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Many people, especially those suffering from arthritis, have been taking glucosamine these days to help soothe their aching joints or prevent the disease. Because glucosamine works well with humans, a lot of dog owners have been wondering if administering the same compound can help their arthritic dogs as well.
Effects of Glucosamine in Dogs
Glucosamine is basically a compound that is naturally found in the healthy cartilage and the synovial fluid in the body. It has been found to be essential when it comes to maintaining healthy gristles in the bone, and even more so when it comes to repairing damages in it. In dogs, glucosamine is often used as an efficient food supplement that is utilized in treating arthritis and hip dysplasia. You have to understand that your pet’s joints and ligaments are prone to old age deterioration; leading to pain and problems with mobility. As a result, your pooch becomes less active, thereby, causing another health issue due to inadequate exercise.
Glucosamine for dogs is basically administered as a dietary supplement, and it appears that dogs, especially the bigger ones, tend to respond well to it. As a matter of fact, this supplement can be very beneficial to your pooch’s overall health; saving you from lots of distress as a dog parent. Because dogs experiencing arthritis are usually in so much pain, glucosamine can now be successfully utilized to give them relief from the discomfort at the same time make them feel a whole lot better. So if you’re not sure if you really need to give Fido glucosamine, then stop being hesitant. Talk to your vet and let your pooch keep on enjoying life even at his old age by giving him this supplement.
Giving Glucosamine
Once you spot any signs of arthritis in your pooch, you need to talk to your vet immediately about how you can help him get relief from all the discomfort brought about by the disease, and if glucosamine supplements could work for him. There are lots of glucosamine products for dogs that are available in the market in the form of treats, pills and liquids. Just see to it that you pick the best by considering your pooch’s breed as well as his specific needs. Before giving Fido glucosamine, ensure that you consulted your vet and he has given you his “go” signal. In addition, there are times that glucosamine is better given to dogs as a preventive measure. Remember that it’s always better to keep your pooch healthy and active than waiting for him to actually suffer from any joint problem.
Finally, while it may be true that glucosamine can greatly help your ailing pooch, it is crucial that you do not rely merely on this compound and other dietary supplements. Healthy diet, sufficient exercise, and lots of TLC will always be your best weapon against the disease.
stewart
Jun 2, 2018 at 3:03 am
I have an ageing Labrador that really struggles to keep up with her daughter (we’ve had a few litters over the years, and kept one of them) Her name is Sadie and she is a lovely dog. Giving her glucosamine was one of the best decisions we’ve made.
Kimberly
Sep 26, 2017 at 8:08 am
My dog is suffering quite some time because of aching joints. I have tried almost everything right now. Maybe these medicaments need more time to start working. I hope so.
Micky Reese
Apr 10, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I had a pug, Buggie, a really great dog that as she got older, we gave her glucosamine. We used to buy marvelousproducts.com/osteo-pet-glucosamine-soft-chews-for-dogs-200-ct.html. It did well for her, but it seems they have trouble keeping it in stock. We switched to the tablet form which is less expensive for my pit bull who needs it now. My wife and I saw a marked improvement in both dogs. We have to give more of it to the pit bull though, as he is much larger.
Donna
Jun 22, 2016 at 10:18 am
I have to say that I was sceptical about giving my dog glucosamine, especially after the vet explained the injury to me in layman basketball ACL injury terms. That said, I put my dog Bones on it and waited the 60 day period and it seemed to help him. Now, I am not sure if it is real or placebo, but if it is helping him in any way I am fine paying for it, for that peace of mind
Brien Longobardi
Feb 3, 2016 at 6:58 pm
Glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate, fish oil(omega 3) do not work in people nor do they work in dogs your are all wasting your money! I just spent 3 days over 30 hours researching this stuff! It’s all bullshit! The chemical companies are stealing us blind and playing on our emotional chords!
HERE IS A LIST OF LINK WITH CLINICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES AND INDEPENDENT GROUPS ON HUMANS AND DOGS:
health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/do-glucosamine-and-chondroitin-really-help-arthriti-pain
sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-top-ten-pet-supplements-do-they-work/
umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/glucosamine
nccih.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trials_on_glucosamine_and_chondroitin
quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/glucosamine.html
Joe
Apr 19, 2016 at 8:09 pm
What a waste of 30 hours. Especially since you misinterpreted (or just did not understand ) the written clinical results from these trials. ( I would never be foolish enough to list something from Wikipedia as evidence, by the way.). Your comment was incorrect and inappropriate.
Cam
Jul 18, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Thanks! You helped confirm my suspicions.
[email protected]
Apr 9, 2015 at 6:24 pm
I have 2 dogs on Glucosemine for a while worked great still works for my small Pom – but my Rottis having issues with it. As with anything their is side effects and with Glucosemine it can affect some animals livers as well as peoples when taking it. It is a great product but be aware of the side effects as with everything.
Bill R
Aug 25, 2014 at 12:03 am
My oldest dog Lily started to limp around a bit, not a lot but some every once in a while. I went to the vet and he recommended that I check into a glucosamine supplement. He had recommended some at his office but it was pretty expensive. What’s a good brand I can get that won’t cost an arm and a leg?
Mike
Feb 5, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Try Doggess Dressing. I found it on Amazon..Works great for my Blk lab.
Sophie
May 26, 2014 at 5:32 am
Iv read a lot about glucosamine and I know that its really helpful for dogs. My cousin’s dog is having some issues with moving around as he previously did and we suspect that he has some joint issues. We hadn’t used glucosamine till now but I did some research on this on this site amazon.com/dp/B00DBAOZV6/ie=UTF8?m=ADE61CS5ZCK11&keywords=&tag=cfx01-20 and I came across this blog as well so I got convinced that we should go for it. Now my cousin luckily found it at the drug store near us and thats doing great. We love to see our dog play around again.
