Solensia (frunevetmab) is a product containing feline-specific monoclonal antibodies to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).

Solensia offers the prospect of effective osteoarthritis (OA)-related pain control for cats who are unable to take the other licenced NSAID products.

Zoetis have produced an informative website, have a look at The New Science of Feline OA Pain. Here you will find technical information about Solensia and also client materials, such as a cat-specific OA-related pain questionnaire.

August 2022

Please click on the title for notes on the clinical veterinary pharmacology of CBD.

UPDATE: 25^th March 2021: The IASP published a statement on the use of cannabinoids, reviewing a portfolio of the current data from trials in people and animals.

Please click here for notes on the pharmacology of NSAIDs.

Please click here for notes on the veterinary pharmacology of tramadol.

A recent webinar discussion suggested NSAIDs inhibited bone healing.

Please click on the title above for more information.

Short answer – any preclinical data has very limited significance to veterinary clinical work.

Notes on the clinical pharmacology of grapiprant (Galliprant^TM).

There are many claims made for ‘regenerative medicine’, raising just as many questions. Does treatment with stem cells:

• Regenerate articular cartilage in joints affected with advanced OA?
• Heal damaged cruciate ligaments?
• Treat DLSS?

This paper by Bogers (2018) looks at the evidence for some of these claims.

Constant Rate Infusions (CRI) are used mainly in acute pain management, but also can be a useful tool for managing acute episodes in animals with chronic conditions.

The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management has published a CRI Calculator on their website.

• Clinicians should ensure the final results are correct before relying on this calculator.
• The site provides access to references.
• The results can be personalised for each animal and printed off for use in the clinic.

The Predictive Value (PV) of a laboratory test result is determined by the sensitivity and specificity of the test itself and the prevalence of disease in a population. The PV of lab tests has recently been discussed in testing for disease in people and animals.

There are online calculators which provide an instant answer.

This  Nomogram – Sherwin Hall MRCVS developed by the late Sherwin Hall MRCVS (Hall & Richards 1984), allows an appreciation for how these variables affect the PV. Please print in Landscape format.

For example,

• With 95% sensitivity & 95% specificity, and prevalence of 0.05 (screening a general population), the PV is 0.5 – you would be as well flipping a coin.
• With 95% sensitivity & 95% specificity, and prevalence of 0.5 (screening a population with symptoms of the disease), the PV is 0.95 – at which point one could be certain 95% of the results would be correct.