Current evidence for non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatments of canine osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a progressive degenerative disease process that affects a significant proportion of the canine population, impacting these animals' quality of life. Currently, there is no cure and treatment consists of managing the clinical signs of pain and reduced mobility. There are many treatments for canine osteoarthritis and in this review we discuss the evidence base behind non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical treatments of this disease. These treatments include weight management, nutraceuticals, acupuncture, physiotherapies such as therapeutic exercise, hydrotherapy as well as other therapeutic modalities including photobiomodulation therapy, electromagnetic field therapy and others.