Your dog takes the stairs one at a time now, and the vet has finally used the word arthritis. The right medication can return months or years of comfortable walking, but the options arrive wrapped in brand names and price tags that differ widely between clinics. Cats deal with arthritis too, and they usually get diagnosed later because they hide pain well.
Then there is the safety news. ABC News has reported that pet owners are preparing a class action over Beransa, a monthly osteoarthritis injection for dogs. A second ABC radio report covered the same action, brought by owners who say their dogs died or became ill after treatment; the manufacturer says reported adverse events are rare. Reports like these do not mean arthritis drugs are off the table, and Australian vets still prescribe this class of treatment every day. They do mean owners are asking sharper questions about side effects, monitoring and what they are paying for.
This guide explains what each type of arthritis medication actually does, what it costs over a realistic year, and which side effects need a phone call to the clinic. Arthritis cannot be cured, and symptoms such as stiffness have several possible causes, so a hands-on examination by your vet comes before any prescription.
Monthly injections: what they are and who they are for
Beransa (bedinvetmab, sold as Librela overseas) for dogs and Solensia (frunevetmab) for cats are monthly injections that Australian vets increasingly use in arthritic pets. Both are monoclonal antibodies, and they work by neutralising nerve growth factor, a protein that plays a key role in osteoarthritis pain. The vet gives a small injection under the skin at the clinic, and it repeats once a month. No daily tablets.
A monthly injection suits some pets far better than tablets, and vets usually raise it when one of the following applies:
- cats with kidney disease, because long-term anti-inflammatory tablets (NSAIDs) are risky in cats and Solensia is processed differently
- dogs that vomit, go off their food or develop stomach ulcers on NSAIDs
- pets already on several daily medications, or cats that cannot be pilled
- older animals for whom surgery and anaesthesia carry more risk than a monthly needle
Expectations matter with these drugs. Some pets move more freely within a week of the first injection, while others show nothing until the second or third dose. Neither product rebuilds cartilage or slows the underlying disease, so the relief works best alongside weight control and steady daily exercise. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) told the ABC it registered Beransa in 2022 and updated its label in August 2024 to add rarely identified side effects, including blood disorders such as thrombocytopenia. A vet has to examine your pet before prescribing either drug.
The NSAIDs vets actually prescribe
Most arthritic dogs in Australia end up on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, usually shortened to NSAID. These are the workhorses of arthritis care because they treat pain and inflammation together, and many dogs move more freely within days of starting. Cats get them too, but far more cautiously, since cats clear these drugs slowly and have a thinner margin for error.
| Drug | Common brands | Who it is for | Rough monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meloxicam | Metacam and generics | Dogs, low doses in cats | $25 to $45 |
| Carprofen | Rimadyl and generics | Dogs | $30 to $60 |
| Firocoxib | Previcox | Dogs | $45 to $80 |
| Robenacoxib | Onsior | Cats | $35 to $60 |
Costs scale with weight, because every one of these drugs is dosed per kilogram, so a 30 kilogram labrador costs considerably more to treat than a 10 kilogram kelpie. Grapiprant (Galliprant), widely used overseas, is often listed alongside these, but it is not a classic NSAID: it blocks one prostaglandin receptor rather than the whole inflammatory cascade. Ask your vet whether it is an option for your dog.
All of these are Schedule 4 prescription medicines in Australia. You cannot buy them over the counter. A written script can be filled at a pharmacy or an accredited online dispensary, and prices can differ noticeably between the two.
Side effects and the blood tests that catch them
NSAIDs do their work in the gut and the kidneys, which is where most side effects turn up too. Vomiting, diarrhoea and going off food are the early warnings, and they usually appear in the first week on a new drug. Cats process these drugs more slowly than dogs, so vets use lower doses and watch them more closely. Black, tarry poo points to bleeding in the stomach, so ring the clinic the same day. Stop the tablets. Do not restart them until a vet says so.
Most vets run bloods before starting long-term medication, then repeat the tests about every six months. Cats and dogs over ten are often checked more often, because kidneys lose function quietly with age. Expect to pay roughly $120 to $250 for a panel, depending on what gets tested.
- Vomiting or diarrhoea, especially with blood in it
- Refusing food for more than a day
- Drinking much more water than usual
- Yellow gums or whites of the eyes
- Black, tar-like poo
These signs can have several causes, and a vet should examine your pet rather than guess over the phone. Most dogs on NSAIDs never have a problem, but the blood tests exist for the ones who do.
Supplements worth their price
Prescription medication does the heavy lifting for most arthritic dogs and cats, but owners often ask about the tubs of chews and powders on pet store shelves. Some have reasonable evidence behind them, and some are mostly expensive flavouring.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are the best known of the joint supplements, usually sold together and often combined with green-lipped mussel, which is harvested in New Zealand and widely used in Australian products. A large tub of chews runs from about $40 to $90 and lasts a month or two depending on the dog’s size. Evidence for glucosamine alone is mixed, but the combination products are generally well tolerated.
