Chondroprotective efficacy of undenatured collagen type II on canine osteoarthritis secondary to medial patellar luxation

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is found secondary to medial patellar luxation (MPL) which is one of the most common diseases
in small-breed dogs. Management of the disease is surgical correction or medical treatment. In patients who are unable
to do the surgical correction, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain the drugs of choice for OA
therapy. Nowadays nutraceuticals have become more popular since there are no side effects when given for a long
period. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical chondroprotective effects of undenatured collagen typeII (UCII) on osteoarthritis secondary to canine medial patellar luxation. Nine small-breed dogs (thirteen stifle joints)
received UCII for 120 days. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between before and after receiving
UCII in CBPI (p-value <0.05), ultrasonographic scores and joint effusion. In contrast, there was no significant difference
in lameness score, radiographic examination and blood chemistry. In conclusion, UCII may be an alternative treatment
for OA nutraceutical chondroprotective products which could be a co-treatment with the MPL treatment as UCII can
improve the clinical signs in some dogs, which could not be managed by surgical treatment.