Help for Joint Inflammation (Osteoarthritis) in Dogs and Cats
Dogs and cats, especially older animals, often suffer from painful joint inflammation in the legs and/or spine. Cats of the “Scottish Fold” breed often have corresponding complaints at a young age due to their genetically determined bone-cartilage damage (osteochondrodysplasia). Previously, the primaryPrimary refers to the first or original cause of a disease or condition, as opposed to secondary causes or symptoms that develop from it. treatments for osteoarthritis were painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugsAnti-inflammatory drugs are medications that reduce inflammation. They can be divided into nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids and are used in dogs and cats to reduce Inflammatory conditions and Pain., which must be constantly injected or administered.
In the USA, two animal-species-specific drugs (monoclonal antibodies) have been developed for dogs and cats that bind a proteinProteins are large molecules made up of amino acids and play an essential role in almost all biological processes. They are necessary for building body tissue, the function of the immune system, and as enzymes for metabolic reactions. (nerve growth factor NGF) involved in the transmission of pain signals, thereby providing longer-term relief from the pain associated with this disease.
Both drugs, Librale for dogs and Solensia for cats, were approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2020 and 2021 for the whole of Europe.
The drugs are injected under the skin, similar to a vaccinationVaccination is the process of administering a vaccine to develop immunity against a specific infectious disease. It is one of the most effective methods of prevention of infectious diseases., and are only available from veterinarians. In advance, the individual criteria for the course of treatment, the chances of success and possible exclusion criteria such as pregnancy or advanced kidney disease are discussed.