What is Joint Pain?
Just as we are prone to body aches and hip joint pains, dogs often experience soreness and stiffness as they grow old and begin to suffer from degenerative joint conditions. Osteoarthritis is especially common among aging dogs, affecting 20% over the age of one. The tell-tale signs are there if you notice carefully, he’s slowed down, has trouble getting up, moves stiffly and maybe even favours a leg. Though he can’t express it in words, he’s starting to feel his age.
When do dogs require Hip and Joint Supplements?
As a dog ages, his body produces less glucosamine, a naturally-occurring compound found in joints that helps the body repair tissues and cartilage. While the active ingredients in joint supplements like glucosamine or chondroitin can’t cure or reverse osteoarthritis, a preventative regime can do wonders to slow the onset of joint degeneration and keep your pet pain-free and mobile for as long as possible. While all sizes and breeds are affected by the effects of old age, there are certain dogs that are susceptible to earlier onset and more severe symptoms. Large breeds, already prone to joint and skeletal conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia, are at a significant risk of developing more severe signs and early symptoms of osteoarthritis. Some vets recommend starting large-breeds and other dogs predisposed to develop the condition – as a result of conformation or injury, on a joint supplement regime at a young age, as early as 8 weeks. While most of these supplements are perfectly safe for puppies, be sure to watch out for side effects like a gastrointestinal upset. At the same time, if your dog is already in the late stages of bone-on-bone osteoarthritis, joint supplements won’t do anything to help repair the damage or alleviate the symptoms. But if you catch it early on, supplements can help to protect and promote health in the unaffected joints.
Do Joint Supplements work?
While the use of joint supplements, specifically glucosamine, has been shown to be effective in promoting cartilage and joint health in humans, there is less consensus on the benefit of glucosamine and joint supplements generally in dogs. A recent review points to a dearth of high-quality, objective clinical trials and the fact that trials conducted to-date have yielded mixed results. Despite these inconclusive findings, several studies show preliminary signs of the benefit of glucosamine and chondroitin in subjectively-assessed measures of pain. The review also points out that while the clinical benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin remain uncertain, their adverse effect profiles are not harmful. Moreover, many vets report seeing improved mobility and weight-bearing and decreased levels of pain in dogs taking products containing glucosamine and chondroitin.
Which Joint Supplement could be helpful for your dog?
When deciding which supplement is right for your dog, it is important to factor in considerations like cost and the form like capsule or chewable tablet, liquid, powder, injection and most importantly, the type and severity of your dog’s condition. When choosing a glucosamine supplement, stick to those that contain either glucosamine hydrochloride – HCl or glucosamine sulphate, as glucosamine KCL is thought to be of lower quality. Glucosamine sulphate, stabilized with sodium chloride, is the most common type of glucosamine and has been studied the most in human and animal clinical trials. Glucosamine hydrochloride is a more concentrated version that contains significantly less sodium but has been subject to less research and therefore it has less evidence demonstrating its effectiveness. Look for products that contain both glucosamine and chondroitin, as studies show that they are more effective when used together. Glucosamine works as a natural anti-inflammatory by regulating the synthesis of collagen in cartilage, while chondroitin enhances cartilage elasticity and thickness by inhibiting destructive enzymes in joint fluid and cartilage. Working like some anti-inflammatory drugs, glucosamine and glucosamine chondroitin helps with joint care and joint problems in pets. Supplements that contain MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, are thought to aid in digestion and absorption, helping your dog process all that glucosamine and chondroitin more efficiently. Furthermore, MSM, which is a sulphur compound essential in preventing cartilage erosion, acts as a natural anti-inflammatory to help combat rheumatoid arthritis. Many products contain ascorbic acid or manganese as well, which also aid in digestion.
Some points to remember before buying any supplement?
Research the product properly and find out if it has any long term side effects or is harmful to the dog in any way.
Always speak with the vet before starting any new supplement or medication.
Joint supplements are more effective when started at a young age in dogs.
Many Supplements contain added vitamins and minerals always check to see if the amount of these ingredients contained per dosage is enough to show some benefits or not. Mostly, the amount of fatty acids present in such joint supplements is fine for promoting healthy skin and shiny coats but it does not help in fighting the joint degeneration problem.
