Thank you for the advice. I’m not sure how I’ll phrase it to him, as I really don’t want to come across as basically calling him a bad/uneducated owner for feeding his dogs that, because he’s one of the best dog owners I know!
I will probably end up just sending him the link to this site, and say how surprised I am about how high (or low) quality some foods are….maybe he’d get curious and check his food out.
I’m definitely going to ignore the canned food for now. Honestly, it’d be incredible if he kept them on Alpo canned, but switched them to a 3-4star dry food. I think one of his biggest issues is the fact that he probably doesn’t really want to make time to go to a feed store for better food (Walmart and grocery stores are all we have around here other than the feed stores that sell dogfood – PetCo/Smart/Costco are 50+mi)
Any extra moral support would be great though, because this guy is…well, he’s more like a second grandfather to me than anything, so there’s a high amount of respect to get through.
I’ve already told him about a great deal on joint supplements, I told him the cost on this is about 1/4 what we were paying on regular supplements. He said he’ll probably do it when they start showing signs of joint problems – they’re 7y.o. Now, so it’s really the perfect time to get em started /before/ the signs come. I just told him I’m getting my 6yr boy on it… Trying to avoid saying, in any form, that I know everything about dog health (because I DEFINITELY don’t)
Thanks again guys, I will keep you posted on any updates, that’s for sure!
Jazz Lover,
The general consensus is that puppies can start regulating calcium uptake around 8-10 months old. To play is really safe you could wait until 1 year.
Read this for an understanding of what “all life stages” means: /frequently-asked-questions/aafco-nutrient-profiles/
Essentially you can feed an “all life stages” food to a puppy because it is approved for growth and reproduction as well as adult maintenance. A lot of the labels on foods (ie large breed puppy, large breed adult, senior, etc) is just marketing. If pet food companies really knew what they were doing in formulating dog foods, there would be a lot more “large breed puppy” foods on the list. If I were you, I would not get caught up on the label. You don’t have to feed a food specifically for a large breed puppy or large breed adult. You need to make sure it is approved by AAFCO for growth and reproduction (aka puppy food) or all life stages.
I had to google FCP surgery. This was done to correct elbow dysplasia? As far as supplements go, I have heard the same. You don’t want to give supplements until they are done growing. I think you’d be safe starting them at 1 year. Does your vet have an opinion on this? I think you are ok with giving the salmon oil as long as you account for the calories that it adds. How much you feed will depend on the body condition of your dog. It is hard to say how much his metabolism will slow down. I would just watch his form and if he looks like he’s getting chunky, cut back on the food. If he starts to look too skinny, increase his food. Refer to the body condition chart in the Dr. Becker article I posted previously. I keep my dog lean because he is older and has arthritis. It is much easier on the joints.
Bottom line- if I were you I would continue to feed a food on HDM’s list and hold off on additional supplements until 1 year or per your vet’s instructions. I hope that is helpful to you.
I am the original poster and as to any update there is none so far. As you can imagine ConsumerLab.com has to test hundreds of products from different manufacturers and pet products are not their priority. They do update but it usually takes quite a long time. One of the products that passed muster was the Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM combo from Nutramax Labs for joint relief for horses and canines. Pet Tabs Original Formula Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for dogs dist. by Virbac AH Inc. was the only multi. that passed. That’s about all I know at this time.
I’m confused about which (age group) food to give our 9mo male black lab… should we continue feeding large breed puppy, or switch to an All Stages or simply and adult dog food now?
Jazz is recovering from surgery for elbow dysplasia w FCP. It sounds like there joints fully develop by age 2, but my vet said an adult food is good at age 6-10 mos.
Additionally, has anyone had good results from any specific supplements for similar concerns and age lab and are further in recovery?
Thank you
First of all, did you read the first few pages of this thread? Did you check out the links? The idea that protein causes problems was bad science and ignorance, so don’t worry about that.
Here is Hound Dog Mom’s latest list of foods that have the appropriate amount of calcium for large breed dogs.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v
You have to sign up to view it, but it’s very worthwhile. Take the list with you to the pet boutiques around where you live and see what is available. DO NOT marry any one food, rotate foods. Do a search on the review side on diet rotation to learn more.
Keep your puppy thin, not just not fat, but thin. Less weight is less stress on joints.
