Arthritis in dogs is a very serious and common condition affecting in the region of 20% of all of the dogs in the U.S. There are a number of supplements and treatments that are available if your dog is suffering from arthritis and in this article I will explain if it is safe to give your dog glucosamine. We will also talk about supplements that are clinically proven to be even more effective then just using glucosamine by itself.
Glucosamine has long been given to humans who are suffering from joint conditions and arthritis, and there is good logic behind it. Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance that is one of the main building blocks of cartilage on bones. The job of cartilage in bones is to aid lubrication within the joint and also protect the delicate ends of the bones. The breakdown of cartilage in bones is the major cause of arthritis in joints. When the cartilage on the ends of the bones break down this can often lead to the ends of the bones becoming exposed, which can lead to bone rubbing against bone in a joint.
This is most cases will lead to intense pain and inflammation which are the major symptoms of arthritis.
So can you give your dog glucosamine, in short yes you can. This is, because it is a naturally occurring substance, it is already present in dogs bodies, it just has to be given to them in the right dose. The required dose will vary dependent upon the size of your dog, but is roughly between 500-2000 mg's a day, but rest assured that any good supplement that you buy will come with instructions and dosage guidelines for your dog.
So glucosamine has been clinically proven to aid the regeneration of cartilage in joints but there are other substances that if used in conjunction with glucosamine have been proved to be even more effective at treating and preventing arthritis in dogs joints and one of these substances is Chondroitin. Chondroitin can be thought of the scaffolding within the cartilage. It provides the rigidity within the cartilage to stop it being compressed and squashed. This in turn means the whole structure of the cartilage is stronger with Chondroitin and so cannot be broken down so easily. Another substance is Cetyl Myristoleate which was discovered in the National Institute of Health in the 1960's, it regulates the immune system, controls inflammation and is a natural pain reliever.
Now it has been clinically proven that any supplement you give to your dog will have a more positive effect if you use a dog joint supplement that has a combination of these substances as a pose to just one, and it makes sense as they all have their own individual functions for promoting healthy cartilage and healthy joint function.
The challenge is finding a clinically proven supplement that is currently being used by vets to treat and prevent joint conditions and arthritis in dogs.
