Osteoarthritis is a common canine disease frequently treated with nutritional supplements that often lack independent verification of ingredients, active ingredient concentration, efficacy, or safety. Human supplements containing Boswellia serrata extracts (BSE) with high concentrations of active constituents 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) and 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA) are bioavailable, safe, and efficacious in the alleviation of symptoms of naturally occurring osteoarthritis in people. Thus, oral AKBA and/or KBA supplementation could be a promising novel therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis. The primary objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of AKBA and KBA within six human and seven canine market formulations containing BSE administered to dogs, using a derivation of the previously validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The secondary objective was to compare measured concentrations to label claims. The mean concentrations of AKBA and KBA within the formulations tested were 42.3 mg/g AF (0.1–155.7 mg/g AF) and 5.2 mg/g AF (0–24.8 mg/g AF), respectively, with four of the formulations containing an undetectable amount of KBA. None of the market formulations had a label claim for KBA. For the five tested formulations with a label claim for AKBA, the mean percentage of detected AKBA was 173% of the concentration listed on the label (range: 114–224%). Formulations claiming to contain AKBA had a mean AKBA concentration of 98.2 mg/g AF, significantly higher than formulations claiming only to contain BSE (7.4 mg/g AF; p = 0.01). This study demonstrated a large variation of boswellic acid concentrations in market formulations claiming to contain BSE, with products claiming to contain AKBA containing higher concentrations of AKBA than other products. There was also a large variation in, and overall high, percent difference between label claims and measured concentrations of AKBA. All products met or exceeded label claims. However, differences between label amounts and detected concentrations confirm the need for independent laboratories to quantify concentrations of active ingredients in supplements containing BSE. This would be necessary prior to the use of these formulations in the research or clinical setting.

Objective: The primary objectives of this study are to (1) compare the inter- and intra-observer reliability of thoracic limb circumference measurement methods in sound dogs, and (2) determine the most reliable thoracic limb positioning and location on the thoracic limb for performing circumferential measurements.Methods: Thoracic limbs of 10 apparently sound dogs (20 limbs) were blindly and independently measured by 3 observers. Triplicate measurements were performed with dogs in lateral recumbency at 50 and 70% brachial (Br) length (length between the greater tubercle and lateral humoral epicondyle) and 25% ABr length (length between the lateral humeral epicondyle and ulnar styloid process), both with the elbow extended and at an approximate weight-bearing (WB) angle. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for data analysis with ap < 0.05 being significant.Results: All measures had significantly good to excellent intra- (ICC 0.836–0.994,p < 0.001) and inter-observer reliability (ICC 0.834–0.996,p < 0.001). Inter-observer reliability was excellent at 25% ABr extended and WB positions, and at 50% Br WB position, with a wider confidence interval at the latter location. Intra-observer reliability was excellent across all observers for 25% ABr extended and WB, and 50% Br WB positions, also with a wider confidence interval at the latter location.Conclusion: Circumferential measurement of the canine thoracic limb was most reliable at 25% ABr length with the elbow either in an extended or WB position.

In dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy for acute intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE), adjunctive nonpharmacologic therapies may help provide postoperative analgesia while reducing reliance on opioids and their associated adverse effects. This prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled trial evaluated the short-term analgesic effects of interferential current electrotherapy (IFC) in dogs following thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for acute IVDE. Twenty dogs were randomly assigned to receive conventional analgesia alone (control, n = 10) or conventional analgesia plus IFC (n = 10). The IFC group received three IFC sessions administered within the first 24 h postoperatively. Outcome measures were collected at three predefined postoperative time points corresponding to IFC treatment sessions: T1 (2–4 h), T2 (8–18 h), and T3 (20–24 h postoperatively). Outcome measures included Modified Glasgow Composite Pain Scale–Short Form (CMPS-SF) scores, total postoperative opioid consumption, and peri-incisional mechanical sensory thresholds. Dogs treated with IFC demonstrated significantly lower CMPS-SF pain scores at the T2 time point compared with controls (p = 0.03); however, no differences were observed at T1 or T3 time points. Total opioid consumption and mechanical sensory thresholds did not differ significantly between groups at any time point. These findings suggest that IFC may provide transient postoperative analgesic benefit but does not appear to reduce opioid requirements or mechanical sensory thresholds within the first 24 h following hemilaminectomy. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to better define the role of IFC in multimodal postoperative pain management and to explore optimal treatment protocols.