Find a joint supplement with hyaluronic acid in it. That’s what the body needs to make repairs to joints. And consider feeding him a raw turkey neck once or twice a week, they naturally have good stuff for joints in them, since them have a lot of cartilage in them.
If you have bare floors, consider using throw or area rugs at least until he is grown. They think slip and falls can be a big factor in joint damage for puppies. And finally, no stairs for as long as possible. When he has to do stairs, make sure he does them at a walk.
I was following the “Joint Health” thread, and some people started talking about Actiflex.
Right now, I’m paying about $20/month for our senior lab’s joint supplements (I don’t remember what the brand name is, I think it’s just a store-brand…), and we could easily spend more and give her extra, as her hips need the help. She also has GSD in her, so that sure didn’t seem to help her joints!
Anyway, I found online that Actiflex is 30-40$ for 32oz…(did the calculations, figured it would last our lab 6-8mo) I REALLY want to try it out, as 5$ monthly is a lot nicer sounding than $20+ monthly. But I don’t want to try it and find out it doesn’t work, then be stuck with it.
How well does it seem to work for you guys?
DaneMom: your mix sounds great & I’m saving it. Harry doesn’t show any need for joint supplements at the moment so I can’t say if it’s working or not – it’s just not coming out the other end so to speak. As a retired racing Greyhound who’ll be 5 in the Spring I thought I’d start giving him a little xtra help.
BB has great advertising, that is not the same thing as being a great food. There have been a lot of people having vomitting and diarrhea issues with BB lately.
I think you are right about the protein versus carbs thing. Seniors have less ability to absorb the protein in their diet and can need as much as 50% more, not less. There are specific medical problems that may need the protein reduced, but your vet would be talking to you about diets specific to kidney or liver disease if that was a factor.
You may just need a good ALS food with a joint supplement added. No food has enough joint supplementation to actually have a therapeutic dose.
Maybe look at NutriSource.
I would start a joint supplement, just like you are planning to do anyways. Get a few different ones, some work better than others and it really is a matter of what works for your dog. If the clicking stops, you’ve found the right one.
Hi,
I’m worrying myself to death and don’t know where to turn. I have a 70lb. Goldendoodle that will be 1 yr this month. I have been very careful about the food I feed, watching calcium, calories etc. I am aware of HDM’s LBP food list. Since he was a few months old he has clicking sounds from either his hips or knees and his feet make a popping sound sometimes when walking on carpet. Taken him to 2 diff vets and both say he seems fine, don’t worry unless he shows serious problems and X-rays can’t be ‘verified’ until 2 years of age. I worry about everything with him and notice the slightest changes whether they are anything or not. I will be starting a joint supplement and fish/coconut oil. I don’t have the money to get comprehensive testing done or to keep taking him to vets that tell me the same thing. He seems to walk fine but today I thought I noticed he was laying on one side more than the other and I thought I noticed him walking with a straighter left rear leg. I may be worrying over nothing but I’m not sure. I lost my little dog last year suddenly to syringomyelia and was traumatized by the whole event. I just need some reassurance or advice!
Since my other thread was hijacked I am starting a new one.
Can anyone recommend any tasty (prescription) joint health dog food with high glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6′s but no corn, rice, gluten and other bad stuff?
Alternately a tasty supplement with glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6′s. My dog used to eat such a pill (NaturVet hip and joint) thrown in with his kibble, but no longer. He won’t eat them even coated with peanut butter or the like.
I’m pretty sure I know that none of the OTC joint foods even have close to a therapeutic dose of joint supplements and all the prescription ones I know of are junk.
Jefferspet dot com may be another place to look for different options.
I give my old lady turkey necks and chicken necks, because they have a lot of cartilage and connective tissue in them.
Can anyone recommend any tasty (prescription) joint health dog food with high glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6’s but no corn, rice, gluten and other bad stuff?
Alternately a tasty supplement with glucosamine, MSM, omega 3 and 6’s. My dog used to eat such a pill (NaturVet hip and joint) thrown in with his kibble, but no longer. He won’t eat them even coated with peanut butter or the like.
The calcium level in your current food is really high enough, maybe too high. I wouldn’t add more. A good joint supplement is much more likely to offer some help.
I have a 14 year old lab with bad arthritis. An xray disclosed he also has a lesion on his vertebrae. So he has a lot of trouble getting up and around.
Due to his age we have not opted for surgery for his spine as we think it would be too much for him.
