Glucosamine & Chondroitin Supplements?

[Fundog]

Do they really help animals with joint problems, or is it just the equivalent of "snake oil?" My Annie has been showing some hip pain after she has too much vigorous exercise (trying to keep up with Dottie) or after running over rough terrain. We treat her immediate pain with an aspirin every four hours until she isn't limping anymore, and we also got a box of the glucosamine & chondroitin chews (she likes them-- they're her "candies.") in the hopes that it will help to minimize the pain she feels after exercise. She is on her second box now, and we give her a "candy" twice a day, when we remember. What I want to know is.... are we wasting our money, or is it worth it?

[Erica]

Though I personally haven't had experience with dogs and these supplements, my grandmother and her friend came over recently, and well. My grandmother isn't much of an animal person. However, her friend is, and said friend has four dogs. One is rather old and was slowing down...she gave him (I think) glucosamine supplements, and even my grandmother noticed! We're going to try our senior dog on them and see if it helps...he can run when he wants to, but it's not often, and I'd love to see him moving freely again.

[Nettle]

Works for some, not for others, depending on the cause of the pain. If I were giving this it would be in capsule form rather than chews. Nothing wrong with the chews, just I suspect there isn't a lot of medication in them.

I have a magnetic collar for mine - again, helps some but not others; my current dogs do well with it, one of my previous did not.

Go easy on the aspirin: it's really only for emergencies. Long-term it can cause some dodgy side-effects.

[ladybug1802]

I actually take this for my knees....my orthoepedic guy recommended taking it when i first started seeing him many years ago. I am fairly useless at taking it regularly as I always forget, so I havent felt any major benefit, but have now started trying to remember to take it so will see if I notice a difference in time!

[BecsA]

Hi

I started giving my dog (6 year old) canine Cortaflex powder (with meals) in the middle of June as I had noticed that she would be stiff after longer walks and running about. The Cortaflex was recommended to me by a friend who uses the equine version for her horses with good results, so I wanted to try and see.
So far so good, I think it took about 6 weeks to see the improvement, but there is no longer any stiffness after long walks. I am sure every case is different though, so what works for my dog may not be the same for others.

Becs

[Suzette]

In some dogs (and people) Glucosamine & Chondroitin supplements can work wonders. But they have to be taken every day and it will take several (sometimes many) weeks to begin to see improvement. But for many, it will help and improve the quality of your dogs life. Just make sure you use a very reputable brand. Some products out there will reduce the amount of money in your wallet but not your dogs discomfort. It's well worth the cost to go with a known, reputable brand.

Bottom line for me on this is that it can't hurt and it might very well help. If your vet has seen the dog and believes it will help,I'd presonally give it a try. The key is to give it every single day, remembering it may well take many, many weeks to see real results.

[Fundog]

Becs A, where can I get that cortaflex? Is it over the counter/at the feed store, or do I need to have a vet prescribe it? Also, can you tell me approximately what I can expect to pay for this stuff?

About the chews... actually, they are for people, as they are more economical than the pills for dogs. We did the math, and milligram levels per chew/pill are exactly the same, but with a $5.00 price difference! And the other neat thing is that chews are much easier to give than pills. (We have to bury a pill in a spoonful of peanut butter or a bite of cheese, or even crush it up over her dinner)

Yes, come to think of it, I do recall the vet mentioning something about maybe some joint supplements would be a good idea.

We don't give her the aspirin all the time-- just when she is really hurting, and until she feels better. I don't know what else I can give her to ease her pain that would be both safe and effective. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are both extremely toxic to dogs. Meanwhile, I try to limit Annie's walks to a slow leisurely pace, and only for a short time, to reduce her chances to be in pain. I take her out to the "bunny hills" with me and Dottie a lot less often now, and when she does go, I bring her back within an hour, rather than the three hours Dottie would like to be out.

[Nettle]

Kudos to you for finding the glucosamine chews - having read your details about them, they are just the job

Safe pain relief - Homeopathic RRA which is a mix of Rhus tox, Ruta graveolens and Arnica. If you can only get one, get Arnica. Get in liquid form as it is easier to give to the dog, either with a dropper or a spray onto the nose-leather or into the mouth. Get a high dose (1 or 2) if you can, but if you can't, 30c for preference, then 6c. Dose every 20 mins in acute cases, or once a day for chronic. I use this on all my dogs and myself and Mr. Nettle too. It is completely safe.

