Any vets around? Arthritis in youngish dog

[savvy7]

My dog is 5 years old and has been diagnosed with arthritis. The vet is suggesting monthly injections of Librela which, as I understand it, is a fairly new treatment.

Is this now the best course of treatment? It seems a big step for a relatively young dog.

Not a vet.

But we have just started a trial of librela monthly injections as they suspect arthritis in his back (he had two major back injuries in the past).

My dog is 6 this year and we are trying this treatment over others as he has issues with other drugs that they could try due to his IDB.

My understanding is that this is a relatively new drug but with good results in a lot of dogs but we should know whether it has a positive effect after 2 injections.

Sorry I meant to type IBD not the other way round. We are very conscious of not triggering any stomach problems which this injection should avoid.

My 8 year old has been on
librella since Christmas. It’s working really well.

Librela is not a traditional ‘drug’, it’s an antibody which blocks the transmission of pain signals. I really like it - I’ve had good feedback from owners saying it makes a good difference, and also it has very few known side effects with long term use (so a good choice for a young dog with potentially many years ahead of them). Every patient is different so I always regard arthritis medication as a ‘trial’ initially - so if it’s not making a positive noticeable difference then it may be an idea to try another treatment option.

Depending on the site/cause for the arthritis, you might also be recommended ‘lifestyle changes’ like weight loss, hydro/physiotherapy, exercise restriction, joint supplements etc - no single one of those is going to be a gamechanger but they all contribute to the overall picture of getting the patient more mobile and comfortable.

Not a vet
Worth bearing in mind it's type of pain killer and doesn't reduce inflammation or reduce progression of arthritis, so you will still need to make some other changes and sensible exercise as when they feel great they can then overdo it and cause further injuries which is what our specialist vet found when librella first came out. Being pain free enough to be mobile is important with arthritis though as keeps up the supporting muscle tone and helps lubricate the joints. Sadly we are often not very good at reading when our dogs are uncomfortable and in pain.

There are some side effects but like all drugs it can be variable by individual.

CAM has a wealth of helpful arthritis information and have some great regular webinars with vets & other specialists (Facebook/YouTube).
caninearthritis.co.uk/
They've made these courses to help guide owners post diagnosis when it may feel very overwhelming, if go for cam membership get essential included.
www.cameducation.co.uk/p/home

Holly's Army CAM owner support group ( you can do a search for Librella on there).
www.facebook.com/groups/2161091580843717/about/

There is Facebook Librella Experiences' group but people are more likely to post the negatives than positives there, so may put you off before trying. When it could be rare side effect over the population using Librella and it is often used by older dogs who may have other health issues contributing. They do encourage owners to report any adverse reactions through proper channels so in future assume it will filter onto the data sheet.

Thanks so much to everyone who has responded. I'll certainly look into the resources that have been posted :)