We give him EVO Senior which does have some calcium (2.10%). I regret to say he also gets a strip and a half of bacon which is used to hide the many meds he takes (Gabapentin, 3 tramadol, Rimadyl, and Amantadine) He now rejects pill pockets which he used to gulp like dog treats (we have tried peanut butter, cream cheese, bread, swedish meatballs, turkey hot dogs, a pill popper tool, etc., etc.) Bacon is the only thing that works and at his age not getting his meds would be worse than having some bacon.
Anyway, I am wondering if some more calcium would help with respect to building the bone in his vertebrae back up. As an experiment I ground up some Citrical and put it in his food and unlike when other meds are mixed with food he will eat it. (He no longer chews bones so he does not get any calcium that way.) I’ve read that some add ground up egg shells.
the dog food project says this about calcium: “. . . The correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus and magnesium is very important for a dog’s health and needs to be carefully balanced – this is not something you would want to do without doing your research on the topic!” . . .
“Excess intake of calcium results in growth retardation and severe bone and joint abnormalities. [Presumably this applies to puppies] When feeding a quality pet food, supplementation of calcium *** during growth *** is unnecessary, and potentially very dangerous.
Note: Excess calcium causes decreased phosphorus absorption (and vice versa!). Lack of magnesium in the diet renders calcium useless, because the body needs magnesium to properly absorb calcium. If adequate amounts of all 3 of these minerals are present int he diet, the body can regulate the balance according to its needs.”
Citrical includes 20% magnesium (80 mg) and also Vitamin D
Any thoughts?
I’m currently using the Joint Health powder for dogs. So far so good. I don’t see any miraculous improvement with Max’s arthritis but I know it’s helping some as his joints don’t pop all the time like they do when a supplement is clearly not working. I’m going to try Cortaflex next.
Marie- how did the Bug Off Garlic work for you? I was thinking about trying it.
-Caroline
I’ve used the regular joint health chews and the advanced joint chews when they came out. With Desi, my now deceased Shih-Poo who had both rear luxating patellas that were bad, I used the regular joint health and they kept him surgery free all his life. Of course, I did curtail his jumping a little. Once Lucy apparently pulled a muscle in her leg (or something?) and I immediately started giving her the advanced chews. She was better in no time! I love Springtime supplements and have used them for many years for my dogs.
I have used springtime products in the past for my(then) older horses with wonderful results. One of my 15 plus year olds is starting to show arthritis/mobility issues so I placed an order with them that I just received today. Just curious-has any one tried the Longevity or the Advanced Joint and Hip chewables? Since they have a sale going on, I bought two bottles of the human joint product(for me and hubby) got 1 free, and bought two bottles of the Longevity powder, and received one free. Then, they threw in another bottle of the Longevity for free as well as the Advanced Joint and hip. Just started Murphy on it today, but wondering if any one had any specific experiences with these particular products?
I’ve noticed the same thing with glucosamine in my horse that needs joint supplements.
Glad to have found this thread as I’m just now thinking of adding a Joint Supplement into my Greyhound’s diet. I was looking at options online but decided to check here to see if there was a thread & as always when needed there was 🙂 The Actiflex 4000 sounds like a good idea, and reasonable. I tried the Springtime Joint Health & Harry wouldn’t go near it now matter how I disguised it. I will have to swing by my local feed store & see if they carry it.
I am trying to find carrageenan-free canned dog foods to supplement a rotational variety of kibble [so far mainly Wellness Core, Dr Tim’s Kinesis, various Pet Pantry holistic blend samples] to add moisture, aid digestion and provide additional nutrients. She is currently enjoying homemade frozen “salmon pops” made with canned pumpkin, Wellness 95% salmon and yogurt [1-3 cubes a day depending on kibble consumption = which is spotty at best], but I would like to add some variety and ensure proper nutritional balance.
I have been looking at products available in local, independent shops as well as Pet Pantry at feedyourpets.com [because I live in their free delivery zone].
Pet Pantry offers several premium canned choices by reputable companies with high ratings on this site, but I am a bit confused about some choices…
Dave’s makes a few options available with guar gum, but not carrageenan. This company seems well-liked for their high standards, etc. But Dave’s Naturally Healthy Joint Formula contains both unnamed MEAT BY PRODUCTS and CHICKEN BY PRODUCTS. Is this just to provide natural sources of glucosamine or other joint-friendly compounds with things like chicken necks/feet and connective tissue? I would rather not feed my girl anything bad or red-flagged and was surprised to see these ingredients listed on a premium product – should I be worried?
