All Articles | Canine Arthritis Resources and Education

Evidence-Based Medicine vs. Evidence-Guided Medicine

The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) can be described as the effort to make medical decisions based on the strongest scientific evidence available. Evidence can be categorized into hierarchal levels according to the quality of research and the likelihood that […]

Dog Performing A Shake Trick For A Nurse

How to Use the Orthopedic Exam Form

The CARE Orthopedic Exam Form is designed to help you systematically perform a thorough orthopedic examination. You can customize this form to accommodate your particular examination techniques. If your hospital is paperless or paper-lite; you could use this form and then […]

Golden Retriever Being Checked By Nurse & Family

How to Use the Orthopedic History Form

The first step in an orthopedic exam is taking a thorough history from the dog owner. You may wish to interview the client yourself or have a technician or assistant gather the history. Alternatively, you can utilize this intake form […]

Using CMIs in Your Practice

Clinical metrology instruments, or CMIs, are questionnaires that a client completes specific for their pet’s level of pain and functional activity. Examples of CMIs include the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), Canine Orthopedic Index (COI), and Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs […]

Pain Management: Anti-inflammatories

A review of how anti-inflammatories work and different available classes The Arachidonic Acid Cascade Every cell in the body is surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer (cell membrane) that is made of polyunsaturated fats. Arachidonic acid (AA) is part of the […]

Pain Management: NSAIDs overview

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs. Pain management must be the foundation for treating OA and preserving the quality of life. The phrase “quality of life” is most often used when discussing end-of-life decision making […]

Pain Management: Adjunctive Oral Analgesics

Adjunctive Oral Analgesics: Targeting the peripheral and central nervous system While NSAIDs are currently considered the foundation of oral pain management for dogs with OA, it is important to recognize that PGE2/EP4 (the target of NSAIDs) is only one of […]

What is Adequan and how does it help OA?

Adequan: Cartilage protection Adequan is the brand name for polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG). Adequan is approved by the FDA for the management of OA in dogs and horses and labeled as a disease-modifying osteoarthritic drug. Adequan protects cartilage and decreases inflammation […]

Intra-Articular Therapies for OA

Overview of Joint Injections Osteoarthritis is currently an incurable and irreversible condition, but there are a lot of tools that can be effective at managing the progression and symptoms. Intra-articular (IA) therapy, i.e. joint injections, have traditionally been recommended if […]

Intra-Articular Therapy

Autologous Platelet Therapy Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory condition–it is just not a neutrophilic inflammation. We know that OA involves increased activity of certain immune cells, increased production of IL-1 and TNF-alpha, and release of many other cytokines and inflammatory proteins […]