Risk Factors Overweight dogs Large or giant breeds Over the age of 5 Breed inherited traits, such as hip dysplasia Levels of high activity for long periods of time Joint trauma

Canine arthritis . . . → Read More: Arthritis treatment with adequan]]> Arthritis & Adequan as Treatment
Signs of Arthritis
Reluctance to walk, run, climb stairs, jump or play
Lagging behind on walks
Reluctance to extend rear legs
Sluggishness
Tiredness
Low activity
Aggressive or withdrawn behavior
Other personality or behavioral changes

Risk Factors
Overweight dogs
Large or giant breeds
Over the age of 5
Breed inherited traits, such as hip dysplasia
Levels of high activity for long periods of time
Joint trauma

Canine arthritis occurs in your dog’s joints. A healthy joint consists of cartilage that covers and protects the ends of the bones in a joint. The cartilage has no nerves; when it touches the cartilage of another bone, your dog feels no pain. However, arthritis causes the cartilage to wear away. This exposes the bone, which has many nerves. So when two bones touch each other, your dog feels pain. This pain can greatly affect your dog’s quality of life.

Adequan® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is a prescription, water-based, intramuscular, polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) that helps prevent the cartilage in your dog’s joint from wearing away. It helps keep the cartilage healthy and intact, so that the bone in the joint cannot touch other bones.

Adequan® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is administered two times a week for four weeks. The drug is injected intramuscularly to ensure it reaches the critical parts of the joint. It goes to work in the joint in about two hours and stays in the joint for about three days. With Adequan® Canine you should see signs of improvement within four weeks.

http://devinefarm.net/rp/rppharm.htm
Using Pharmaceuticals To Treat Joint Disease – Clinical Evidence Shows Success
By Lester Mandelker, DVM, Dipl. ABVP
As published in Veterinary Forum, April, 1992
A recent study in horses by Michael Collier, DVM, Davis Clark, DVM, et al at Oklahoma State University revealed that Adequan does penetrate synovial fluid when given intramuscularly. This was tested by labeling the agent with tritium. This research concluded that Adequan given intra muscularly (IM) “distributes to the blood, synovial fluid and to the articular cartilage within two hours … and at 96 hours post injection, levels compatible with relevant enzyme persisted in cartilage and bone.”

Furthermore, three articles on canine joint diseases and hip dysplasia in a veterinary journal in 1991 reviewed the current status of joint diseases and all three articles stated that therapy with Adequan improved joint function and reduced disease states. They stated, “While the use of polysulfated glycoaminoglycan (Adequan) in small animals with degenerative joint disease are cause for optimism it must be viewed critically until objective information is obtained.” (Compendium; David Clark, DVM, Sept. 1991, page 1445.)

Further evidence appeared in the Fall/Winter 1991 issue of Cornell Institute News which revealed that Adequan appeared clinically to reduce hip dysplasia in a controlled study of dogs. In summary, the article says, “Adequan has the potential to prevent hip dysplasia in genetically predisposed dogs.”

Finally, in the recent 1992 North American Veterinary Conference proceedings (pages 308, 310, 325), Brian Beale, DVM, from the University of Florida reported, “Adequan has been shown experimentally to preserve articular cartilage following meniscectomy” and “very young dogs may benefit from the cartilage sparing effects of the polysulfated glycoaminoglycans.” He added, “this drug is purported to have anti-inflammatory and antienzymatic qualities which allow it to relieve many of the clinical signs associated with degenerative joint disease and maintain the health of the remaining articular cartilage (chondroprotection).”