You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

The scientific evidence to support the administration of nutritional supplements to pets is often very weak. Best evidence are randomised controlled trials (RCTs)

Diacerein (Diacerhein) (n=2 non-RCT)

In one study (Smith 1999) diacerhein was found to slow progression of OA in dogs (n=20) with surgically induced cranial cruciate transection, compared to placebo but in an earlier study (Brandt 1997) there was no statistical difference between treated and control group dogs (n=7).

Evidence : WEAK – Conflicting evidence

References

Brandt KD, Smith G, Kang SY et al (1997) Effects of diacerhein in an accelerated canine model of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage 5(6):438-449

Smith GN, Myers SL, Brandt KD et al. (1999) Diacerhein treatment reduces the severity of osteoarthritis in the canine cruciate-deficiency model of osteoarthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 42(3):545-554

Updated September 2015