Comparative therapeutics of canine and human rheumatoid arthritis

For a variety of reasons--both medical and medicolegal--a more aggressive approach is taken in canine than in human rheumatoid arthritis. While cytotoxic agents are probably the drugs of choice in the dog, they are normally the last resort of the rheumatologist. On the other hand, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are the cornerstone of treatment in man, are of questionable safety--if not absolutely contraindicated--in the dog. Canine rheumatoid arthritis is an uncommon diagnosis, and it is not the intent of this discussion to encourage either the use of cytotoxic drugs or the experimentation with unproven agents in dogs with vaguely defined forms of arthritis.