Clinician’s Brief podcast spotlights OA pain care beyond NSAIDs

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Clinician’s Brief has released a sponsored podcast, “Osteoarthritis Pain: Beyond NSAIDs with Dr. Robin Downing,” positioning chronic OA pain management as a moving target for small animal practice. Hosted by Dr. Beth Molleson and sponsored by PRN Pharmacal, the episode highlights practical treatment planning and pet parent communication at a time when veterinarians have more pain-control tools available, but also more complexity to navigate. That framing is consistent with other recent Clinician’s Brief podcast coverage on mobility and joint health, which has emphasized that mobility is a core quality-of-life issue and that management often needs to extend beyond medications and supplements alone. (cliniciansbrief.com)

The topic lands in a broader shift in companion animal pain medicine. The 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines argue that the profession should move from reactive pain treatment to proactive, preemptive, multimodal care, and specifically call for chronic pain assessment using checklists, physical exams, and clinical metrology instruments. The guidelines also emphasize engaging the pet parent as part of the care team, a point that aligns closely with the podcast’s focus on helping clients identify subtle signs of OA pain and monitor quality of life over time. (aaha.org)

That context matters because osteoarthritis management is no longer centered on NSAIDs alone. Clinician’s Brief describes the episode as a discussion of “complete and effective strategies for pain control,” while the AAHA guidelines support combining analgesics with nondrug modalities and reassessing patients regularly. The same guidelines list several owner-facing monitoring tools for canine OA, including the Canine Brief Pain Inventory, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs, SNoRE, client-specific outcome measures, and quality-of-life instruments, giving practices a framework to operationalize the kind of ongoing monitoring discussed in the podcast. Related Clinician’s Brief podcast coverage with sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Matt Brunke makes a similar point from a mobility perspective: day-to-day function is a major concern for pet owners, cats are often underrecognized despite common obesity- and age-related primary OA, and clinicians should think beyond drugs when building long-term mobility plans. (cliniciansbrief.com)

Downing is a well-known figure in this space. According to her practice biography, she is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and a founder and past president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Prior interviews and conference coverage have also consistently linked her with multimodal OA care, client communication, and the idea that changes in activity or behavior may be early signs of chronic pain rather than normal aging. (downingcenter.com)

The industry backdrop has also changed materially in the past few years. Zoetis announced FDA approval of Librela in May 2023 for control of osteoarthritis pain in dogs, adding an anti-NGF monoclonal antibody to the canine OA toolkit. But in February 2025, FDA posted safety-related labeling changes for Librela, including a new post-approval adverse reactions subsection and updated instructions directing veterinarians to review a client information sheet and discuss a return-to-activity exercise plan with dog owners before administration. That combination, more therapeutic choice alongside more post-market safety communication, reinforces why clinicians are looking for practical guidance on case selection, monitoring, and client expectations. (news.zoetis.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, the real value of this podcast topic is operational. OA cases are common, chronic, and often underrecognized until mobility loss is obvious. A “beyond NSAIDs” conversation supports a more layered approach: earlier detection, better use of validated assessment tools, more frequent reassessment, and more deliberate education for pet parents about function, comfort, and activity changes at home. It also reflects a business and workflow reality for practices, because chronic pain management increasingly depends on technician involvement, repeat follow-up, and structured communication rather than a one-time prescription. The added mobility-and-joint-health discussion from Clinician’s Brief also broadens the lens: mobility problems are not limited to dogs, obesity is a major contributor in cats, and preserving movement is closely tied to how owners judge quality of life. (aaha.org)

Expert commentary found in related coverage points in the same direction. In dvm360 coverage of Downing’s lectures, she has stressed that clients play a crucial role in pain plans and that chronic pain cases can be missed or mischaracterized without careful evaluation. Older reporting on her OA protocols similarly described multimodal management as a system rather than a single intervention, combining medical therapy with weight management, rehabilitation, and ongoing client education. While those comments predate the current podcast, they help explain the clinical philosophy behind it. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: The next phase in OA pain management will likely center on how practices integrate newer therapeutics into standardized multimodal protocols, especially as regulators, manufacturers, and clinicians continue refining safety communication, monitoring expectations, species-specific mobility planning, and pet parent education around long-term use. (fda.gov)