When should I start giving my dog a joint supplement? - GudFur Ltd

When should I start giving my dog a joint supplement?

Like humans, dogs are now living longer than before, thanks to modern-day medicines and pet owners like you who love their pets and provide the very best veterinary care and nutrition possible.

We all start the day with our own individual routines from exercising to eating a healthy balanced meal. Some of our routines may even include taking vitamins and supplements for ourselves.  These may include taking joint supplements like Glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3, and green tea to name a few.  If you are thinking about giving your dog a hip and joint supplement you are not alone. We all want to improve your pet’s quality of life and we are all looking for safe and natural ways of doing this for our pets.

We would recommend that those of you with larger breeds of dogs, who are more susceptible to arthritis, might want to start a course of supplements sooner before they reach their golden years. As dogs age, the cartilage and fluids protecting their bones break down, leading to irritation, inflammation and pain.  Sadly, dogs have evolved to hide their pain; it’s in their nature to hide their pain.  This is due to the fact that dogs are pack animals and showing signs of pain could lead to being left behind by the group. Dogs don’t understand that their life with us is different. Some of the common symptoms for joint and hip problems in dogs of all ages include, difficulty trying to sit down or stand up, struggling to jump on to the sofa or into the car, limping or favouring  certain legs,  lifting a limb in the air, swollen joints or an audible popping or cracking in the hips.

These are all natural and part of ageing, but they shouldn’t be ignored.  If you have any suspicion that something is wrong, we would always recommend you speak to your vet and research what supplements could help your pet move freely again.

The following dog breeds are known to experience earlier, more severe symptoms of arthritis and general joint inflammation, however dogs can develop  problems, especially as they age. Yet, breeds with less health concerns might not need glucosamine supplements so early on. If your dog’s breed is listed below, it would be worth considering providing a joint supplement as soon as their bodies stop growing:

American Pit Bull Terriers
American Staffordshire Terriers
Bloodhounds
Basset Hounds
Bernese Mountain Dogs
Catahoula Hounds
Chow Chows
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
Dachshunds
English Bulldogs
French Bulldogs
German Shepherds
Great Danes
Golden Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers
Mastiffs
Neopolitan Mastiffs
Norwegian Elkhounds
Newfoundlands
Otterhounds
Old English Sheepdogs
Pugs
Rottweilers
Saint Bernards
Shih Tzus

 

Did you know that osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is the most common form of arthritis in dogs?  Another cause of hip and joint pain in certain breeds of all ages is hip dysplasia, a genetic trait (diagnosed by x-ray) affecting the depth of the hip socket. Hip dysplasia, stems from abnormal development of the hip joint, where the head of the femur does not fit properly into the socket, eventually leading to arthritis. These conditions are primarily seen in large breed dogs, however even small breeds can suffer from these same ailments.

I own a labrador and we are continually monitoring his weight, for those lucky few who own this breed of dog, they are like human dustpans eating anything and everything.  I am constantly worried about the above-mentioned conditions and other joint diseases which are often exacerbated by unhealthy weight.  There is a good reason why supplements for joint health are the ones most commonly purchased for dogs.  I always feel guilty when measuring out his food before I give it to him, maybe it’s because I equate giving food as giving love to my pet.  I know that excessive weight puts unnecessary strain on joints, making it difficult to move and speeding up the likelihood of the conditions mentioned above. I was surprised to learn that even the smaller dogs could be effected by a degenerative joint disease. Some of it comes down to genetics and breed, other times it is simply bad luck.

Not all pet supplements are ‘GudFur’ your pets and it can be a tough choice selecting the best hip and joint supplement for your favourite family member.

We have carefully selected the ingredients that we sell in order to help ease your pet’s joint stiffness due to normal daily exercise and help support the structural integrity of joints and connective tissue. Here’s a look at what they can do:

Glucosamine - helps maintain synovial fluid that lubricates joints

Chondroitin - combined with glucosamine helps promote cartilage development.  

Green-lipped mussels a nutritional supplement taken from a type of mussel native to New Zealand.

Omega-3 - from fish oiland DHA fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. 

We do not sell magic potions for dogs with hip and joint issues.  We urge all our customers not to wait until your dog is a senior or has a hip or joint problem, supplements work much better to prevent these conditions, than they do to treat them.