Hi anniearies,
I have a great dane, and I give him joint rescue or joint jerky tr, forget harsh pills! your pup will think this is a treat! they love this stuff and it is extremely effective! and on top of that the crème of le crème, NZYMES!! it prevents cancer and rebuilds muscle tissue and so much more try it I loved it for my dane and recommended to all my customers!
-Ana
pet nutrition expert/advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupcatfacts
Garlic has been known to help with joints too, but I think you will want to know how much help the joint supplement is providing before you see if the garlic helps even more.
Thank you for the reminder. ~i’m currently swtiching joint supplement.^^
If she is under 20 lbs you can give her 1/2 clove of freshly chopped garlic 3 days a week, then don’t give it for four. If she is over 20 lbs, give 1 clove instead. But if you are going to change her to a new joint supplement, I would do that first so you know how she is doing on it before adding something else.
A lot of glucosamine is sourced from shellfish. Do you think she could have a shellfish allergy? They make vegetarian glucosamine and joint supplements. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/q?kw=vegetarian+glucosamine+-+shellfish+free
I don’t think any supplements will conflict with kibble. You should be fine adding whatever supplement you decide to try right into her kibble. Sometimes herbs can have a strong smell (and taste I’m guessing) so you may have to add a little canned food or something else yummy to mask the smell/flavor.
Hi, everyone, thanks for helping.
She been taking glucosamine+chondroitin tablets for over a year, it works for her. But then, she could take it no more. At first we thought she does not like the taste, as it’s bitter. We tried all other brand, instead of giving tablet, we brought glucosamine in powder or liquid form, and we found there is something she could not tolerate in glucosamine products. her tounge wouldn’t stop licking like getting choked,utill it went white, it happened whenever we gave glucosamine to her , either instantneously or later of the day. If we not giving her that, it does not happen at all.
To maintain her joint health, we still give that to her for quite awhile , untill our dog refused to have it anymore.
She is having dry kibble for meals, and i wonder if it’s right for us to add the herbal medicine to help her with it. I mean most herbal medicine seemed made intend to be added to whole food.Would it be in conflict with commercial dog food?
i would also like to try all the products you guys recommend.
thank you for helping without you guys, all i know i could give her is glucosamine and herbal medicine, now we got wilder choice. i believe there must be something suitable to maintain her joint health from what you guys recommend.
thank u guys !
Generally speaking, we don’t recommend senior foods. Many of them are based on bad science. Seniors can have difficulty in utilizing the protein in their food and actually may require as much as 50% more protein than a younger dog, yet most senior foods decrease protein. They also don’t have a therapeutic dose of joint supplements in them, but they advertise as if they do, which keeps owners from giving their dog what it needs in that department. Senior foods are a marketing gimmick, not a need.
I have used Dasuquin with MSM for large dogs by Nutramax for years. It works really great for my dogs but it’s expensive. The last time I bought it on Amazon it was around $80 for a bottle of 150 chewable tablets. I was giving my Dane 3/day so it lasted me about a month and half. I have recently switched to buying all of the components in Dasuquin separately from swansonvitamins.com: glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and ASU. It costs me around $25/month. I also just ordered Actiflex 4000 from Amazon. It is a joint supplement made for horses. It was recommended by a member on this forum. It will be much more cost effective for me. I’m hoping it will work for him. I’ve tried Liquid Health’s K9 Level 5000 on two separate occasions and it didn’t work for my dogs. I’ve also heard that Springtime Inc makes good joint supplements. I want to try theirs next. Nupro and The Wholistic Pet make powders that you add to the food that have joint supplements in them. I believe that Glucosamine HCl works better than Glucosamine sulfate for my Dane.
Here are some article on joint health and treatments:
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/knowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?articleid=169&SubjectId=13261&SubjectName=Arthritis+%2f+Joint+Support
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/knowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?articleid=46&SubjectId=13261&SubjectName=Arthritis+%2f+Joint+Support
That probably gives you a lot to think about. Every dog is different and some things work better than others. Good luck! I hope you find what works for your pup. 🙂
Thank you for the advice. What supplement do you use? He is a pit mix… which is strange yours does this all time too!!
