Joint care supplements?

[roundtown98]

Hi folks.

We have a 6 year old 38-pound mix, and a 4 month old 34 pound Dutch Shepherd mix that will likely get to be around 60 pounds, which we adopted two weeks ago. For these reasons, we're adding joint care supplements to their diets, per our veterinarian's go-ahead. When asked what we could do for our new pup to avoid joint issues as she grows, our vet said to simply get her on a joint supplement.

What I've been able to dig up about preventing joint issues in large breed dogs tells me that I need to pay attention to the Ca ratio of 1.2 to 1.4:1, which it appears that the brands of puppy food and large breed food I'd be buying are meeting that ratio anyway (Purina Pro Plan and Veterinary Diets, Hill's, Royal Canin, Iam's, Fromm). Our vet did not mention this ratio, nor specific diet for avoiding joint issues in large breeds.

The other thing to look for is to not feed them too much protein and fat, so that they do not grow too quickly. I worry that she may have already grown quite quickly, but I don't have experience with larger breeds. And, for what it's worth, we are weighing by weight in grams according to calculations based on the MER, with consideration of that day's activity levels.

Back to the joint supplement - the vet said any would do. So I went with Purina Pro Plan Joint Care. Then I saw Cosequin Plus on sale at CostCo and looked at the ingredients. They're quite different from the Purina ones, and I recognize that supplements aren't regulated, so it's not a surprise.

According to this study, MSM (an ingredient in many joint care supplements) has been shown to be effective at reducing pain, swelling, and stiffness in humans. This article says that "Limited studies in companion animals have been performed and results are mixed, but there is some anecdotal evidence that MSM works to treat inflammatory and immune diseases."

Is there anything more concrete that could point me to a good product to give my pups?

 

[trogers]

@roundtown98 Stick to a large breed puppy and then large breed food like you’ve said. From my research for my dog, it doesn’t seem there is strong evidence for anything in joint health except omega 3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA) and the ratio to omega 6 (I’m not sure about prevention, but for existing arthritis). There are varying levels of evidence for other supplements depending on the study you look at but overall seems weak. That said, it doesn’t mean it hurts to include if it’s a safe supplement approved by your vet, it just might be a waste of money.

Canine Arthritis Management has a helpful summary of evidence for different supplements at the bottom of this page: https://caninearthritis.co.uk/managing-arthritis/diet-supplements/

 

[roundtown98]

@trogers Thank you! I hadn’t seen that article yet. Much appreciated.

 

[mosfet]

@roundtown98 We really liked antinol as a supplement for our girl, she has arthritis and it’s the best one we found

 

[dontajohnson]

@roundtown98 It already says it in the article another person linked to, but I want to reiterate that pretty much the best thing you can do for your dog’s joints is avoid them getting overweight. Excessive weight is so common in pets these days. I know some dogs who got joint problems and pain far too young due to being overweight

That article defines overweight as 110% of ideal body weight and obese as 120% of ideal body weight. So assuming your 38 lb dog is the perfect size, as little as 3.8 lb would put him/her into the overweight category. (And a dog as small as my mini poodle mix has only a single pound of leeway!)