Research - The effect of giving hyaluronic acid as a preventive measure against the development of elbow dysplasia in dogs

This study looked at the effect of oral supplementation containing hyaluronic acid together with collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate and gamma oryzanol. The hypothesis was that this could act as a preventive measure against the development of elbow dysplasia. The study involved the randomisation of 105 dogs into two groups. The aim was to see how many of the dogs in each group developed elbow dysplasia. One group was treated with oral hyaluronic acid supplementation as a preventive measure, while the other group remained untreated. Clinical evaluations were performed after 3, 6, 12 and 20 months. The evaluations included orthopaedic assessment, X-ray, serological and blood tests. In the control group, the non-supplemented dogs, radiographic changes with developed elbow dysplasia were found in 33.3% of the dogs while the corresponding figure in the supplemented dogs was 18.5%. After 12 months, as many as 61.5% of the dogs in the control group showed clear symptoms of dysplasia, which was in contrast to 12.5% in the group supplemented with the hyaluronic acid preparation. Significant differences were seen in lameness, movement disorders and swelling of the elbows. At the last visit, after 20 months, it was found that almost all the dogs that had radiographic changes but had received the dietary supplement were asymptomatic. Less than 0.5% showed symptoms. In other words, at the end of the study, the treated group had significant improvements in lameness and elbow swelling. The results show clear indications that oral supplementation with hyaluronic acid may prevent the development of dysplasia. The study also shows that it significantly improves the symptoms of already developed elbow dysplasia. Complete chewable tablets contain hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate. More information about Complete can be found at here. Read the full study here: Efficacy of an oral hyaluronate and collagen supplement as a preventive treatment of elbow dysplasia: Marti-Angulo et al. 2014