I use Springtime Inc advanced joint care for my dogs and one of mine has luxating patella and she limped at times and since giving her Springtime once a day it is amazing the difference. She can run like when she was young. Great product.
What do you mean by not tolerating the glucosamine? Is it not working? Does it make her ill? I have a Great Dane so I really have to support his joints. I have never used glucosamine by itself. I’ve always used it in a combination formula with MSM, chondroitin, and ASU. I’ve just recently started adding in herbs as he has arthritis now that he’s an old man.
Some herbal formulas for dogs that I know of are Dr. Harvey’s Ortho-Flex Joint Ease, Herbsmith’s Soothes Joints, and The Honest Kitchen’s Lithe Tea.
For more info on using herbs for joint care see this article: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/herbs-for-canine-joint-care/
Other things that help joints are cetyl myristoleate, hyaluronic acid, perna mussel (green-lipped mussel) powder, and eggshell membrane.
What I have learned in my search to find what works for my dog is that every dog is different. I have tried products because people tell me how great they are and how they worked for so and so; however, they didn’t work for my dog. It is all trial and error. You have to try everything. Try something and give it a couple weeks to see if there is any notable difference. If it doesn’t work, scratch it off the list and move on to the next thing. I wish you luck in finding what helps your pup. I hope I was at least a little helpful. 🙂
vet recommend us giving glucosamine to our senior dog on daily basis.
But her body could not tolerate glucosamine in any brand any form after taking it for over a year.
In order to maintain joint health , and her achilless tendon, what supplement can i give her now?
herbal form joint supplement good for dogs?
What kind of dog is he? I have a Great Dane that I rescued at 2 years old. I put him on a joint supplement as soon as I got him. I had to up his dose as he got older when I noticed his joints starting to pop when he got up. The vet just diagnosed him with arthritis (he’s 7.5 now). I tried switching joint supplements once and his joint popping got really bad- the new supplement wasn’t working well. When I switched back to the old supplement the popping stopped. So that was a long way around telling you that it could be a joint problem. He might benefit from a joint supplement (something with glucosamine and chondroitin). I also have a pit bull in the house that does that stretching you are referring to. He does it ALL the time. I thought it was just a personality quirk. He’s 5 yrs old and 70 pounds and his joints never pop.
If you are really worried, you could take him to the vet and have them do an xray to see if there are joint issues going on.
You can find a similar food to Life’s Abundance for less $$ like Nutrisource grain inclusive line small/med breed puppy formula (yes, for your 8 yr old). If you’re willing to feed something better than kibble though, look into some dehydrated/freeze-dried foods like The Honest Kitchen or Grandma Lucy’s or Dr Harvey’s Oracle. These are less processed than kibble. If you can home cook for your dog, then those brands I just mentioned have a Pre-mix where you just add your own meat and some oil. I give my dogs probiotics, sardine/krill oil, super greens powder supplement, colostrum, Springtime’s Bug-Off/Longevity and some joint supplements. Mine also get fresh food like raw meat, scrambled eggs and raw sardines and leftovers of meat/some veggies.
A 5 yr. old German Shepherd (breeding bitch) has been rescued. 6 litters in her lifetime. Lived in a 4×4 pen with 3 other adults. Tip of ear frozen off. Couple of cracked teeth but no gum disease. Suffering from pancreatic insufficiency. No strength yet in the rear to jump into the car but now can get her front feet up – we lift the rest of the way. Can jump up to a fence at daycare now but can only sustain the position for 25-30 seconds. Fast trotted at dog park for first time yesterday. Timid but no aggression towards either canine or human. Extremely curious. She is getting regular walking exercise and is at daycare 2x per week for socialization (huge strides in becoming ‘one’ with the pack).
Reason for my topic post: Looking for advice on supplements eg glucosamine/chondroitin – would anyone recommend this and if so, brand/dose? What about massage? Anything else?
Definitely agree, Duke. Dogs are just as unique as people. All are individuals. I tried Liquid Health’s K9 Level 5000 joint supplement because people said it worked great for their dogs. It didn’t do a darn thing for mine. Just got to keep searching until you find what works.
