Information About Glucosamine For Dogs
Both dogs and their owners are prone to developing arthritis. In addition to veterinary care, arthritic dogs may also gain benefits from the nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. Both of these chemicals are called “nutraceuticals”, which means that there is clinical evidence that they may have health benefits.
Many canine owners prefer glucosamine for dogs because they do not need a prescription to buy it and can be easily incorporated into other canine arthritis treatments. Veterinarians say that getting rid of excess weight and regular light exercise can also help reduce arthritis symptoms in dogs.
What’s The Big Deal?
Glucosamine and chondroitin are chemicals found in healthy joint cartilage and often absent from inflamed or diseased cartiledge. Glucosamine helps to keep a dog’s joints mobile and make it les painful to move about. The Mayo Clinic states that glucosamine does seem to have anti-inflammatory properties.
The glucosamine on store shelves is usually made from shellfish, but it can also be made from modified yeast bacteria. The later way of making glucosamine is generally the more expensive way, but proponents claim the concentration of nutraceuticals is much higher than from shellfish.
What’s It Like?
Glucosamine for dogs, cats, horses and people can be purchased by itself, but most formulations on the market will also include chondroitin. These nutraceuticals may come in pill form, chewable tablets, a liquid or a fine powder than can be mixed into the dog’s dinner. Depending on the brand, a dog may need one to three doses per day.
Do not give human glucosamine pills to dogs, because it will be too large of a dose. Wrong dosage could lead to some glucosamine side effects, too much can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If in doubt about how much to give, please call your veterinarian. If your pet is already on arthritis medication, talk to your veterinarian before giving your dog any kind of nutritional supplement.