Arthritis is a common problem in people and in dogs. The technical name for arthritis is osteoarthrtisis that refers to the breakdown of cartilage and bone in a joint.
In dogs common symptoms of arthritis include cranial cruciate ligament and hip or elbow joints wearing down.
In traditional medicine herbs have been used for centuries for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Some popular herbs include devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), resin from Boswellia serrata tree, Ribes nigrum, Salix alba, Ananas comosus which contains bromelain, curcumin found in turmeric.
Recently, 142 dog owners had their dogs evaluated by scientists to see if they could participate in a clinical trial.
The research paper was published in the journal Research in Veterinary Science to see if symptoms could be improved with a combination herb formula.
These were the highlights of the study according to the authors:
We evaluated a herb-based natural health product in osteoarthritis-afflicted dogs.
We performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
We examined changes in the functional ability over a duration of 8 weeks.
Administration of a herb-based natural health product improved the dog condition.
Here are the study details:
– No animals were harmed in this study.
– Study design: randomized placebo controlled.
– Primary endpoint: peak vertical force (PVC)
– Dose was based on body weight:
- – 1 capsule for dogs <25.0 kg;
- – 2 capsules for dogs 25.0–39.9 kg;
- – 3 capsules for dogs 40.0–49.9 kg;
- – 4 capsules for dogs 50.0–59.9 kg
- – 5 capsules for dogs >59.9 kg.
Two different formulations were tested in the clinical trial:
| Ingredients (mg/capsule) | Formulations | Minimal contents | ||
| Alpha | Beta | |||
| Medicinal herbs | ||||
| Harpagophytum procumbens | 240 | 60 | Harpagosides 2.7% | |
| Boswellia serrata | 240 | 180 | Boswellic acid 79.2% | |
| Ribes nigrum | 60 | 60 | Rutines 1% | |
| Salix alba | 50 | – | Salicin 1% | |
| Tanacetum parthenium | 50 | – | Parthenolide 0.2% | |
| Ananas comosus | – | 40 | 2000–2500 GDU | |
| Curcuma longa | – | 35 | Curcuminoids 95% | |
| Omega-3 PUFA | ||||
| Total | 40 | 40 | ||
| Eicosapentaenoic acid | 0.4 | 0.4 | ||
| Docosahexaenoic acid | 9 | 9 | ||
| Others | ||||
| Glucosamine sulfate | – | 300 | ||
| Methylsulfonylmethane | – | 90 | ||
| Chondroitin sulfate | – | 60 | ||
| L-glutamine | – | 30 | ||
| Hyaluronic acid | – | 15 | ||
| Excipient | 228 | 280 | ||
| Total weight/capsule | 908 | 1190 | ||
Here are the results of the study:
– The primary endpoint of peak vertical force (PVC) was significantly increase at week 4 and week 8
– Peak vertical force increased from baseline score by 6.8%
– Locomotor activity was improved after 8 weeks.
Here was a comment from the author in the paper:
According to the present trial, medicinal herb-based NHP formulations improved the functional ability in dogs afflicted by naturally-occurring OA to a higher degree than placebo-control animals. When given once daily, improvements were noted as early as 4 weeks after the initiation of the alpha formulation administration, and were even better when the beta formulation was given for an additional 4-week duration.
Take away message:
A randomized clinical trial with popular anti-inflammatory herbs was shown to be beneficial in dogs who suffer from arthritis. Two different herbal formulations were tested in the study with promising results. Herbs including Devil’s claw, turmeric and others are known to contain phytochemicals that can decrease the inflammatory process were used in the formulations. Another benefit was the lack of toxicity with the herbal formulations.
Reference: A medicinal herb-based natural health product improves the condition of a canine natural osteoarthritis model: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Res Vet Sci. 2014; Volume 97 (Issue 3): Pages 574-81.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Antioxidant, Arthritis, Clinical Trials, Inflammation, Pets