New Natural Supplement May Battle Arthritis in Dogs and Eventually Humans

Old dogs may be getting some relief. Scientists have created a new product based on medicinal plants and dietary supplements that can relieve arthritis pain in man's best friend.

"While acupuncture and electrical stimulation are two approaches that have been shown to have positive effects on dogs, until now a few studies have investigated a plant-based approach to therapy," said Eric Troncy, senior author of the new study, in a news release.

The scientists created the new therapy by working with 32 dogs that had been diagnosed with arthritis by X-ray and orthopedic exams.  All of the dogs weighed more than 20 kilograms, and in all the researchers tested two different formulas.

The first formula was composed of curcumin, devil's claw, black current, Indian frankincense, willow bark, pineapple bromelaine and chamomile. This was developed to reduce arthritis-induced inflammation. The second formal was composed of the same ingredients in addition to dietary supplements, such as omega 3 and chondroitin sulfate and glutamine.

"After the eight week course, on average, the strength of the dogs receiving treatment had improved to the equivalent of a kilo of extra strength per paw, which is moreover," said Maxim Moreau, the first author of the new study. "None of the dogs saw their health decline, unlike 35.8 percent of the dogs who were given the placebo."

The findings actually raise the possibility of not only improving treatments for dogs, but could also extent to humans.

"The model of evaluation that we have used is the best for predicting the efficacy of anti-arthritis treatments," said Troncy. "We can therefore consider that clinical trials on humans would have a good chance of having positive outcomes."

The findings are published in the journal Research in Veterinary Science.