If there are still people out there who think that veterinary medicine is play-play human medicine, then it is now time to change your mind.

Pets are getting MRIs and CT scans, are having brain and spinal surgery, are treated for cancer with chemotherapy and are being managed for diseases such as diabetes and congestive heart failure. Our limitations are often just availability and cost.

Recently two new medications have come onto the market – both are monoclonal canine antibodies directed against a causative molecule / protein in the body. Most treatments are aimed at reducing symptoms of disease. The new goal is to treat conditions more specifically.

For example, chemotherapy is generally a non-specific treatment which targets rapidly dividing cells. These include cancer cells as well as some of the body’s normal healthy cells – hence the side effects we see. Targeted therapy is when treatment is aimed at a specific cell, usually identified by its specific genetic expression of markers on or within the cell. This means side effects are less and dosages can increase.

Just a quick immunology lecture: When we vaccinate our pets we are injecting modified live or recombinant (bits and pieces of) virus or bacterial particles into their systems. These are adapted so that they will not cause clinical disease, but will have enough similarity to the virus so that the body can recognise it and mount an immune response.

The body does this by making antibodies against those identifiers. Antibodies will start being present after three to four days, but will only be at maximum production after about three to four weeks. When the virus then enters the system, the body is primed and the antibodies are already present and the immune system can attack the virus or bacteria without a three to four day lag period.

Monoclonal antibody medications work on a similar principle, just reversed. With this form of medication, antibodies are injected into the animal which target certain diseases progressing or amplifying molecules. Because these antibodies haven’t been made by the animal, they will degrade after some time – usually three to four weeks – and repeat injections are required. These antibodies are breed specific, as we need them to be accepted by the dog’s immune system. If they are not accepted, they will be treated as a virus and antibodies will be made against them and they will be destroyed.

Currently there are two such treatments on the market. One is for atopy, which is a severe allergic skin disease to environmental allergens, basically a very itchy dog with no parasites, skin infections or food allergy. The other is just being launched and is directed against arthritis.

In the skin allergy injection the antibodies injected target one of the molecules which travels and signals between cells. This molecule switches on the itch response. By blocking this we are blocking a large portion of the clinical signs of skin allergies.

With the arthritis injection the antibody is targeting a molecule which stimulates nerves in joints to become super-active and amplify any pain from inflammation. Basically it blocks this vicious cycle of inflammation causing pain and the pain resulting in increased sensitivity to the feeling or pain and also to the ability to become inflamed. This medication will be especially useful in dogs which have kidney disease and cannot be placed onto normal anti-inflammatories for joint pain.

Both these treatments are firsts in the veterinary field and have not been adapted from a human molecule. They are specific for dogs, as the antibody is made to sneak “under the radar” of the canine immune system.