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A plant-based arthritis treatment, that is said to have no side effects, has completed its first successful tests on dogs in France (trial pictured)

A natural arthritis treatment that is said to have no side effects, has completed its first successful tests on dogs.

Researchers from France developed two formulas made from a mixture of plants and dietary supplements to relieve arthritis pain in canines. 

Over the course of eight weeks, the strength in the dogs' paws increased by 2.2lbs (1kg), on average, and their daily activity went from six hours up to eight. 

The next step is to test the formulas on humans to see if the treatment is as effective.

'While acupuncture and electrical stimulation are two approaches that have been shown to have positive effects on dogs, until now few studies have investigated a plant-based approach to therapy,' said researcher Éric Troncy, senior author of the study and professor at the University of Montreal.

His findings were published in Research in Veterinary Science.

Professor Troncy and his team worked with 32 dogs that had been diagnosed with arthritis by X-ray and orthopaedic exam, and which all weighed more than three stone (20kg).

By drawing on previous studies, carried out on rats, Professor Troncy developed two formulas for his trial.

The first formula contained curcumin, devil's claw, Indian frankincense - also known as Salai, - willow bark, pineapple, bromelaine, and camomile, and was developed to treat arthritis-induced inflammation. 

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The first formula contained devil's claw (left), Indian frankincense - also known as Salai, willow bark, pineapple, bromelaine and camomile (right), and was developed to treat arthritis-induced inflammation. The second included the same ingredients, plus dietary supplements including omega 3, chondroitin sulfate and glutamine

The second included the same ingredients, plus dietary supplements including omega 3, chondroitin sulfate and glutamine. 

This second formula was created in the hope it would promote the regeneration of articulations.

Neither of these formulas are currently commercially available.

During tests, half of the dogs received the first formula for four weeks, followed by the second formula for another four weeks. 

The other half, acting as the control, received a placebo. 

To study the outcomes, each of the dogs were filmed as they walked at a consistent speed over a platform that captured the strength of each paw.

Secondly, a special electronic collar recorded the dogs' daily activities. 

And finally, the owners were asked to provide their own evaluations of their dogs' behaviour.

By the fourth week of the trial, there was a noticeable improvement in the dogs that were taking the formula, according to the research team.

'After the eight-week course, on average, the strength of the dogs receiving treatment had improved to the equivalent of a kilo of extra strength per paw,' said lead author Maxim Morea. 

'None of these dogs saw their health decline, unlike 35.8 per cent of the dogs who were given the placebo.'

The improvements were also reflected in the dogs' daily lives.  The collars revealed that the dogs receiving treatment maintained their physical activity, and in fact the group average increased from six hours of daily activity to eight. 

Meanwhile, the dogs receiving the placebo were progressively less active.  

Each of the dogs were filmed as they walked on a platform (pictured) that captured the strength of their paws. Secondly, a special electronic collar recorded the dogs' daily activities. After eight weeks, on average, the strength of the dogs had improved to the equivalent of a 2.2lbs (1kg) of extra strength per paw

'In some cases, we recorded the dogs to ensure that the collar was recording actual physical activity rather than movements such as scratching,' Professor Troncy explained.

However, the ratings from the owners were more mixed. 

'This third evaluation was more subjective and the contrast between the test group and the control group less stark,' Professor Troncy said. 

'We suspect that the owner may have forgotten what the animal's behaviour was like before it developed arthritis.'

The findings raise the possibility of offering a new form of treatment to humans, the researchers added.

'The model of evaluation that we have used is the best for predicting the efficacy of anti-arthritis treatments. 

'We can therefore consider that clinical trials on humans would have a good chance of having positive outcomes,' Professor Troncy concluded.