Supplements, etc. for Arthritis/Joint Problems

[Lilliam]

Awesome post - thank you!

I noticed that Glycoflex was not mentioned - are there adverse side effects or is it not helpful at all?
http://www.healthypets.com/bnewbglycoflex.html

I have Dru on it because he sees to be a bit stiff in the mornings when he first gets up wit me - he's now 11 and a half.

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lilliam

Awesome post - thank you!

I noticed that Glycoflex was not mentioned - are there adverse side effects or is it not helpful at all?
http://www.healthypets.com/bnewbglycoflex.html

I have Dru on it because he sees to be a bit stiff in the mornings when he first gets up wit me - he's now 11 and a half.

I believe it falls under Sarah's 'B' paragraph as a glucosamine/ chondroitin product.

[Lilliam]

gotcha. Thanks!!!

[GoldenCamper]

Originally Posted by Lilliam

Awesome post - thank you!

I noticed that Glycoflex was not mentioned - are there adverse side effects or is it not helpful at all?
http://www.healthypets.com/bnewbglycoflex.html

I have Dru on it because he sees to be a bit stiff in the mornings when he first gets up wit me - he's now 11 and a half.

Glycoflex was not mentioned because it has no chondroitin in it. Nutramax labs have performed actual studies where no other Glucosamine product has. Tucker's orthopedic specialist believes it has to do with the 5/4 ratio of Glucosamine/Chondroitin. As quoted below it does not necessarily mean other products ( such as Glycoflex) are not effective.

Originally Posted by IowaGold

B. Oral Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements. These should start at the same time as the Adequan injections. By the time the semi-weekly Adequan® injections are completed, the oral supplements have had time to achieve sufficient blood levels.
-The joint products made by Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. (Cosequin® and Dasuquin®) are the only ones that have credible efficacy data in dogs, but that does not mean that other products are not effective. You do need to be careful as many products do not actually contain the stated amounts of supplement.

[Finn's Fan]

Sarah, thanks for the great info. I have a question about Vitamin E. I had my degenerative myelopathy guy on large doses of E per his neurosurgeon but have heard that more than 400 IU in a healthy dog can be harmful. Any truth to that, as I know a couple of people who use more than 400 IU daily prophalactically and think it's just fine.

[Maxs Mom]

Originally Posted by MillysMom

Great post! I'm a huge believer in Cosequin, and don't know if I'd own an adult dog not on it daily as a preventative. I like to use it in horses too, and for cosamin for me.

Me too! My dogs are on Adequan. I have seen results. After the loading dose (twice a week etc) I went to once a month. My vet showed my how so I can give my own injections. Knock on wood, Teddi has not limped in over a year. Belle had improvement too but her issues were more subtle so her results were too.

Ann

[Megora]

Sarah... thanks for this!

One question I have - and keep in mind this goes back 15 years ago when my old vet handed me a sheet showing the breakdown in measurements for cosequin, if we purchased the horse version. I think cosequin was a little more expensive at the time, and she was trying to help us out.

Right now I have my golden on a combination of cosequin ds and another product, but I was wondering if the horse/canine formulas are still compatible, and what the measurements would be. <- I'm not so concerned about the expense, but I like the idea of stirring powder into his food instead of stuffing pills down his throat.

And has anyone tried the Cosequin chewables? The other product I have him on is Joint Max Triple Strength chewables, which honestly - I wish he loved all his pills like that.

I guess that's two questions.

[IowaGold]

Thank you all! I thought it might be nice to have all the info in one place. And since joint supplements have recently become a much bigger part of my life and I had all the info, I thougt I'd share it.

I'll try to answer everyone's questions-sorry if I miss any!

Glycoflex-it is a fine product (no adverse side effects), it's simply that the Nutramax products were the ones most recommended on VIN. Glycoflex was probably #2.

Vitamin E doses-vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin, so overdoses are possible. But they are uncommon and high (higher than 400 IU) doses are reasonable/recommended for some health conditions. I wouldn't probably use megadoses unless my dog had a special need for them, although the chance of an overdose is probably fairly small.

Cosequin Equine-the ratio is a little different (less chondroitin), so it's not exactly the same. The type of glucosamine and chondroitin is the same though, so I'm sure using it has some merit in dogs. It might be a little cheaper per day than Cosequin tablets or capsules, but it depends a little on how many tablets/capsules you need to give. I am pretty sure it would be reasonable to pull the Cosequin capsules apart and stir them into the food that way. It's not like the capsules don't break down immediately in the stomach.

Chewable Cosequin vs. Capsule-I think either is fine. I trust the company to make sure that the amount of available glucosamine/chondroitin is what the bottle claims. I am using the Dasuquin chewable tablets and like them very much. They don't even make a capsule/powder form of the Dasuquin. There is a soft chew though. I'm sure my dogs would like them, but I prefer to have my supplement in a hard bottle rather than a bag (my cats would chew through a bag if it accidently got left out).

[Megora]

Chewable Cosequin vs. Capsule-I think either is fine. I trust the company to make sure that the amount of available glucosamine/chondroitin is what the bottle claims. I am using the Dasuquin chewable tablets and like them very much. They don't even make a capsule/powder form of the Dasuquin. There is a soft chew though. I'm sure my dogs would like them, but I prefer to have my supplement in a hard bottle rather than a bag (my cats would chew through a bag if it accidently got left out).

Ohw... I meant to say the soft chews. <- I saw the local petsmart carries the cosequin ds soft chews and was tempted to try them out next time I'm running low on supplies. I was just hesitant to go that route if my dog is just going to gag and spit it out.

He's getting cosequin ds chewables and joint max ts soft chews, and so far he thinks the soft chews are a treat. Chewables not so much. <- I was wondering if it is the flavor (the joint max smells pretty good - like bullion cubes) or because it is a soft chew.

[IowaGold]

Definitely try the chews. I'm sure he'll love them. Just make sure to keep the bag well sealed-soft chews tend to get kind of yucky if exposed to air.