Does My Dog Need Joint Supplements?
If your dog has reached senior age (7+years) and/or has been diagnosed with arthritis or a joint medical issue, consider a joint supplement to help aid their comfort. They cannot cure a degenerative joint disease or arthritis, but they can significantly help keep your dog comfortable.
Joint supplements can help:
What Dogs Are Most at Risk?
Although this disease is seen especially in older dogs, any dog can develop osteoarthritis. The AKC Canine Health Foundation reports that certain dogs are more likely to develop this condition.
Those predisposed include large and giant breeds, obese dogs, senior dogs, dogs that have suffered injuries such as fractures or ligament tears, dogs lacking proper nutrition, and those with congenital joint disorders such as hip or elbow dysplasia.
Activity levels of some competitive sporting and working dogs can affect joint cartilage and risks for arthritis. Also, infections such as Lyme disease can cause the onset of arthritis, as can metabolic diseases such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease.
Are conventional drugs even that effective?
The medications we use in dogs generally have a good safety threshold, but the problem is that they seem to be minimally effective as relievers of joint discomfort.
In fact, a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association, found that a 10-day course of tramadol had no clinical benefit for joint problems in a population of 40 dogs.4
When you also consider that the opioid crisis in America has led to a stringent increase in regulatory rules for how a lot of medications are dispensed, there can be a lot of headaches involved in prescribing these medications.
This is why many pup parents are understandably wary of traditional medical therapy for joint discomfort and non-normal inflammatory response. They may also have found that their dog either can’t be on an NSAID, or they see no benefit with medication.
This has led to a lot of interest in alternative therapies for joint discomfort, including joint supplements.
The Best Glucosamine For Dogs
There is a famous saying, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, that goes: “in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
The man whose face graces the $100 bill was a sage and accomplished figure, but we could argue that there are many other additional certainties in life and I would argue that joint discomfort is one of them.