[kafkabeetle]

These are the main training treats I use, just because they're extremely inexpensive and don't contain too many objectionable ingredients (for the price). I never really noticed until today that they are labelled "joint health formula" and say that they contain "naturally sourced glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate." Upon further inspection the guarenteed analysis reads "Glucosamine, not less than 500mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulfate, not less than 500 mg/kg."

So, what's a normal dosage of these things for joint health? Is the amount in these treats mostly just a gimmick? I don't really care because I don't feed them for the joint benefits, but I was just curious.

 

[Willowy]

I think that's the amount in chicken by-product meal (feet and necks and whatnot). So it is kind of a gimmick for them to market that because it would in there no matter what.

Personally, I don't like BHA. That would be biggest problem with those treats. But of course you don't feed many of them. . .and it's no worse than hot dogs (some brands have BHA/BHT) .

 

[kafkabeetle]

I think that's the amount in chicken by-product meal (feet and necks and whatnot). So it is kind of a gimmick for them to market that because it would in there no matter what.

Ha, I thought it would be something like that. xD Shifty marketing.

Personally, I don't like BHA. That would be biggest problem with those treats. But of course you don't feed many of them. . .and it's no worse than hot dogs (some brands have BHA/BHT) .

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I wouldn't feed a kibble with these things but I'm not quite so picky about treats. And anyway, most treats you find at Wal-Mart are pretty much just corn meal and high fructose corn syrup, so it's at least a little better than Beggin Strips. ;p

 

[Kathyy]

Max is a 38 pound dog doing very well on Triple Flex with 1500 mg of one of those and 1200 mg of the other plus MSM. He would have to eat more than 4 pounds of those treats to get the same amount of the joint stuff. Daily. Definitely a gimmick. You never know though, people swear by the prescription kibble with the same small amount of glucosamine and chondroitin, guess it is enough for some dogs.

 

[kafkabeetle]

Thanks Kathyy. At what age does one normally start giving joint supplements as a preventative? I'm mainly just curious. Sydney will be 5 in May.

 

[georgiapeach]

I give my poodle, Potsie, Cosequin DS daily, because he has grade 4 luxating patellas. I also give him a 1200 mg. fish oil capsule daily. It helps! My vet is happy, b/c he doesn't show signs of lameness, nor does he "skip" when he runs (a common sign of luxating patellas when it causes pain). The vet said he should be in pain at this stage, and she's thrilled that he's not. She said she sees a dog who has a much milder case that is very lame, but the owner doesn't give any supplements. She said to keep doing what I'm doing.

 

[kafkabeetle]

I give my poodle, Potsie, Cosequin DS daily, because he has grade 4 luxating patellas. I also give him a 1200 mg. fish oil capsule daily. It helps! My vet is happy, b/c he doesn't show signs of lameness, nor does he "skip" when he runs (a common sign of luxating patellas when it causes pain). The vet said he should be in pain at this stage, and she's thrilled that he's not. She said she sees a dog who has a much milder case that is very lame, but the owner doesn't give any supplements. She said to keep doing what I'm doing.

Awesome! I'm glad they were able to help your dog.

 

[kadylady]

Thanks Kathyy. At what age does one normally start giving joint supplements as a preventative? I'm mainly just curious. Sydney will be 5 in May.

I give Luke a human grade joint supplement, he's 2. He's also a 70lb Golden/Lab mix that likes to play hard and it makes me feel a little less paranoid about what's in store for us down the road. He gets 1500 mg of glucosamine and 1000 mg of MSM per day. We just buy the store brand that usually goes on sale for buy 1 get 1 free at least once a month. No idea if it helps him or not but it's worth the ten cents or so a day to me.

 

[Kathyy]

I started him on the supplement when he was about 5-6 years old and pulsed it without noticing any change in his happiness, strength or agility. This past winter he was getting sad, jumping into the car slower and losing his balance when he made tight turns more often. Started him on that same human grade supplement and inside two weeks he was jumping around, barking when he played and generally being more of a pest the way he used to be.

 

[kafkabeetle]

I started him on the supplement when he was about 5-6 years old and pulsed it without noticing any change in his happiness, strength or agility. This past winter he was getting sad, jumping into the car slower and losing his balance when he made tight turns more often. Started him on that same human grade supplement and inside two weeks he was jumping around, barking when he played and generally being more of a pest the way he used to be.

lol at the bolded portion. That's always a good gauge of happiness. ;p Thanks for sharing your experiences guys. I'll be sure to start her on something if/when she starts to have issues as she ages.

 

[Poly]

Thanks Kathyy. At what age does one normally start giving joint supplements as a preventative? I'm mainly just curious. Sydney will be 5 in May.

You can start at any age. These are very safe supplements when used according to the directions.

Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplements have been used for horses (hunters, jumpers, eventers) for many years with no significant side effects.

Since products do vary in strength, you should follow the dosage directions for the product that you are using.