Do Supplements Work Against Dog Arthritis?

Dietary supplements are commonly used to treat dog arthritis. However not all dogs respond to such treatment. In cases where the damage is too extensive to the cartilage, supplements may no longer be helpful.

Dog arthritis is surprisingly common, about one in five dogs will suffer with it. Elderly and large dogs are especially susceptible. Dog arthritis causes deterioration of the joints, which can severely impact your dog’s quality of life.

Therefore you should observe your dog’s mobility and behavior - there may be signs that your dog is suffering from dog arthritis.

Listed below are some symptoms of the disease:

• lameness
• difficulty getting up after resting
• irritability
• licking at the joints by your dog

Supplements

More pet owners and vets are first opting for dietary supplements to treat dog arthritis, since they are made from natural ingredients. This makes them less toxic to your dog’s liver. They also work in the natural restoration of damaged cartilage.

In situations where the cartilage has been significantly damaged to the point where the two bones of the joint are in contact with each other, a more aggressive treatment is needed. However, supplements can still be of some use in this chronic stage of the disease since supplements can preserve what cartilage is left.

You know that a supplement is good when it contains chondroitin and glucosamine. Dasuquin contains the said components, plus avocado and soybean unsaponifiables which helps in cartilage protection and growth.

Adequan and cartrophen are other effective supplements. They are administered by injection and cartrophen is not available in the US.

Welactin is another good example of supplements. The supplement with its omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil can greatly reduce the inflammation.

When supplement don’t work on your dog, it’s probably best to use a more aggressive approach. Non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain killers are medications that reduce the joint pain and swelling associated with dog arthritis.

Pet owners should realize that there is a variety of ways to treat dog arthritis. Giving supplements to their dogs can improve your dogs condition; nonetheless, people should remain open to other forms of treatment the your vet would suggest, if giving supplements is no longer sufficient.

Dog Arthritis Supplements (PDF)

How Are Those Dog Arthritis Glucosamine Supplements Helping?

Are the Dog Arthritis Glucosamine Supplements Helping?

When your dog is suffering from the pain of dog arthritis, you’ll do anything to make his life improve and one of the things you may have used are glucosamine supplements for dog arthritis relief.

That’s wonderful! This indicates you’re a caring friend, but before you go hailing success, let’s make sure that the glucosamine supplements are really doing the job.

In just a few minutes I’ll tell you everything you need to know so you can decide whether or not you’re going to continue with the glucosamine supplements, or try a combination of supplements.

 

Top 3 Questions about Glucosamine Supplements

How do I know if the glucosamine supplements are actually helping my dog?

How long will it take to see recognizable improvements after I begin giving the glucosamine supplements to my suffering dog?

What are the most common reasons why my dog might not benefit currently from the supplements to end pain?

These are some good questions. Let’s discover the answers:

How to Tell if the Dog Arthritis Glucosamine Supplements are Actually Helping My Dog

You are looking for improvements in the following areas:

Mobility issues: Less problems rising after laying down and more limber - moves with ease.

Lameness Issues: Less limping - will he put more weight on his arthritic leg?

Joint Licking: Is there a decrease in joint licking and chewing episodes?

Behavioral Changes: Has your dog’s aggression level decreased? Is he friendlier like before? Is he eating well?

You can observe all these factors for yourself and calculate the results accurately, keep a detailed log of your observations and perform them once per week for a two-month period. Then you’ll be able to judge the results and tell if your dog’s arthritis is better or not.

Length of Time to Continue the Supplements?

Veterinarians recommend a two month minimum trial period. If you don’t see results after two months, don’t stop the treatment until you talk with your vet.

Glucosamine delivers results over a longer period of time - it’s not a quick fix!  You also won’t see results if the dog arthritis is caused by other symptoms or conditions that need treatment. For example, dog joint supplements don’t help much for knee ailments like cruciate ligament ruptures that need surgery.

Your vet can diagnose the underlying cause of you dog’s arthritis and advise the proper treatment and medications. These treatments may include dog glucosamine, but it’s very likely it will be a combination of a medications and procedures.

Carefully observing your dog, combined with veterinary consultations, can go a long way to relieving your dog’s painful arthritis.

Dog Arthritis Glucosamine Supplements (PDF)