Do You Treat Your Senior Dog Like A Child?

Owner Education is Key to Helping Numerous Dogs With Osteoarthritis That Currently go Untreated

EXTON, Penn., Nov. 15, 2000 -- For most Americans, dogs truly are part of the family -- almost like children in some instances. However, although owners want to provide their dogs with the best possible care, many inadvertently fail to recognize signs that indicate health problems in their pets.

A recent survey conducted by Yankelovich Partners for Pfizer Animal Health (1) discovered that 61 percent of senior dogs (age 7 and over) play the role of either friend or child in their families. Just as parents remember key moments in a child's life, 85 percent of owners of senior dogs were able to recall memorable moments in their dogs' lives. But while many regard their dogs as children, many dog owners don't always recognize their dog's signs of aging.

However, 88 percent of respondents said they'd be willing to give their dogs daily medication for pain relief -- and 64 percent said they would consider spending as much as $50 per month (1).

``It's important that people learn to recognize the signs of pain in their pets,'' says Bernadine Cruz, D.V.M., Laguna Hills Animal Hospital, Laguna Hills, Calif. She notes that dogs enter the senior category around age 7. ``Just as parents notice when their children are in pain, dog owners should pay special attention to the signs of pain and aging in their senior dogs and not just accept them as normal.''

Osteoarthritis pain affects many dogs

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common canine diseases, affecting more than 8 million dogs in the United States (2). Yet more than half (55 percent) of dogs with arthritis pain go untreated (3). In fact, the prevalence of arthritis in dogs is similar to humans, with one in five dogs experiencing arthritis (4), compared to one in six people (5).

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, degenerative and painful condition that can develop gradually over time. Pain and disability become more severe as joint tissue deteriorates and advances from the early stages into later stages. Arthritis can affect a dog's quality of life, keeping them from activities, such as walking, running and playing.

``Because the incidence of canine arthritis more than doubles in senior dogs (age 7 and older), it's important to learn which signs to watch for before your dog reaches senior citizen status,'' Cruz adds. ``Teaching owners to recognize the signs of canine osteoarthritis pain will help them help their dogs, especially since many veterinarians don't routinely check for osteoarthritis during an exam (6).''

Signs of osteoarthritis pain include tiring easily on walks; limping, lagging behind or appearing stiff after activity; reluctance to climb steps or jump up; or being slow to rise from a resting position. It is important to recognize these signs early and provide pain relief to help keep the dog active and mobile, and therefore less likely to become overweight.

Osteoarthritis awareness leads to action

``Owners also need to understand that arthritis is probably just as painful for dogs as it is for humans,'' Cruz adds. ``Generally, when owners become aware of their pets' pain, they want to do something to relieve the pain.''

This is borne out by the results of the Yankelovich survey. It found that 65 percent of survey respondents worry about various physical health concerns that may affect their dogs, and 88 percent of respondents agreed that dogs can experience the same problems as people (1). As in people, proven prescription products for arthritis pain are available for dogs.

RimadylŪ (carprofen) offers dogs relief from osteoarthritis pain

Rimadyl, available only from veterinarians, can help relieve arthritis pain and inflammation in dogs. Developed by Pfizer Animal Health, Rimadyl is the number one choice of veterinarians for prescription pain relief in the United States (7). Since it first became available in 1997, it has provided pain relief for more than 4 million dogs (2).

Rimadyl is the only canine arthritis medication available in chewable tablets as well as regular caplets. The chewable, liver-flavored tablets make providing arthritis pain relief a pleasant experience for dogs and owners alike. In fact, studies show that dog owners prefer administering chewable medications over conventional pills (9). In Rimadyl Chewables palatability studies, 100 percent of tablets were freely accepted by small dogs, and 99 percent were freely accepted by large dogs (8). Because the flavor of this veterinary-prescribed medication is so appealing to dogs, extra care should be taken to store Rimadyl Chewables out of pets' reach to prevent them from accidentally consuming more than the recommended dose.

As with other pain relievers in this class, signs of Rimadyl intolerance may include appetite loss, vomiting and diarrhea, which could indicate side effects involving the digestive tract, liver or kidneys. Some of these side effects, like those of many other NSAID-class medications, may occur without warning and, in rare situations, may be serious, resulting in hospitalization or even death. In field use, the reported rate of all side effects for Rimadyl has been less than 1 percent. If these signs occur, discontinue Rimadyl therapy and contact your veterinarian. See the important Information for Dog Owners section of the full prescribing information.

Veterinarians can help dog owners decide if Rimadyl is right for their dogs. Pet owners can take the OA IQ quiz for their dog on the Rimadyl Web site at http://www.rimadyl.com . More information is available on the Rimadyl Web site or by calling 800-720-DOGS.

Pfizer Animal Health is a world leader in animal health, committed to providing innovative pharmaceuticals and vaccines for livestock and companion animals.

Pfizer Animal Health is a business unit of Pfizer Inc, the world's largest pharmaceutical company. Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's best known over-the-counter brands. This year, Pfizer expects global sales of more than $30 billion and has a research and development budget of $4.7 billion.

    References:
    (1)  "A Study on the Health of Senior Dogs." Conducted by Yankelovich
         Partners for Pfizer Animal Health, April 2000.  Sample size: 750
         owners of senior dogs.
    (2)  Proprietary market research, 2000. Data on file, Pfizer Animal
         Health.
    (3)  Proprietary market research, September 1998.  Owners of
         osteoarthritic dogs, sample size:  150. Study no. RI199807.  Data on
         file, Pfizer Animal Health.
    (4)  Proprietary market research, 1996.  Veterinary sample size: 200.
         Study no. RI19960IV. Data on file, Pfizer Animal Health.
    (5)  Centers for Disease Control Web site.  Arthritis Prevalence and
         Activity Limitations. http://www.CDC.gov . 1990.
    (6)  Rimadyl Veterinarian Attitude and Usage Study, Sample size: 256.
         November 1999. Study no. RI199914.
    (7)  Veterinary Market Dynamics Report, Sample size: 1,500. 1999.
    (8)  Data on file, study number 2767A-60-97-105, Pfizer Animal Health.
    (9)  Proprietary veterinary market research, March 1998. AN199803. Sample
         size:  150 owners of senior dogs. Data on file, Pfizer Animal Health.