BRT….Sounds like you have a good plan. Mine don’t seem to like the taste of pumpkin lol. I tried ACV years ago with my 2 mixed breeds and Lucy WOULD NOT take it in any way, so I gave up. Haven’t tried it since. I used to have to give my boy mixed breed, Desi, a joint supp. due to both rear luxating patellas. I gave Springtime Joint Health chews and they worked great for him. I like all Springtime supplements. But, Lucy doesn’t like Longevity at all lol. So I just use their chews and their Omega 3-6-9 (when I use an omega supp., that is). I started adding a little of the Beef Frittata in and so far, ok. But I am so worried it’s not gonna go as well as I hope with the Fromm. They really do well with the Pacific Stream, though I think Lucy is not doing as well as the Cavs with it. It could be the fish protein with her. My cat, Princess, does really well with Earthborn, Fromm, Tiki Cat canned food and loves Instinct, Orijen and/or Acana dry. I just bought a bag of Fromm Gamebird for cats and she is loving it! She is fed canned am and pm and the dry is left out for her to graze on.
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This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by
Mom2Cavs.
My 8 1/2 year old labradoodle Boe was diagnosed with a Hepatic Carcinoma this past summer. It was operable so they removed the tumor and the right lobe of her liver (the left side of the liver was not yet impacted by the tumor). It’s been nearly 4 months since the surgery and she has recovered well, although her energy level is not quite where it was prior to her illness. I have two concerns. First, I am concerned that the food we are now feeding her is not the best option for her. Her vet has prescribed Hills Prescription L/D for hepatic health. Are there better, more wholesome options for her? I am concerned about the quality of ingredients and it doesn’t seem that the prescription food is satisfying her hunger. We feed her the recommended amount based on her ideal weight but she is constantly hungry. She is also experiencing some joint stiffness, probably associated with age but I am afraid to give her joint supplements because I don’t know if they may impact her liver function. Prior to her surgery, she was a very active dog. She would run on average 3 days per week (only 3-4 miles ea.) with us but she is too stiff and sore to really run any distance at this point. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thank you both for the suggestions. I’ve never thought of using horse supplements. I found that Actiflex makes a K9 formula too. Do you think the Actiflex 4000 is better than the Actiflex K9?
Thanks for all the advice y’all. I appreciate all the feedback.
As far as the chewing goes – I have been trying to distract him whenever I catch him chewing his nails or licking/chewing his legs, hips, or butt with chew toys, rawhides, bones. Bauer doesn’t really care for toys – but man on man he absolutely loves bones and antlers. If I am holding it for him, he would chew and chew on them for hours. He gives up faster if he’s having to hold them between his paws on his own. They have really helped clean his teeth a bunch too. His teeth were HORRIBLE when I first got him. I have been trying to brush them, but nothing has worked as well as the antlers have in cleaning those back teeth up. The plaque/tartar build up was disgusting and black when I first got him. It’s so much better now. As far as the bones/antlers go – the redirect seems to work whenever I catch him in the act of licking/chewing to switch out for the bone or antler. But it’s when I am not home during the day and can’t reprimand and redirect – that’s when it’s the worst. I come home and he’s got a new raw spot, or the one he had is now even worse. I try to not let him be home alone for more than 4 hours at a time, but I do believe that some of it is just boredom. I take him on a long walk in the morning to try and wear out some of his energy too. I think I am going to have to diaper him if he doesn’t leave his back legs and butt alone.
As far as his weight issues go, I have another vet appointment on Tuesday so I am going to ask her to do a lab work up on him. It worries me that he hasn’t gained weight. I am definitely going to be switching to a grain free dog food (I know Sor recommended Halo) and I am going to the meat store in a bit to pick up ingredients for Satin balls. I have been giving Bauer fish oil supplements as well as glucosamine/chondroitin pills just bc my goldens always needed it for hip/joint issues and I figure that even though he’s severely underweight and still young right now – hopefully he will eventually gain weight and he won’t always be young – so preventative measures are always best.
Katie
Just wanted to let you know that some people use horse joint supplements for their large dogs with great success.
I have a 160lb Great Dane named Max. I used to use Dasuquin with MSM for large dogs. I was giving him 3 tablets per day. A 150ct bottle goes for about $85 on Amazon. When I finished my last bottle I tried Liquid Health’s K9 Level 5000 because it’s a liquid (easier to mix in his food) and high potency (5000mg og glucosamine in 1 tbs). Well after a few days Max’s joints started popping when he would get up and progressed to popping all the time. I discontinued use and went back to Dasuquin since I know it works for him. The popping cleared up in a couple days.
