The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of mavacoxib, a cox-2 inhibitor, to improve the peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) of lame client-owned dogs with severe coxofemoral osteoarthrosis (OA) by using a force platform. A group of ten canarian presa dogs with lameness and pain for a severe osteoarthrosis due to hip dysplasia were used for this study. Five additional sound dogs of the same breed were used as control groups. A single force platform used to register vertical forces was mounted in a 7 m runway. Mean (± SD) values for speed of dogs were 1.6±0.5 m/s. Data corresponding with 5 valid trials were recorded at walk at day 0, 7, 60 and 180 after starting treatment procedure. The dosing regimen consisted of a loading oral dose of 2 mg⁄ kg to be repeated after 14 days, thereafter the dosing interval was 1 month. OA dogs showed a significant improvement of PVF after two months of about 7% bm in the force exerted by diseased limbs and a significant VI improvement after two months of about 1.6% bm in the VI exerted by diseased limbs. This study clearly showed that dogs treated with mavacoxib increased PVF over time, as soon as seven days after medical therapy, demonstrating a high potential for clinical use in the treatment of lameness associated with OA of hip joint.

Key words: Dog, Force platform, Lameness, Mavacoxib, Osteoarthrosis