Abstract
A field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of firocoxib and carprofen for long term use when administered orally for 56 days to dogs for the control of pain and inflammation associated with locomotory disorders under field conditions in Japan. The study was a positive control, double-blind, multicenter clinical study using a randomized block design based on order of presentation. A total of 36 client-owned dogs with locomotory disorders were enrolled in this trial. Nineteen and 17 dogs were allocated to receive 5 mg/kg of firocoxib and 4.4 mg/kg of carprofen orally once daily for 56 days, respectively. The levels of pain and inflammation were assessed before and after the treatments. On Day 56 at the end of the study, 94.7% of firocoxib-treated dogs and 88.2% of carprofen-treated dogs had improved. On Days 14, 28 and 42 at the interim time points, 73.7, 89.5 and 100% of firocoxib-treated dogs showed an improvement, while 94.1, 88.2 and 88.2% of the carprofen-treated dogs showed an improvement, respectively. Statistically, these results were not significantly different. No adverse events attributed to the treatment were observed during the study period. This study demonstrated a good efficacy and safety profile of both firocoxib and carprofen for long-term treatment for pain and inflammation associated with locomotory disorders in dogs.
