Dr. Robin Downing spotlights OA pain care beyond NSAIDs
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: Clinician’s Brief has published a sponsored podcast episode, “Osteoarthritis Pain: Beyond NSAIDs with Dr. Robin Downing,” featuring veterinary pain specialist Dr. Robin Downing and host Dr. Beth Molleson. The episode focuses on practical management of osteoarthritis pain in small animal patients, with an emphasis on broadening treatment conversations beyond NSAIDs alone and improving communication with pet parents about subtle signs of chronic pain. That message lines up with related Clinician’s Brief mobility coverage, including a recent discussion with sports medicine and rehab specialist Dr. Matt Brunke that emphasized looking beyond medications and supplements to mobility support, especially for aging and overweight pets. The discussion lands at a time when OA treatment options have expanded to include anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibodies, such as Librela for dogs and Solensia for cats, alongside more established tools like NSAIDs, grapiprant, rehabilitation, weight management, and environmental modification. (cliniciansbrief.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical takeaway is that OA pain management is increasingly multimodal, individualized, and communication-heavy. Current guidance and recent reviews continue to position NSAIDs as a cornerstone for many canine patients, while also recognizing targeted biologics, rehab, body-condition management, and home adjustments as important parts of care plans. That matters in everyday practice because many patients are older, have comorbidities, or present with pain that pet parents describe as “slowing down” rather than lameness. It also matters because mobility problems are not just a dog issue: feline OA remains easy to miss, and obesity and reduced activity can quietly worsen joint disease in both species, making case selection, monitoring, and expectation-setting just as important as drug choice. (aaha.org)
What to watch: Expect continued discussion around how practices balance newer OA therapies with monitoring, adverse-event reporting, and multimodal long-term care protocols, including practical mobility strategies such as exercise planning, rehab, weight control, and environmental support at home. (aaha.org)