PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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A 9-year-old Labrador retriever came to us for limping. The doctor diagnosed osteoarthritis of his right knee. What should
we recommend to help him with his arthritis —food or medications?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the No. 1 cause of pain in dogs and affects 20% of adult dogs. To manage OA in dogs, the International
Veterinary Academy of Pain Management recommends using a multimodal strategy. This strategy includes nutritional, pain, and
weight management, as well as physical rehabilitation. Proper nutritional management of OA includes an eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA)-rich
pet food, as EPA has been shown to disable the genes that cause cartilage degradation. Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d® Canine
pet food contains high levels of EPA and is clinically proven to improve mobility in as few as 21 days. No steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) are also an important component in the multimodal approach to managing OA. Deramaxx® (Novartis Animal Health)
is an ideal NSAID choice because it has a flexible dosing range that allows dose titration. This is one of the reasons why
Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. and Novartis Animal Health have partnered to raise awareness of the multimodal approach to treating
pets.
We sent one bag of Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d® Canine pet food home with a client whose dog had severe osteoarthritis.
We instructed the client to keep the dog on it until her next visit in six months. When the dog came back six months later,
the client told us the dog had only eaten the one bag of j/d Canine pet food, and then she had switched the dog back to the
old brand. How can we implement a system for ensuring that our patients stay on the recommended food for the recommended amount
of time?
Food for Thought
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Compliance is crucial to the success of all healthcare team recommendations and follow-up is a key component to compliance.
Every team should implement a follow-up plan with every client. If your client did not receive any follow-up from your clinic,
she probably did not realize the importance of the nutritional recommendation. General steps for a follow-up plan include:
- Schedule a recheck appointment before the client leaves the clinic.
- Designate a technician to call the client three days after the appointment to check on the pet and to see if the client has
any questions.
- Calculate the amount of food the pet should eat per day. Write this down for the client and follow up by phone approximately
a week before the bag of pet food runs out
- Offer to place an order for another bag of pet food and refill the NSAID prescription.
- Remind the client that the Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.-Novartis Animal Health partnership recognizes the importance of compliance
and provides clinics with rebates for Hill's® Prescription Diet® j/d® Canine pet food and Deramaxx.® This builds a wonderful
hospital client relationship, builds revenue for the practice, increases compliance, and ultimately offers the best care for
the pet.
