Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Arthritis is a very common chronic debilitating disease in people and dogs alike. It does not discriminate based on species, and one in five dogs suffer from osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and anti-arthritic efficacy of a nutraceutical, Flex Choice, in moderately arthritic canines. Five moderately arthritic canines that weighed between 40-65 pounds were selected for this study. Moderate arthritis was considered a ranking of 4-6 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being no/minimal pain and 10 being severe and constant pain. All five canines were orally administered one Flex Choice soft chew twice a day for 150 days. There was no control group due to limited population. Day 0 baseline results were used as the control. On days 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 of the study, the canines were evaluated for overall joint pain, pain during limb manipulation, and pain after physical exertion. Radiographs were also performed on days 0 and 150 to observe if osteophyte formation may have been reduced. Serum chemistry analysis was performed each month as well to see if Flex Choice had any adverse effects on kidney, liver, or heart function. Body weight, heart rate, respiration rate, and temperature were also evaluated throughout the entire study. Treated canines had a significant reduction in overall pain levels, pain during limb manipulation, and pain after physical exertion at some point during the study with P < 0.05. Serum chemistry indicated no significant side effects to vital organs throughout the entire study. Heart rate, body weight, respiration rate, and temperature were not significantly affected by the administration of Flex Choice chews. This study proves that Flex Choice is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and inflammation associated with canine osteoarthritis and may provide alternatives to NSAIDs.

Year manuscript completed

2019

Year degree awarded

2019

Author's Keywords

osteoarthritis, canine, dog, nutraceutical, joint supplement, Flex Choice

Thesis Advisor

Ramesh C. Gupta

Committee Member

Terry D. Canerdy

Committee Member

Laura K. Hoffman

Committee Member

Barbie M. Papajeski

Document Type

Thesis

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