1. A correct diagnosis of osteoarthritis hasn't been confirmed by the appropriate tests first.
This is essential to avoid the wrong treatment being given for conditions which mimic OA, but which require a very different medical and / or surgical approach, such as ligament damage, autoimmune disease, Lyme's disease and septic arthritis, for example. Tip - use the free checklist in our Special Librela Report in discussions with your vet.
2. Effective Joint supplementation hasn't been trialled.
It's often assumed that if a joint supplement has been given and a noticeable improvement in mobility has not been seen as a result, then nutritional support won't help.
This however, is often far from the case for 2 reasons:
Firstly, not all products marketed for stiff dogs are the same. Most use glucosamine, chondroitin and green-lipped mussel which support cartilage, but do little, if anything, for all the other structures that need to be as healthy as possible for pain free movement. Vince the Vet Joints on the other hand, nourishes all parts of the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone, cartilage, fibrous tissues, tendon sheaths, bursae and synovial fluid (joint 'lubricating oil). And this is why dogs typically become more active and playful, even when other supplements have had little or no effect.
Secondly, adding in carefully selected additional nutrients not found in ordinary foods, such as the botanical extracts in the Vince the Vet remedy Joint Support plus Recuperation can significantly boost the results, for the best possible outcome.
3. The value of bodywork is underestimated.
Therapies which realign skeletal structures to restore a healthier conformation and release painful knots of tension in muscles, subcutaneous fascia and elsewhere, can bring great comfort and relief to osteoarthritic dogs. This not only enhances the impact of nutritional support, it improves quality of life, and in some cases can delay the need for drug treatment.
4. Medication is often prescribed before it needs to be.
A combination of dietary changes, effective supplementation, bodywork, weight management, exercise regulation, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, natural pain relief, weight management and other supportive measures can help stiff dogs remain mobile, active and comfortable for a considerable period of time. And when this is the case, drugs can be reserved until they are needed. This helps to avoid the risk of side-effects associated with many anti-inflammatories, painkillers and other medications, which can be serious in sensitive dogs.
5. Lack of awareness of the potential ill-effects of a new drug.
The clinical trials carried out before a new product is launched, typically provides a rough sketch of what a drug may or may not do when used in the pet population as a whole. Plus the risk and range of side-effects that appear during this phase of development, can be significantly altered by how the controlled environments are set up, and what monitoring is or isn't put in place. And so it's typically not until a drug is used on a much larger scale, in pets of widely differing ages, living conditions, health statuses, medical regimes etc that the full extent of any problems that can arise becomes evident. This however, takes time. It's often not until 5 - 10 years have passed that regulatory authorities such as the FDA in the USA enforce labelling changes on a manufacturer - as was the case with Apoquel in February 2021 (warnings re an increased risk of cancer and susceptibility to infection), 8 years after it was launched.
For this reason, it is important not to accept marketing claims at face value, even if a vet insists there are no adverse effects, without researching what is known, and what can be inferred from from a drug's mode of action first.