Osteoarthritis: The Multimodal Mindset

Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton, DVM, DVMAll SpeciesPre-RACE approval · 0.5–3 CE creditsFree Preview

Osteoarthritis affects an estimated 60–80% of dogs over 8 years and 90%+ of cats over 12 years—yet feline OA remains dramatically underdiagnosed. This episode moves beyond NSAIDs into a complete systems approach: pain scoring tools you can implement tomorrow, anti-NGF monoclonal antibodies that represent a paradigm shift, and environmental modifications that cost nothing but change everything. Follow Luna, a 12-year-old cat whose owner thought she was 'just slowing down,' through a multimodal protocol that restores both mobility and quality of life.

Learning Objectives

  • 1Explain the difference between OA pain mechanisms in dogs vs. cats and identify why feline OA is dramatically underdiagnosed
  • 2Analyze the mechanism of action of monoclonal antibody anti-NGF therapies (Librela and Solensia) and how they differ from NSAIDs
  • 3Build a complete multimodal OA protocol for a feline patient, including NSAID selection, environmental modifications, nutraceuticals, and integrative modalities
  • 4Evaluate validated pain scoring tools—CBPI, LOAD, Feline Grimace Scale, Helsinki Chronic Pain Index—and apply them for treatment monitoring
  • 5Identify appropriate environmental modifications and weight management strategies specific to osteoarthritic cats

Course Syllabus

  1. 1
    Opening Case: Meet LunaPreview

    case-intro

    5 min
  2. 2
    OA in Dogs and Cats: A Tale of Two Presentations

    presentations

    10 min
  3. 3
    Pain Scoring Tools: Measuring What Matters

    pain-scoring

    8 min
  4. 4
    The New Pharmacologic Landscape: Anti-NGF Monoclonal Antibodies

    anti-ngf

    12 min
  5. 5
    Building a Complete Multimodal Protocol

    multimodal-protocol

    12 min
  6. 6
    Luna at 3 Months: Case Resolution and Long-Term Management

    case-resolution

    8 min

Final Assessment

10 questions · Passing score: 70%

Complete all course modules to unlock the assessment. Upon passing, your CE certificate will be generated automatically.