As most dog owners know, movement and joint pain become severe difficulties for aged dogs. Thirty percent of dog owners in the United States give their pets a joint supplement. The best method to protect and maintain your dog’s joint health is to provide him with a balanced, nutritious meal that contains high-quality vitamins that reduce and prevent arthritis.
But how do you choose the best vitamins for your dog? There are disparities between what veterinarians recommend and what research demonstrates. We will explain how to choose the best joint supplement for your dog.
How Canine Joints Work
A dog’s joint is where two bones unite to allow movement. Cartilage with a membrane filled with lubricating fluid covers the bone ends, a shock-absorbing cushion. Ligaments are the connective tissue found outside the joint that connects the bones.
Over time, the cushioning tissue and fluid might deteriorate, and the fluid can become less dense. This disorder is known as Degenerative Joint Disease or Osteoarthritis, resulting in diminished protection.
Ultimately, the joint itself deteriorates alters its shape, and generates bone spurs that can enter the joint. This is quite unbearable for the dog.
Hip dysplasia is an additional cause of dog joint pain. This is a characteristic that influences hip socket depth. When a dog is born with hip dysplasia, the femur bone causes arthritis by rubbing against the shallow hip socket.
Any of the issues above can be exacerbated if the dog is overweight. We adore our chubby dogs, but their obesity is unhealthy. It stresses your dog’s limbs and joints unnecessarily.
How to Determine if Your Dog Has Joint Problems
According to the National Animal Supplement Council, the following behavioral changes indicate that your pet has developed DJD:
- Less willing to play
- Difficulty leaping into the automobile or onto the sofa
- Slow to rise from a lying position
- Joint enlargement
- Stiffness during movement
- Withdrawn or irritable demeanor
These symptoms are most pronounced during chilly weather or after a day of vigorous exertion.
What to Do If Your Dog Has Joint Problems
These signals are discouraging to you and painful to your dog. Take the dog to the veterinarian promptly so the issue may be confirmed. Your pet will get a joint examination, a range of motion test, and maybe x-rays.
Depending on the severity, you may be prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs or, in extreme circumstances, advised to have surgery to repair or replace the afflicted joints and ligaments.
However, before (and after) this point is reached, veterinarians may propose a significantly less expensive solution: joint support supplements. Here’s what you should know about joint supplements and other alternatives for your dog.
Should Dogs Take Joint Supplements?
The American Veterinary Medical Association agrees that a few joint supplements for dogs show potential, but many others are ineffective or even harmful.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, several of these joint supplements for dogs frequently fail quality and potency tests, resulting in harmful or no effects. Before purchasing a joint supplement for your dog, it is vital to research and evaluate its quality.
However, if you asked a group of dog owners what the greatest joint supplement for dogs is, you would undoubtedly receive many comments, including Glucosamine and chondroitin-containing products.
Best dog joint health supplement
Frequently, dog owners and certain veterinarians propose the following substances as the most effective joint supplement for dogs:
- The compound Glucosamine Hydrochloride
- Essential Fatty Acids
- Avo Soy Unsaponifiable
- The compound Chondroitin Sulphate
- CBD (Cannabidiol) (CBD)
Unfortunately, there is much ambiguity around joint supplements for dogs, as the FDA does not regulate them as closely as pharmaceuticals. Glucosamine and Chondroitin for dogs might cause digestive disorders and problems with glucose management.
According to experts in joint health, the finest joint supplement for dogs must contain elements that promote cartilage synthesis. The cartilage building blocks are proline and glycine. The supplement also requires sulfur donors, such as methionine and taurine, and cations required for syntheses, such as Mn or Zn. This is the only viable nutritional strategy for improving joint health.
Glucosamine Hydrochloride
Strong cartilage is necessary for joints to move freely and painlessly. Glucosamine for dogs stimulates cartilage formation and protects cartilage in the joint.
