Arthritis, and the use of Glucosamine/Chondroitin

Older rabbit with arthritic feet joints (A. van Praag)

Arthritis is often a difficult to diagnose problem in animals, as the clinical signs can relate to different health problems. The signs are furthermore individual, and each rabbit will respond in a different way.

The physical examination includes the examination of the skin, the joints, the response to reflexes, and determination of muscle strength. Pain is often noticed, when rotating the joint. The physical examination will determine for the presence of fluid collection around the joints. X-rays will help to visualize the degree of bone and joint destruction, or the presence of a bone spur (osteophyte). According to the suspected cause, additional blood and urine tests can be required.

The first treatments usually proposed are rest, and pain medication, with NSAID drugs (e.g. meloxicam), as they reduce pain *and* the inflammation caused by those bone spurs. The pain medication does not need to be given on a daily basis, once or twice a week may be enough. There is no rule here, just observation of the rabbit

Lately, glucosamine/chondroitin has been used to relieve arthritis in rabbit, and various protocols for the administration of these drugs are available for rabbits.

For rabbits, Cosequin dose is taken from Carpenter's formulary: "use empirically at feline dose". More precisely, we used Cosequin in "our" rabbit and started with 1/4 teaspoon BID. After one month, it was dropped to SID for maintenance.

For Adequan: the used dosage has 2.2 mg/kg SC, IM, q once a week during 4 weeks, then q 14d.

Those products do not show an immediate relief, it needs time, usually 4 weeks, to show its positive effects.

Cosequin or Adequan do not relieve pain, so pain medication is recommended.

Metacam (meloxicam) is often used. It does not need to be given on a daily basis, one drop once, twice or three a week may be enough. There is no rule here; best is that you have to see the effect on your rabbit, increase or decrease the frequency, by observing his habits, eating, moving etc. In one case, the rabbit showed regular relapses. When this happened, ketoprofen was given as long as needed (determined by observation of the rabbit). Usually one or two injections were enough.

Other NSAID analgesic drugs for use in rabbits are described here.

Acknowledgement

Thanks are due to A. van Praag, for taking the picture of Stampi, and to Stampi, for her patience.

Further information:

Williams JM, Zhang J, Kang H, Ummadi V, Homandberg GA. The effects of hyaluronic acid on fibronectin fragment mediated cartilage chondrolysis in skeletally mature rabbits. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2003 Jan;11(1):44-9. 

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