Clinician’s Brief podcast spotlights OA pain management beyond NSAIDs

CURRENT FULL VERSION: Clinician’s Brief is spotlighting osteoarthritis pain management in a new sponsored podcast, “Osteoarthritis Pain: Beyond NSAIDs with Dr. Robin Downing,” a conversation between host Dr. Beth Mollison and pain expert Dr. Robin Downing. Sponsored by PRN Pharmacal, the episode centers on practical strategies for recognizing pain and improving quality of life in pets with osteoarthritis, signaling continued demand for clinician-facing education in one of small animal practice’s most common chronic conditions. (cliniciansbrief.com)

That focus comes as osteoarthritis management has become a moving target for general practitioners. AAHA’s 2022 pain management guidelines pushed the profession toward a proactive, preemptive, multimodal model, especially for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The guidelines explicitly call for combining medications with weight control, diet, exercise, rehabilitation, environmental modification, and other supportive measures, while involving the full veterinary team and the pet parent in long-term care. That broader mobility-first framing has also shown up in other recent Clinician’s Brief podcast education, including discussion with sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Matt Brunke about managing joint health beyond medications and supplements alone. (aaha.org)

The “beyond NSAIDs” framing also reflects how the pharmacology conversation has changed over the past few years. NSAIDs are still widely regarded as first-line drugs for canine OA pain, but newer options have expanded the toolkit. FDA approved Librela (bedinvetmab) in May 2023 for control of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs, following the January 2022 approval of Solensia (frunevetmab) for cats. Both target nerve growth factor, giving veterinarians an alternative mechanism for patients that may not be ideal NSAID candidates or that need a broader multimodal plan. (fda.gov)

At the same time, the market has been forced to grapple with post-approval safety questions, particularly around Librela. FDA’s animal drug safety labeling page shows that Librela’s U.S. labeling was updated on February 18, 2025, adding an “Information for Dog Owners” section and advising veterinarians to discuss the Client Information Sheet before administration, including potential adverse drug events and an exercise plan for return to activity. FDA has also published communications to veterinarians about adverse events reported in dogs treated with the drug, underscoring that post-market surveillance is shaping how these products are discussed in practice. Zoetis has said it worked with FDA on the label update after reviewing real-world pharmacovigilance data. (fda.gov)

Expert and industry commentary has largely landed in the same place: enthusiasm, but with guardrails. AAHA coverage of Librela’s launch described anti-NGF therapy as an important advance for canine OA pain, especially for dogs that need an alternative to traditional NSAIDs. More recent AAHA and continuing education materials have also stressed that pain control should not be confused with disease modification, and that clinicians still need to confirm OA as the source of pain, monitor response over time, and avoid letting a mobility improvement outpace a patient’s physical readiness. That caution echoes rehab-focused guidance from Dr. Brunke, who emphasized that mobility problems are not limited to dogs and that cats are often overlooked despite obesity, aging, and primary OA contributing to meaningful functional decline. (aaha.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this podcast lands at the intersection of pharmacology, client communication, and chronic care management. OA is common, underrecognized, and often managed over months to years, which means treatment success depends as much on monitoring and pet parent coaching as on the initial prescription. The current environment rewards practices that can explain why a multimodal plan matters, when NSAIDs still fit, when newer agents may be appropriate, and how to set realistic expectations around safety, follow-up, mobility, and quality of life. It also rewards teams that recognize mobility and joint health as a whole-patient issue: not just pain control, but body condition, activity level, rehab support, home environment, and the subtle ways cats and dogs show decline. (aaha.org)

For clinics, that may also mean building more structured OA workflows: repeat pain assessments, rehab referrals, weight-management protocols, and clearer documentation around adverse-event discussions. Sponsored educational content like this episode won’t settle the clinical debates on its own, but it does reflect where the profession’s attention is right now: not just whether pets with OA are painful, but how to manage that pain safely and sustainably over time. And increasingly, that means thinking beyond drugs alone to practical mobility support strategies that can help patients stay active without overdoing it. (cliniciansbrief.com)

What to watch: Watch for more clinician education and regulatory communication around OA therapeutics, especially anti-NGF products, as post-market safety reporting, label refinements, and multimodal treatment standards continue to shape everyday case management. (fda.gov)