I’ve been wanting a joint supplement that is more cost effective for my big dog. Dasuquin costs me about $50/month. For the last 3 weeks, Max has been on a combination of products from Swansons. I am now giving him 4 separate products that equate to the ingredients of Dasuquin. I have him on: 1500mg Glucosamine HCL (3 tabs), 1500mg MSM (2 tabs), 600mg Chondroitin Sulfate (2 caps), and 300mg maximum strength Avovida/ASU (1 cap). It’s more work but the price is SO much better! Now it’s costing me about $24/month. His joints are good, no popping. I wanted to share this revelation of mine with others that might have large dogs that are looking for a more cost-effective way to manage joint health. Does anyone know of other good cost-effective joint products for large dogs?
On another note regarding joint health, my vet has determined that my Dane has arthritis and has put him on Rimadyl. He is taking 200mg/day. So far he has had no nasty side effects. I know Rimadyl is hard on the liver so I started him on some Milk Thistle but I’m not sure how much I should be giving him. Two weeks ago we also found that he has a hairline fracture in his right front paw so he has been on Tramadol too. I upped his Milk Thistle because of the increase in meds. I am giving him 3 capsules/day of the Full Spectrum Milk Thistle from Swansons. Each capsule has 500mg of ground milk thistle. Is this enough? He is responding well to the Rimadyl. He bounces around on his walks more now and isn’t slow getting up anymore either. Does anyone have experience treating arthritis?
Thank you in advance for any feedback.
-Caroline
Interestingly enough, my girlfriend when I just met her (now my fiance), had a Yorkie with luxating petalla. I remember spending hours walking around pet stores, talking to vets and doing research online. A friend of mine has recommended me to look into Pooch & Mutt products (really popular supplements company in UK) as they have started selling directly in the US through http://www.bestdogremedies.com
We were skeptical, but after trying everything else, we have realized that there was nothing to lose. We have ordered some Mobile Bones and Bella has gotten a new lease on life.
I just started using an herbal joint supplement from Swanson’s that has devils claw in it. I would agree with pugmomsandy. Rotation is good. My dog has been on Dasuquin for years now. It has been the only thing that has worked. I tried Liquid Health’s K9 Level 5000 supplement on two different occasions. It didn’t help him at all. His joints started popping after being on it for a few days and he was getting stiffer. Now I have him on a number of products from Swanson’s that replicates what’s in Dasuquin. He gets glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and Avovida as well as an herbal supplement I just started. His joint popping and stiffness has gone away, but my vet also put him on Rimadyl as he suspects he has arthritis. Btw, my dog Max is a 7.5 year old Great Dane weighing in at 158 pounds.
Do y’all recommend giving dogs only devil’s claw for joint support? Or would it be best to give it along with a regular glucosamine supplement?
Can a dog overdose on enzymes? I give my dogs enzymes with each meal since I feed them kibble. I didn’t realize that some dog food already have enzymes in the food such as Nature’s Variety and Nature’s Logic. So, should I still give them enzymes with their meals when I feed them that brand? I switch brands now every few bags as recommended with the understanding that each brand may use specific nutrients, minerals, and vitamins more so than others. So, by switching the brands it ensures my dogs are getting a variety of those things. If I switch between brands, but maintain the same supplements and dosages, could I potentially overdose them on anything?
This is what they get:
Daily: Nordic Naturals Fish Oil for dogs, Swanson’s joint supplement for their hips, coconut oil, enzyme with each meal, and 1 TBS supergreens
Every other Day: Probiotic and Tart Cherry (as part of their superfood). I sometimes will give Mattie a probiotic every day depending on how her ears are…she is kind of “yeasty”.
One site I looked at said a 10 lb dog should have 300 mg glucosamine daily. So if you go by that, he can have the dosage on the bottle – 2 tabs for the loading period and then 1 tab per day. Cetyl-M has 250 mg glucosamine. It has bromelain in it as well. So taking this on an empty stomach allows the enzyme to work systemically rather than acting to digest food.
http://www.glucosaminefordogshq.com/glucosamine-dosage-for-dogs/
Pugmomsandy I decided to try the cetyl m tablets. I received my bottle today. It says initial period 2 tablets per day 25 lbs. my dog weighs 7lbs. What amount should I start with and what amount to maintain. It also says on empty stomach.anybody can answer
The Arthroplex ingredients look good.
