Librela

Studies have shown that 25% of dogs had improvement in movement parameters at 1 month and 50% had an improvement at 2-3 months. After the second injection the medication reaches a steady state, which is likely why there is an increase in dogs with a positive response to the second injection. The peak amount of medication is reached at about 4-7 days after the injection is administered.

This is a subcutaneous injection given once a month. The Anti-NGF molecules stay in the body for about 3-4 weeks before they are cleared. This is why the decreased pain from arthritis lasts around 3-4 weeks, and then the injection needs to be repeated.

Neurologic patients were not included in the clinical trials, and since NGF is involved in pain pathways but also maintenance of nerves, it should be used cautiously in patients with a known neurologic condition as it could lead to progression of their neurologic signs. The most common adverse events reported in a clinical study were urinary tract infections and bacterial skin infections. Anorexia, vomiting, soft stool, and increased BUN (kidney enzyme) were seen as well. As with any injection, dogs can experience a hypersensitivity reaction including pain and swelling at the site of the infection, hives, or severe weakness. Contact your veterinarian immediately if signs of anaphylaxis such as severe weakness occur. Librela should not be used in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs as these patients have not been studied with this treatment. Please discuss with your therapist if this would be an appropriate treatment for your pet to help with pain from arthritis.

At Walking Paws Rehab we do recommend bloodwork and urinalysis prior to injection to ensure the kidneys are functioning well and we have a baseline to compare if side effects occur. We may also recommend discontinuing NSAIDs prior to injection and/or during the course of treatment. Concurrent NSAID use with Librela has not been studied in dogs. The majority of patients we have given Librela to have done well. For some it completely resolved their dog’s limp. Librela has been used for many years in Europe with success. However, given that this is a new medication in the US we are still learning about Librela and will gather more information as to uses, precautions, and side effects as more patients receive the injection and more studies are approved.

Solensia is the brand name for this medication in cats.