Like other joint supplements for dogs, Glucosamine will take time to build up in your dog’s system. Once it reaches therapeutic tissue levels, Glucosamine has been proven to improve pain scores and weight-bearing in dogs with arthritis.
Glucosamine hydrochloride is beneficial for both dogs with arthritis and healthy joints. If your dog is predisposed to joint difficulties, such as large breed dogs, has experienced collective trauma or broken bones, or has elbow or hip dysplasia, you can begin providing Glucosamine as early as eight weeks.
For healthy dogs, the suggested dosage of glucosamine hydrochloride is 30 milligrams per kilogram per day for four weeks, followed by a reduction to 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. Ask your veterinarian for assistance in determining the correct dosage and administration regimen for your dog.
In addition, ensure that you are administering glucosamine hydrochloride and not glucosamine sulfate, as glucosamine sulfate has not been demonstrated to penetrate cartilage effectively.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fats are an excellent supplement for the joints of dogs of all ages. Omega-3 fatty acids maintain healthy joint lubrication and can lessen your pet’s inflammation and suffering. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids help healthy joints, skin, heart, and kidneys.
Even though dog treats and food are frequently made with omega-3 fatty acids, the levels are insufficient to aid a dog with joint issues. It may be essential to take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement (your veterinarian can help you decide this).
Fish or krill oil are the greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs. These dietary supplements contain EPA and DHA, necessary omega-3 fatty acids sourced from fish. The Nordic Naturals Omega-3 dog supplement contains pure fish oil concentrates containing EPA and DHA. Supplementation with flaxseed oil, which has just ALA, is not suggested.
To support joint health in dogs of all ages and common conditions, provide 100 mg of mixed EPA and DHA per kilogram of healthy body weight each day. Your veterinarian can assess the appropriate dosage and necessity of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for your pet.
Remember that omega-3 fatty acids are susceptible and degrade in the presence of heat, light, and oxygen; therefore, it is advisable to store these supplements in the freezer in an opaque container.
Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiable
Avocado Soybean preserves cartilage by reducing inflammation and promoting repair following damage. Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiable functions synergistically with glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate, making joint supplements containing all three components for dogs of all ages.
One limitation of Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiable is that they are ineffective for dogs with advanced arthritis. Joint supplements maintain cartilage, but there is no cartilage left to protect in dogs with advanced arthritis.
Chondroitin Sulfate
Chondroitin sulfate preserves cartilage by inhibiting cartilage-degrading enzymes. It is advised for all dogs older than eight weeks, excluding those with advanced arthritis.
Chondroitin sulfate can be difficult for a dog’s gastrointestinal tract to absorb; therefore, selecting a product with low molecular weight, such as Dasuquin, may enhance absorption.
Dasuquin is advantageous due to glucosamine hydrochloride, and Avocado Soybean is Unsaponifiable. Chondroitin sulfate functions in conjunction with glucosamine hydrochloride and Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiable, and these substances are more effective when combined than when used singly.
Given separately, chondroitin sulfate requires the same dosage as Glucosamine, but the dosages are reduced when administered together. Inquire with your veterinarian for product recommendations and the correct dosage for your dog.
Cannabidiol
CBD oil may be beneficial for dogs with severe arthritis. The endocannabinoid system in your dog’s body that modulates pain and inflammation is said to be the mechanism by which CBD oil works.
A 2018 study revealed that a 2 mg/kg twice-daily dosage could alleviate pain and promote activity in arthritic dogs. CBD is likely more useful for senior dogs with preexisting joint discomfort than for younger canines with healthy joints.
You can also consult your veterinarian for advice on alternative pain therapies, including pet pain medication, joint fusion surgery, and holistic pain treatments such as acupuncture, photobiomodulation, and joint injections.
It might be hard to navigate the world of joint supplements for dogs. Veterinarians are the finest resource for information about dog joint supplements that genuinely benefit your pet, so never hesitate to seek their assistance.