Joint Suplement

[eyalkattan]

Hi All,

Grace is 9.5 years old and so far had no aparent issues with her joints. However recently I noticed during our walks, that she tends to very slightly drag her back leg for one step. it hapens about 3-5 times during 30 minutes walk.

Also I noticed that she is getting tired fast and whenever we stop somewhere she sit down as if she can't stand. (maybe she gets bored when I talk with friends and she has to wait for me...). It seems also, as if her energy level starts to decrease.

I am thinking of starting her with NuJoint by NuVet labs in order to prevent and/or fix any possible joints problems at its begining. My vet think since I feed her with California Natural, there is no need to suplement her food with vitamins. I am wondering if this assumption is correct or should I go ahead and suplement her food with vitamins.

I would like to know if anybody has experience with NuJoint and if you saw any changes since your dog started to get the NuJoint.

Also, although my vet didn't find anything yet (by touching her joints with his hands), should I get more concerned about the symptoms I described or are these common symptoms that can be addressed by joint suplements.

I welcome any idea or suggestion.

Thanks

Eyal

[Judi W]

Although the supplements do help with joint disease, they don't make the dog younger. You will need to start taking her age into consideration in your expectations. A smart old dog rests when the opportunity presents itself.

[eyalkattan]

Yeah... a subject which i'm finding hard to get used to....

I heard so many stories about these suplements and how they make the dogs more comfortable. I am trying to figure out if there is any risk in giving them to Grace or is it falling under the "It can only do good" category....

Thanks

Eyal

[Miabella]

A vet can't really tell anything from just manipulating the limbs, you need to take x-rays to really see what's going on in there. That being said, a glucosamine-chondroitin product can't do any harm, I would certainly get her started on that right away. I like Cosequin or Glyco-Flex myself. MSM, Ester-C, and fish oil capsules are also natural anti-inflammatories that can help dogs with arthritis. Do a search here in the forums, you will find discussion about these supplements.

[Miabella]

I was just re-reading the OP, and I wanted to clarify that these supplements aren't "vitamins", so I agree with your vet on that count. If you are feeding a balanced food, there really isn't any need to add a multi-vitamin unless there is a medical reason. For example, my dog is a little anemic right now due to chemotherapy, so she is getting a multi-vitamin to help boost her iron levels.

[angel girl]

My BC mix is now 9.5 years old. She also has problems with her joints, specifically her hips. She was also overweight when we started noticing the extent of her deterioration. She has now slimmed down to 65 pounds. (Was 87 lb). Even after the weight loss she had trouble getting up, and moving for any type of distance quickly. Heck, she would be panting like it was 90 degrees out just walking around the block. She is actually the opposite of your dog. If we stopped to a few minutes, she wouldn't sit down (quit doing her automatic sit too) because getting back up hurt so much. It was just easier to stand and wait.

So, with my vet's knowledge (although not necessarily blessing as she would rather sell me Rimadyl) I started a Glucosamine/Chondroiton supplement. She started at 600/400 mg per day. It worked ok, her hips weren't cracking anymore, but she was still sore a lot. So we changed to see if this would help:

1500 mg Glucosamine
1000 mg MSM
1000 Ester C
800 ui of Vitamin E

This is per day. We don't have any Chondroiton in that because we couldn't find a brand that carried it separate from the Glucosamine. And the ones that did have the combo did not have it in the right ratio that I found after further research (2:3-Chondroiton:Glucosamine).

It has been a few days since we started that regemine so it is still too soon to tell how well it's going to go. So far though, I have noticed an increased activity level which is a big plus.

One other thing that I have heard (anecdotally) that giving the Glucosamine in the morning increases the effects. It may be wishful thinking, but I'd rather try that than put her on NSAIDs for the rest of her life.

[Dallasbaby]

My dogs are both on the Synovi G3 supplements. I have been VERY happy with these, as they are in treat form. They are a round beefy chew and both dogs really like to get them!! Here are the ingredients in the Synovi Soft Chews:

Glucosamine HCI, MSM, Creatine Monohydrate, Perna Canaliculus, Whey, Sucrose, Vitamin E, Calcium Phosphate, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin C, Zinc, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Grape Seed Extract, Slenium.

There are a few other ingredients but I can't pronounce them let alone TYPE them!!

Good luck!

[BostonRott]

Has she been checked by the vet for neuro deficits? A rear leg dragging makes me immediately think of neuro, not dysplasia.