Michael Walkowski
Mar 4, 2014 at 2:39 pm
I administered, with great success, to my One year old Dalmatian AND myself! The supplement is Cetyl Myristoleate from Dr. Diehl’s website: cetylmyristoleate.com
My Dalmatian is now 13.5 years old and we are both doing well! Glucosamine and Chondroitin and especially Rimadyl was a nightmare!
Not every dog is alike. My dog has a very sensitive stomach and we have been constantly tweaking his feeding schedule to allow for a balanced life.
Jenny Judge
Feb 28, 2014 at 2:58 am
My dogs, 2 greyhounds, 1 golden retriever cross & an elderly tibetan terrier (all rescues) have Forever Freedom in their food, an excellent aloe vera drinking gel with added glucosamine, chondroitin and msm and it really has made such a difference to their mobility… and as a most welcome extra has reduced any “wind” problems too!!
C A Lee
Feb 27, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Glucosamine has made a huge difference in our 8-year old Collie. On some cold evenings he was unable to get up on his hind legs; the vet diagnosed him with arthritis in his hips. He has received a daily tablet for 6 weeks, and now he runs, jumps on the bed, and easily finished a 3-mile walk/run a few days ago. I was skeptical, but now I’m so grateful to see his pain lessened and his mobility restored. What a blessing!
Liz Castro
Apr 3, 2014 at 1:32 pm
HI my Labrador start having pain on her back paws. I would like to know what is the name of the Glucosamine please and t and the dose. Please and Thank you so much.Liz
Kathy Carlson
Sep 11, 2015 at 4:56 pm
My little girl, Molly, is taking Dasuquin (a chondroitin glucosamine supplement) tablet
(for 60+ lbs) that we get from our vet. She is colly/australian shepherd mix and only 7-1/2 years old, but has been VERY VERY active her whole life. She started getting up slow and not wanting to jump on the couch or bed or her favorite chair…slowly but surely she seems to be doing better and jumps up on everything again, but still slow when she’s been laying on the floor for some time. Hope this helps somebody in 2015!
Kathy Carlson
Sep 11, 2015 at 4:57 pm
My little girl, Molly, is taking Dasequin (a chondroitin glucosamine) tablet f(for 50-70 lbs) that we get from our vet. She is colly/australian shepherd mix and only 7-1/2 years old, but has been VERY VERY active her whole life. She started getting up slow and not wanting to jump on the couch or bed or her favorite chair…slowly but surely she seems to be doing better and jumps up on everything again, but still slow when she’s been laying on the floor for some time. Hope this helps!
Carlo Succi
Feb 27, 2014 at 2:53 pm
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Sue
Feb 27, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Glucosamine works wonders for my 12 year old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. (And for me for that matter.) However, for my recently deceased Golden Retriever, she was found to be one of the rare dogs who was allergic to Glucosamine and related compounds. Her tongue would turn black and she would stop eating. None of the vets who interacted with her recognized this allergy. She had to be removed from all of her meds and slowly put back on them one by one to discover this.
Haley
Feb 27, 2014 at 1:17 pm
I have a couple older labs and I’ve been giving them InflamAway HA, which has glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and HA – I sure do see a difference in how they are moving – they are both so much better now! I’m a fan 🙂
Manyu
Feb 14, 2014 at 1:59 pm
My dog Rasta (6yr old Boxer) developed pain in his left rear knee and the vet recommended putting him on glucosamine cuz he thought he had a torn acl. ALthough the glucosamine took about a month to work, he is now much better. Doesnt limp about as much and isnt as stiff.
Definitely worth it for me.
Ivan Boatwright
Jan 2, 2014 at 9:19 am
I have one that takes it every morning and it has made a world of difference in his ability to get around.
Joy Rowe
Dec 31, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Anything you can do to make your family pet more comfotable is good advice. Talk to your vet first.
Dan
Dec 31, 2013 at 2:44 pm
I’ve been giving my dog OPC formula with Glucosamine. It really helps my dog join and bones. Great dog supplement give my dog a lot of energy because it has antioxidant. It is in powder and very convenient. Just put it on the dog food and my dog love it.
Stevie Swendsen
Aug 30, 2013 at 3:38 pm
I’ve got a rat terrier with severe bag issues. Not even sure how he got them. But for a long time he has pain in the lower back. I’ve recently got him on some glucosmine and other supplements/foods…even his senior dog food has some glucosomine. Thanks for confirming that this can help a pooch. So far I’ve seen some improvement. I notice when I stop giving him the glucosmine his back acts up again. It’s a daily thing we have to watch with him.
Margaret Willard
Dec 29, 2012 at 12:53 am
Both my German Shepherds, ages 5 & 8, have hip dysplasia & they both get a combo glucosomine/condrointon pill twice a day. They are both pretty active, considering their hip problems & I think the combo really works for them.
Wendy Jenkins
Dec 31, 2013 at 10:29 am
I agree with the glucosamine helping dogs, but have read that condrointon is suspected of causing cancer in humans so I don’t take the risk of giving to my elderly dogs.
Cheri Fettes
Dec 28, 2012 at 2:53 pm
When my old beagle could no longer jump up on the bed, I started giving him a small portion of glucosemine dissolved in water, sprinkled on his food. He is now able to jump on the bed, run around with the younger puppy, play and be happy. He’s also lost a bit of weight because he can run around now.