[Fundog]

Nettle, where am I most likely to find Arnica? Is it in most herb stores? Do you think it would be pretty common in the U.S., or would I need to special order it? If I cannot find Arnica, can you think of any other herbs for pain relief that would be safe for dogs? I know of many effective pain relief herbs for people (and in some potent combinations, too!) but I don't know if they are safe for use in canines. For example: passion flower, skullcap, and hops is a very potent combination. (It is especially powerful smoked!) Catmint is also a good one for muscle spasms, and even Orange California Poppies are edible and good for pain, particularly headaches. Red Raspberry Leaf is great for menstrual cramps and preventing miscarriage, but I don't know if it's all that effective for other muscle pains. Can you think of anything else, or which of these to definitely NOT give to my doggy? I think I remember reading somewhere that hops is toxic to dogs, but I know that skullcap has been recommended many times on this forum. Catmint would be easy to grow myself--I'll put a seed packet on next week's grocery list, and get a pot started asap!

Thanks, Nettle.

[Nettle]

Do a Search for homeopathic remedies and see if anyone supplies by post or is a reasonable distance from you. It's a really common Remedy and should be easily available. It must be homeopathic not herbal - herbs are very tricky to use without guidance as the potencies vary from plant to plant deopending where it was grown, and also depending on which part of the plant is used.

[Fundog]

Okey Dokey, I'll do a search. I'm sure I'll be able to find something-- come to think of it, our new vet just happens to practice homeopathic and herbal veterinary medicine! I ought to just call him up and ask him what he recommends--- duh! Why didn't I think of that before?


*Edited to update: I just did a search, and yes, I can purchase Arnica for about $7.00 from an online U.S. homeopathic pharmacy. In addition, I found a homeopathic pet medicine website, with a page specifically for homeopathic and herbal pain relief options--- with special emphasis on canine arthritis and muscle/joint strain. One of the plants the page mentioned as being anti-inflammatory in nature is Burdock Root! It just so happens that Burdock Root grows freely in these parts, and Annie will munch the leaves every chance she gets. Burdock Root is also high in vitamins and antioxidants, and is very nutritious for all animals, livestock, and even humans. Another simple remedy mentioned is turmeric-- a very common kitchen seasoning-- just sprinkle some on their dinner, and its chemical properties help to stimulate the body's production of natural anti-inflammatory steroids.

Oh-- here's the link, if anyone wants to do some more research of their own: http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies. ... edies.html

[Erica]

Update on Onyx, who we recently started giving these sort of supplements to. He's doing a LOT better! Today, when I got some ice from the fridge, he actually got up and walked over to me to get some, instead of simply laying there, looking pitiful. When he dropped it by accident and it went under the edge of the counter, he tried bending down to get it, then pawed at it...he used to barely be able to stand on all four legs, let alone mess around with his center of balance! Needless to say, we will be continuing the supplements!

[Fundog]

That's great! I think the Glucosamine & Chondroitin chews may finally be helping my Annie as well. She doesn't seem to be in quite as much pain after an outing as she usually was.... We stil have to give her an aspirin, but not as many, nor as often.

I went out and collected some more burdock leaves today, (I brew it into a tea, and put the tea on her food) and I bought some turmeric on our grocery trip.... I'm hoping that a daily dose of that in her meals will also help to prevent her even being in pain in the first place, thus reducing the amount of aspirin we have to give.

[jellybean]

I cannot speak about these particular supplements, but there is credible evidence that large doses of Vitamin C (preferably Ester -C as opposed to Ascorbic Acid) helps cure joint problems both in people and in dogs. I was never interested in such topics until I saw a friend walking relatively comfortably all day without her cane. When I saw her some 8 months earlier, walking more than a block even with a cane was pretty much out of the question. She hadn't told me about what she had been doing (taking large C doses)till I saw the effect myself. It was a huge and pleasant surprise. She got the idea from studies on Vitamin C and hip dysplasia in dogs. You can Google it. I am not easily convinced, but I am definitely giving supplemental Vitamin C to my dog for joint health. Of course the question is how much to give a dog, particularly since the need for Vitamin C supplements seems to vary from individual to individual.

[Nettle]

I read the hip dysplasia study and it was definitely food for thought.

Dosage for vit C is easy as it is water-soluble and therefore you can't take any harm from too much, because excess is washed out of the body in fluid.

So - this works for humans and animals - give a thousand IU, and raise by a thousand each day until you get diarrhoea. That's the overdose, so drop back a thousand IU and that's your dose.

Note that the body takes what it needs, so if 3000IU is your dose for this time, it may not be right for another time.