They've recently approved (in the US) the drug Librela for use in dogs and I've seen adds on tv touting it's use for osteo arthritis pain in older dogs. It's a monthly monoclonal antibody injection that, according to the manufacturer Zoetis, has "minimal involvement" of the liver and kidneys unlike NSAIDs. If your vet has recommended it for your dog, I would recommend doing your own research to see if you want to subject your dog to it. There are many that say it's a miracle drug and helped their pet tremendously however, as I have looked further into it, there are many that have experienced the opposite.
My vet recommended it for my 10yo WPG as she's getting kind of gimpy, partially due to a severely broken leg when she was young. She also has Cushings disease that is well controlled with medication. She got her first shot in January and there weren't any noticeable side effects but also no real improvement in her gait and, in hindsight, maybe a bit worse. In February, when she went back for her second shot, the vet said it might take a couple doses to see a difference. After a few days I could see she was not her normal self, had stopped drinking or eating and more difficulty walking. A trip to the vet for x-rays and blood test revealed very high creatinine and BUN levels indicating severe kidney problems. Her previous test in September were normal. A prescription "kidney diet" was recommended and she was given subcutaneous fluids to ward off dehydration. She has since started drinking and eating a bit with lots of prompting and mostly sleeps. Reading other peoples experiences (there are several online groups) is that it takes a couple months for it to clear their system and some bounce back, if they survive. Is it the Librela? Not according to the people pushing it, but my experience mirrors what many others have experienced. My vet seems to think it is and admitted they were not given much information on adverse reactions. Anyway, just putting it out here if your vet is suggesting it for your pup and to look carefully at what others have experienced.
