants known for their analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory properties and test them on rodents, trying out different mixtures and playing with the concentration of each plant.
The resulting product is based on medicinal plants to treat inflammation, along with dietary supplements such as omega 3, chondroitin sulfate and glutamine to help the regeneration of articulations.
The trial was carried on 32 dogs, all of them diagnosed with arthritis and weighting more than 20 kilograms. The dogs treated with the product were monitored over the course of eight weeks by making them walk over a special platform measuring the strength of each paw, through an electronic collar recording the dogs' daily activities and by asking the dogs’ owners their evaluations of their dog's behaviour.
While the evaluations of the dogs’ owners were mixed, the platform and collar showed a general improvement in the dogs treated with the formula. None of the dogs treated showed a decline in health; there was an improvement of one kilo of extra strength per paw, and the collars showed an average increase of daily physical activity of about two hours. Troncy thinks that the treatment may be effective for humans as well.
“We would quantify the chances of the formula working on humans at about 95%,” he says. “We have engaged discussions with a pharmaceutical company to promote natural health products in an evidence-based approach. We have the year to come for agreeing to different promising compounds. I am crossing fingers it would be followed by commercialisation.”
If his estimation is correct, it may be only a matter of time before we see senior dogs and perhaps senior owners walking together with an extra spring in their step.
They proceeded to select several plants known for their analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory properties and test them on rodents, trying out different mixtures and playing with the concentration of each plant.
The resulting product is based on medicinal plants to treat inflammation, along with dietary supplements such as omega 3, chondroitin sulfate and glutamine to help the regeneration of articulations.
The trial was carried on 32 dogs, all of them diagnosed with arthritis and weighting more than 20 kilograms. The dogs treated with the product were monitored over the course of eight weeks by making them walk over a special platform measuring the strength of each paw, through an electronic collar recording the dogs' daily activities and by asking the dogs’ owners their evaluations of their dog's behaviour.
While the evaluations of the dogs’ owners were mixed, the platform and collar showed a general improvement in the dogs treated with the formula. None of the dogs treated showed a decline in health; there was an improvement of one kilo of extra strength per paw, and the collars showed an average increase of daily physical activity of about two hours. Troncy thinks that the treatment may be effective for humans as well.
“We would quantify the chances of the formula working on humans at about 95%,” he says. “We have engaged discussions with a pharmaceutical company to promote natural health products in an evidence-based approach. We have the year to come for agreeing to different promising compounds. I am crossing fingers it would be followed by commercialisation.”
If his estimation is correct, it may be only a matter of time before we see senior dogs and perhaps senior owners walking together with an extra spring in their step.
