Onsior for Cats & Dogs

You should discuss the exact time period with your vet, however the datasheet states the following:

Do not administer with food since clinical trials demonstrated better
efficacy of robenacoxib for osteoarthritis when administered without
food or at least 30 minutes before or after a meal.

NAF Canine contains devils claw which does have anti-inflammatory properties. There is not enough research into devils claw to show how it does this so I do not recommend using them both together just in case they have a similar mode of action. If your dog is affected by arthritis then I advise using a joint supplement alongside the Onsior. I recommend reading our blog 'Arthritis in pets - prevention & management' for a useful guide on this.

You should never exceed your vet's recommended doseage with this medication, therefore it is safest to miss one dose (in the evening) then resume the following morning.

Pasted below are the recommended doseages as found on the data sheet:

Number of Tablets by Strength and Body Weight for Osteoarthritis

Number of Tablets by Strength and Body Weight for Soft Tissue Surgery

These are both effective normally at reducing the discomfort from osteoarthritis. I am not aware of any scientific investigations conducted to try and compare them in this way, but they are both generally regarded as about equally safe and effective based on anecdotal evidence. Some dogs might happen to respond better to one drug than another, but I do not think that is particularly likely. I would have to question if the symptoms you are noticing are genuinely caused by the osteoarthritis which has been identified. Obviously I cannot tell and indeed it might be very difficult to be sure, but I would say that sometimes osteoarthritis can exist without causing obvious trouble for the dog. Another, unidentified condition could be causing trouble now, rather than the osteoarthritis. My first suggestion would be to re-evaluate the diagnosis, which obviously means going back to your vet. If nothing else is identified, then perhaps just try a different drug as well as doing all you can in other ways to help. Joint supplements such as Yumove or Joint Force are widely believed to be able to help. It is also helpful to encourage regular, gentle exercise (but never excited, strenuous or prolonged). Weight loss through food reduction is for some dogs the most beneficial thing you can do, but that depends on the current bodyweight and other factors. All else being equal though, you aim for a slim dog. It is always possible through simply giving less food, but that is very difficult for many people in practice.

It is very common to use a prescription, anti-inflammatory drug such as Onsior along with a non-prescription, joint supplement such as Yumove. Many vets do recommend this and it is safe. Other measures can involve restricting food levels a bit to help keep body weight down as well as encouraging regular but gentle exercise.

This is unlikely to cause trouble, but it certainly could. If your dog shows any vomiting or diarrhoea it is important not to give any more tablets and go straight to your vet. If he seems fine then all should be well. I would be tempted to miss out the next dose though.

Most herbal tablets appear to be safe and can be given alongside Onsior, but they have not all been tested and there is no scientific confirmation of that initial comment. Personally I would be happy for you to give any of the main brand herbal products at the recommended amount alongside Onsior. As long as your dog is otherwise well, it is very unlikely that there would be any sort of adverse reaction.The glucosamine/chondroitin based supplements, such as Joint Force, are regarded as particularly suitable to add to the treatment.

Onsior can occasionally have side effects, but hair loss is very unlikely to be due to the Onsior. It is much more likely to be a coincidence that the hair loss is occurring at the same time. I would make sure that your flea control measures are adequate, even if you see no fleas, and take your cat to the vet to be checked out for any other causes. (A flea allergy would be a very common cause for hair loss on cats, and can happen with very few fleas which are difficult to see.)