Fish oil is the other one vets mention often, because omega-3 fatty acids have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Look for a product with a stated EPA and DHA content rather than a vague “fish oil” label, and expect to pay $25 to $60 for a decent bottle.
Green-lipped mussel powder and undenatured type II collagen appear in several Australian brands, and both have small studies behind them, though nothing like the trial data for prescription drugs.
What matters more than the brand is the conversation with your vet. Supplements can interact with other medication, and they are not a substitute for a proper diagnosis.
What never comes off the human shelf
A common and avoidable poisoning is paracetamol or ibuprofen handed to a dog with a sore hip. Both drugs are dangerous to pets at doses people swallow without thinking, and the margin between a helpful amount and a fatal one is narrow.
Cats are worse off again. Their liver handles these drugs poorly: the Merck Veterinary Manual notes paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning in cats generally occurs at 40 to 50 mg per kilogram, and some cats react at 10 mg per kilogram, so a single 500 mg tablet can kill an adult cat. Dogs are not much safer. Ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers and acute kidney injury, and a small dog does not need to swallow many tablets to be at risk.
Do not reach for the human shelf. Ever.
- Paracetamol (Panadol): toxic to cats at any dose, and to dogs above roughly 100 mg per kilogram, or lower with repeated doses. Causes liver failure and, in cats, changes to the blood that stop it carrying oxygen.
- Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Advil): stomach ulcers and kidney damage in dogs. Cats are more sensitive again.
- Aspirin: sometimes prescribed by vets at precise doses, but never guess. Cats clear it very slowly and can bleed internally.
- Naproxen (Aleve): long-acting, so a single overdose keeps damaging the gut for days.
- Topical gels: diclofenac or ibuprofen gel on your knee, then your dog licks your leg. That counts as a dose.
If your pet has swallowed any of these, call your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738 straight away. Do not wait for symptoms, because with paracetamol in cats the first sign is often already too late.
What a year of treatment really costs
Prices move with your pet’s weight, your postcode and the clinic’s dispensing mark-up, so treat these figures as ranges rather than quotes. The numbers below suit a 20 kg dog on a fairly standard plan at a capital city clinic. Cats usually land at the lower end of each band.
| Item | Yearly cost (20 kg dog) |
|---|---|
| Daily NSAID tablets (carprofen or meloxicam) | $400 to $700 |
| Monthly injection (Librela for dogs, Solensia for cats) | $900 to $1,400 |
| Joint supplements, chewable or liquid | $250 to $600 |
| Two check-ups with blood tests | $350 to $600 |
Most arthritic pets end up on a combination, so a realistic year runs from about $750 for tablets and checks to $2,000 with injections and monitoring. Ask your vet to price a full year at the first appointment, not just the first month’s supply. Some will write a script you can fill at a human chemist, which can cut the NSAID bill noticeably.
Insurance changes the maths. Many Australian policies refund a set percentage of eligible ongoing arthritis treatment (often 70 to 80 per cent), provided the condition was not noted before the policy started. Read the PDS. That document settles most disputes.
Grief and the decision to stop treating
Arthritis management eventually reaches a point where the injections, tablets and joint supplements stop holding the line. The question then shifts from what to add next to whether to keep going at all, and many owners carry that decision for months. When ABC News invited readers to share their stories of euthanasing a pet, the responses ran long and raw, one carrying the line “I still cry about him”. Guilt features in nearly every account.
A simple daily score takes some of the emotion out of the call. Each day, note the basics:
- Did your pet eat willingly and hold their weight?
- Could they get up and settle without whining or snapping?
- Did they manage the toilet without help or accidents?
- Was there one moment of real enjoyment, a greeting or a patch of sun?
Most vets suggest writing the scores down for two weeks rather than judging a single bad day. When the bad days start outnumbering the good, that is a pattern worth acting on, and your vet can weigh the notes against whatever pain relief remains. Some owners also arrange a home visit for euthanasia, a service many clinics and mobile vets now provide.
Where the dog came from matters
The joints your dog was born with shape how early arthritis arrives and how hard it hits. ABC News reported scrutiny of a NSW Labrador breeder after more than 200 dogs were found on its property. Puppy farms and high-volume breeders do not always score their breeding dogs’ hips and elbows, so inherited problems such as hip dysplasia pass straight down the line. Dysplastic joints often develop arthritis years earlier, sometimes from four or five years old in larger breeds.
Whether you are choosing a puppy or living with an adult rescue, a few checks carry real weight.
- Ask the breeder for hip and elbow scores for both parents (the AVA and ANKC run scoring schemes), and walk away if the answer is vague.
- For rescues with unknown history, have the vet check the joints at each annual visit rather than waiting for a limp.
- Large breeds such as Labradors and German Shepherds carry the highest inherited risk.
- Early diagnosis pays off, because weight management and controlled exercise started young can delay the first tablet by years.
None of this changes which medication your vet prescribes, but it changes when you will need it. History is not destiny. A dog from screened parents might not need daily pain relief until ten or eleven, while a dog from an unscreened litter may need it at five.
