Calling all Vets - is SYNOVAN arthritis treatment woo?

The vet has recommended an arthritis treatment for our dog. On reading the pamphlet, my woo-meter is twitching.

Quote:

Many vets believe Synovan can advance arthritis treatment outcomes. For you it means a happier, more active dog.

This apparently contains Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium.

According to Wikipedia.

Quote:

Osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease Its application as a disease modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMAOD) has only attracted recent attention. The disease-modifying activity of this molecule has been previously reviewed in terms of its effectiveness in laboratory based studies.[2][full citation needed] More recently other derivatives such as the calcium pentosan polysulfate (CaPPS) have been investigated and found to exhibit higher oral bioavailability than the sodium salt.[3][full citation needed] Diagram represents the osteoarthritis cycle with reference to PPS site of action Canines Read et al. (1996)[full citation needed] used three different doses of NaPPS to treat 40 geriatric dogs with well-established clinical signs of chronic OA with SC injection. In a study conducted with 10 elderly dogs with osteoarthritis given calcium pentosan polysulfate (3 mg/kg intramuscularly) once weekly for four weeks, the improvement in symptoms was found to correlate with plasma indices of fibrinolytic activity and lipid profiles.[4][full citation needed] Nineteen dogs were randomly assigned to either surgery or NaPPS treatment of fragmented coronoid process and osteochondritis dissecans of the canine elbow joint.[5][full citation needed] In a more recent study in dogs with OA secondary to cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency, no differences were identified in either functional outcome or radiographic progression using the oral calcium PPS compared with placebo.[6][full citation needed] Budsberg et al. (2007)[full citation needed] evaluated the efficacy of PPS for improving the recovery period and alleviate the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the canine stifle after extracapsular stabilization of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries.

Any help appreciated.

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1PvT1G0