Following repeated therapeutic dosing for 8 weeks, carprofen has been shown to have no detrimental effect on chronically arthritic canine cartilage in a model of canine osteoarthritis.
In addition, therapeutic concentrations of carprofen have been demonstrated (in vitro) to increase proteoglycan synthesis in chondrocytes from canine arthritic cartilage.
Stimulation of proteoglycan synthesis will narrow the difference between the rate of degeneration and regeneration of cartilage matrix resulting in a slowing of the progression of cartilage loss.