Field Comparison of Canine NSAIDs Firocoxib and Deracoxib

A multi-clinic, investigator blinded, randomized, prospective field trial enrolling 379 dogs compared deracoxib and firocoxib administered orally over 30 days to treat musculoskeletal disorders considered by the veterinary investigator as caused by osteoarthritis (OA). Over 60% of dogs improved within 7 days of treatment initiation (Day 0), and improvement over baseline was greater at Day 28 than at Day 7 based on veterinarian and owner assessments. For owners’ assessments, statistically significantly (P=.003 to .0381) more dogs that received firocoxib than received deracoxib showed substantial improvement at Days 7 and 28, but differences in veterinarian assessments were not statistically significant. There were no serious adverse events and no significant difference between products in the rate of study non-completion.