The study will involve approximately 100 ‘otherwise healthy’ dogs (50) and cats (50) who suffer from joint pain.

Each owner will be asked to give the provided study product to their dog/cat for a period of 6 weeks and answer questionnaires every 2 weeks during that period.

The entire study can be completed from home, with no in clinic appointments necessary.

To make the timing of your involvement in this study as convenient as possible, we are recruiting on a rolling basis which means that your animal’s individual start date is flexible.

Please see below for more information. You can find the eligibility and registration form at the bottom of this page.

For this study, we are assessing the effectiveness of a specialised PEA product.

PEA is a fatty acid that naturally occurs in the body (humans and animals) and is approved for use by the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) for pain relief in humans. Previous research has shown PEA to exert a wide range of beneficial effects such as reducing inflammation, pain and allergic reactions.

Studies in both humans and animals have shown PEA to have a good tolerability and safety profile.

PEA is currently used within the veterinary setting as a treatment for dermatitis with more recent studies looking at its effect for joint pain and osteoarthritis. Due to the effectiveness of PEA in humans for reducing pain and inflammation, this study is assessing a new PEA formulation for reducing joint pain in dogs and cats.

It is supplied in a capsule form and can either be administered orally as a capsule, or the capsules can be opened to sprinkle onto food. The powder is tasteless so should be well tolerated.

This study is placebo controlled, which for this study means that half of the animals will receive the PEA product, and the other half will receive a placebo. At the conclusion of the study, owners of pets who were on placebo will be offered the PEA product to try for 6 weeks. 

This study is being conducted to assess the efficacy of a new PEA formulation as a treatment for joint pain in dogs and cats.

Dogs and cats, in particular overweight dogs and cats, are at risk of developing chronic pain due to issues with their joints or developing osteoarthritis. Associated side effects include lameness, stiffness, and loss of joint function, which eventually leads to a decreased quality of life.

Whilst pharmaceutical options (such as anti-inflammatories) are often prescribed, long term use can have unwanted side effects.

PEA is currently used within the veterinary setting as a treatment for dermatitis. There has been previous research on its use for joint pain and osteoarthritis; however, these studies have typically combined PEA with other supplements, thus making it difficult to assess its therapeutic effect. For this study, it is hypothesized that, as it has in humans, PEA will be shown to be an effective standalone treatment for joint pain.

Your involvement in the study will be approximately 6 weeks. During this time, you will be required to administer the study product to your dog or cat daily for 6 weeks. Either as a capsule, or mixed into food.

You will also be required to complete questionnaires on your pet every 2 weeks (at baseline, week 2, week 4 and week 6).

You will be eligible for a $150 reimbursement for your time at the conclusion of your involvement in the study. The payment will be made via direct deposit to your nominated bank account once all study requirements have been met. Pro rata payments are available should early withdrawal occur. $50 at Week 2 and $100 at Week 4.

If you have a dog or cat experiencing joint pain and would like to participate, we’d love to hear from you. Please register your interest by answering the questionnaire and completing the form on this page…we’ll then get in touch to check your pet’s eligibility.

This study is a decentralised study, which means that there are no visits to a central clinic required. Throughout the 6 week study, you will be required to complete online questionnaires (every 2 weeks), and administer the study product daily to your pet for 6 weeks.

We can enrol participants from anywhere in Australia, with the exception of New South Wales. This study is approved by the University of QLD Animal Ethics Board which not have jurisdiction in NSW.

Please note that we are now fully recruited for DOGS; however, we are still have places for CATS!

• Owner of a cat with joint pain (for at least the past 2 months).
• Animal is otherwise healthy.
• Able to commit to completing the study requirements (administering study product and completing questionnaires).
• NOT residing in New South Wales

Please register your interest by answering the questionnaire and completing the form on this page…we’ll then get in touch to check your pet’s eligibility.

This study has been approved by the UQ animal ethics board under Approval Number: 2023/AE000663. A summary of results will be made available to you at the conclusion of the study. Any of your personal information collected during the study will be kept in the strictest confidence.