New Hope for Treating Dog Arthritis Pain

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“Cinder,” a black Labrador Retriever, was always a fun-loving, joyful dog. Her owner, Terry Ellison, describes her as “my silly, happy, bouncy girl.” Until she was about 5 years old, Cinder enjoyed participating in agility competitions. But then, Ellison started noticing that the formerly eager canine athlete was starting to hang back on the obstacle course.

“Cinder is one of those dogs who doesn’t have a sense of self-preservation,” Ellison says. “We knew something was really wrong when she showed a reluctance to jump.” It wasn’t long until Cinder was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), one of the most common and painful joint conditions in dogs.

Mark Baer

Cinder, a competitive agility dog, was diagnosed with canine OA at age 5.

Arthritis in Dogs: Common and Challenging to Treat

Like Ellison, you may notice changes in how your dog moves. Are they limping, lagging behind on walks, or having difficulty going up and down stairs or walking on slick floors? These are common signs of dog arthritis.

The heartbreaking part of Cinder’s story is that it’s all too common. At least one in four adult dogs – and up to 80% of senior dogs in the US – suffer from arthritis joint pain. It’s one of the most common causes of chronic pain in dogs. The typical treatments, like pain relievers and supplements, mostly address the symptoms, but not the cause.

In the past, dog arthritis was thought of as a “wear-and-tear” disease that mainly affected older dogs. Now, researchers and experts understand that it’s really a disease of ongoing inflammation inside the joint. This inflammation not only causes the pain of arthritis, it also causes the cartilage lining that cushions the joint to break down over time.

Unfortunately, this typically starts in otherwise healthy young dogs, like Cinder. But it usually isn’t treated until the disease has gotten to a point where the resulting pain is taking a toll on their ability to move comfortably. If treatment only addresses the symptoms but not the underlying inflammation, the disease just continues to worsen over time. This leads to more pain, joint damage, and mobility problems, that can seriously lower a dog’s quality of life.

Synovetin OA®

Arthritis is driven by a vicious cycle of ongoing inflammation, pain, and cartilage damage.

Time for A Different Approach

In Cinder’s case, Ellison agreed to try numerous canine OA treatments, including NSAIDs, supplements, and joint injections. Unfortunately, none of them made much of a difference, and the arthritis kept progressing. “You could see how unhappy she was. She had a downtrodden look to her,” Ellison recalls. “She didn’t want to come out of a dark bedroom, not even to eat.”

Ellison’s veterinarian suggested trying Synovetin OA®, a newer approach to dog arthritis. It changed everything for Cinder. In the first three days following treatment, she was walking again. Three to four weeks later, she was running around with the family’s other labs and initiating play.

Individual results vary, depending on the dog and how far the arthritis has progressed. Synovetin OA goes beyond simply managing symptoms by masking pain. It targets the underlying inflammation and reducing pain at the source, while also preserving joint health.

Synovetin OA is given by a one-time injection into the affected joint that takes just minutes. It delivers targeted microscopic medical particles (called tin-117m) to deactivate and remove the damaging cells that cause inflammation, pain, and joint damage. It’s similar to the medical radiotherapy that’s routinely used to effectively treat numerous medical conditions in people.

This approach offers advantages to veterinarians and dog owners alike:

• Long lasting—one simple treatment provides up to one full year of relief
• Proven effective in dogs at all stages of arthritis—from mild to severe
• Exceptionally safe—it stays inside the joint and does not affect other body systems or organs, like the stomach, liver, or kidneys
• Convenient—no need to remember to give a pill or chew every day or make monthly trips to the vet for repeat treatments

The Potential to Slow Arthritis Progression

The key component in Synovetin OA, tin-117m, has been extensively studied. Scientists examined results from separate studies on rodents and in dogs.

Research in rats showed a powerful positive disease-modifying effect, meaning that tin-117m was found to interrupt the progression of arthritis joint damage.

Clinical trials in dogs with elbow arthritis showed up to one year of continual pain relief and joint improvement. This was even after all of the tin-117m particles had become inactive in the joint.

New Hope for Dogs Suffering from Arthritis

Mark Baer

After treatment with Synovetin OA, Cinder is now able to run and play with the family’s other Labs.

For veterinarians and dog owners like Ellison, Synovetin OA is offering new hope. As an “inflammation-forward” treatment, it provides significant improvement to a dog’s comfort and mobility at all stages of the disease. It’s especially beneficial in the early stages of arthritis, when the targeted action provides the best chance to relieve pain and break the vicious cycle of inflammation that causes disease progression.

In Cinder’s case, this approach made all the difference. For the millions of dogs facing similar struggles, innovations like Synovetin OA are providing new opportunities to prevent joint destruction and help these beloved pets continue to live active, playful lives. “Cinder has now been treated three times with Synovetin OA, and each time it has given her more than one year of relief,” says Ellison. “I have a happy, healthy, active, and pain-free dog again.”