Pilot trial suggests Exclzyme Pet may aid dogs with arthritis

A new clinical pilot study is giving veterinarians fresh data on a crowded, often thinly evidenced category: canine joint supplements. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science in late May 2026, researchers reported that Exclzyme Pet improved lameness, pain-related scores, mobility, and inflammatory markers in dogs with arthritis over a 30-day period, with no adverse events observed in the study population. Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics promoted the publication in a June 22, 2026 press release, saying 92% of participating dogs showed measurable improvement. (frontiersin.org)

The backdrop is familiar to most small-animal clinicians. Canine osteoarthritis is common, chronic, and usually managed with a multimodal plan rather than a single intervention. Consensus guidance such as the COAST recommendations and AAHA pain guidance frame OA treatment around weight control, exercise and rehabilitation, environmental modification, and analgesic strategies, with supplements considered adjunctive rather than foundational. That context matters because nutraceutical evidence in canine OA has historically been uneven, even as pet parent demand remains high. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

In the Exclzyme Pet trial, 26 client-owned adult dogs with moderate osteoarthritis of the hip or elbow were enrolled, and 23 completed the study. Dogs were randomized to receive either Exclzyme Pet or placebo for 30 days. The supplement was given as a 2 g sachet twice daily on an empty stomach, regardless of body weight. According to the paper, Exclzyme Pet contains amylase, bromelain, lipase, papain, serratiopeptidase, proteases, amla, and rutin. Dogs were excluded if they had recently received NSAIDs or corticosteroids, had other significant disease, or had undergone surgery on the affected joint. (frontiersin.org)

The reported results were directionally strong for a pilot study. Investigators said lameness scores in the Exclzyme Pet group fell by 51.96%, and intergroup analysis showed a 2.48-fold greater improvement versus placebo. The paper also reported significant improvements across multiple pain and function measures, including walking, trotting, rising, lying down, and willingness to play. C-reactive protein fell from 0.68 to 0.30 mg/dL in the treatment group, a 56.10% reduction, while rising in the placebo group. No adverse clinical events or hematologic safety signals were reported during the 30-day trial. (frontiersin.org)

Industry messaging around the study has been notably upbeat. In the company’s June 22 announcement, Specialty Enzymes & Probiotics described the trial as a “gold-standard” study and said the findings were highly relevant to the pet supplement market. That said, the published paper includes important context for readers evaluating the strength of the evidence: funding was provided by Advanced Enzymes Technologies Ltd., and several authors disclosed employment affiliations with PRADO or Animedics Health India Pvt. Ltd. The authors also stated that raw data will be made available on request. (prnewswire.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the main takeaway isn’t that Exclzyme Pet has settled the supplement question. It’s that this product now has a higher evidentiary bar than many competing joint-health supplements marketed into companion animal practice. A blinded, placebo-controlled design in client-owned dogs is meaningful, especially in a field where many products are backed more by extrapolation or marketing than by controlled clinical data. But the study’s limitations are equally important: small sample size, short duration, single pilot design, and funding and affiliation disclosures that argue for cautious interpretation until independent replication is available. (frontiersin.org)

For practices, that likely places Exclzyme Pet in the “possible adjunct” category rather than as a replacement for standard OA management. If pet parents ask about it, veterinarians now have a peer-reviewed paper to discuss, along with a balanced explanation of what the study does and doesn’t show. The findings may be most useful in shared decision-making for dogs whose OA plan already includes weight optimization, activity modification, rehabilitation, and appropriate analgesia, but where a pet parent is interested in adding a supplement with at least preliminary controlled data behind it. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: The next meaningful milestone will be whether larger, longer, and ideally independent multi-center trials confirm the early signal seen here, and whether the product begins to show up in broader clinical discussion around evidence-based adjunctive nutrition for canine osteoarthritis. The paper itself calls for that next phase of research. (frontiersin.org)