AVA Conference Adelaide 2016

“Nutraceuticals” (nutrients or food-based derivatives administered above the individual’s daily requirement for the purpose of disease treatment or prevention) and other naturally-derived “complementary animal health products” are widely administered to Australian pets with osteoarthritis. Some pet owners who wish to avoid the use or over-use of medications may elect to administer nutraceuticals or complementary products in preference to registered veterinary pharmaceutical products and in more severe cases of joint pain this practice might be considered an animal welfare issue for veterinarians. The array of products marketed for joint health in dogs and cats is vast and providing informed advice to clients can be daunting. However multiple clinical trials have been performed and published in the peer-reviewed veterinary literature evaluating nutraceutical and other dietary supplements for canine and feline osteoarthritis, although the quality of these studies and their conclusions can be variable. In this session the evidence for and against the commonly-used nutraceuticals and complementary products will be reviewed and guidelines for their ethical use discussed