[Jen2010]

Pepper is 7 1/2 years old and the vet says she has mild hip dysplasia in her back hips. Most of the time she's okay, but after going to daycare she is very stiff in the evening and sometimes the next morning. The last time she went, when she was home sleeping in the evening she got a bit snarky with out other dog. I'm guessing she was in pain. She's currently getting wild salmon oil added to her food, but it's obviously not enough.

I'm trying to decide between these 2 supplements, but don't really know much about them. Anyone here with more experience/knowledge than me?
Nutramax Cosequin DS Plus
Pureform Agility

Is it okay to buy supplements like this from Amazon? Are they reliable? Is there anything I can do for her on daycare days to prevent the stiffness later?

 

[storyist]

I don't know, but have heard that the Cosequin on Amazon is fake, that Nutramax does not make Cosequin available on Amazon. I've never checked that out, but have stopped buying there and switched to Chewy.com. If I were you, I'd try Cosequin for at least 2 months and see if it makes a difference. If not, there are a lot of other supplements some have had success with. It's a matter of finding what works for your dog.

In my own case, I know people who have tried glucosamine supplements for their own problems without success. When I tried it, it worked on hip arthritis faster than it's advertised to. So everyone (and every dog) is different in what they respond to and how.

Your vet will probably give you something for after daycare play, but it will be the equivalent of ibuprofen for humans (you probably know, but do not give human meds like that to your dog unless advised to by vet). I'd see if a supplement like Cosequin takes care of the problem first for the same reasons I don't take anything like Advil, Tylenol, or aspirin regularly myself.

 

[Canyx]

Hey Jen2010! Funny, I was researching the exact same topic last night. Brae is young and in great shape, great OFA results for hips and elbows. But he's so high impact about -life- that I figure I might as well start him on a joint supplement.

I was going to bite the bullet on Nutramax Cosequin but I ended up ordering the Costco brand human kind (Kirkland Signature Glucosamine/Chondroitin). It's what I used for Soro all of his life and I noticed a difference when he was off it for a month or more - he wasn't limping but he was just a bit more stiff overall, if I remember correctly. I think I took him off because he was on raw at the time and I wondered if he could get enough of the joint stuff from raw and RMB. I guess the answer was no.

It's going to be a challenge to get Brae to eat the 2 pills a day since he's not very food motivated and hiding pills is a tad harder with him (Sor just ate the pills straight). But after looking at many different supplements I determined that the human kind was the best value for the amount of active ingredient. And the Kirkland brand is derived from sources that dogs can absorb. Like you though, I am still keeping my eyes and ears open for other options.

 

[Deak597]

Pepper is 7 1/2 years old and the vet says she has mild hip dysplasia in her back hips. Most of the time she's okay, but after going to daycare she is very stiff in the evening and sometimes the next morning. The last time she went, when she was home sleeping in the evening she got a bit snarky with out other dog. I'm guessing she was in pain. She's currently getting wild salmon oil added to her food, but it's obviously not enough.

I'm trying to decide between these 2 supplements, but don't really know much about them. Anyone here with more experience/knowledge than me?
Nutramax Cosequin DS Plus
Pureform Agility

Is it okay to buy supplements like this from Amazon? Are they reliable? Is there anything I can do for her on daycare days to prevent the stiffness later?

If you have access to a butcher talk to him about chicken feet,they are loaded with glucoasmine and she will enjoy chewing on them.

 

[LeoRose]

Leo and my husband take the same Sam's Club generic glucosamine/MSM supplement. Lily takes the VetIQ brand dog formula soft chews, but only because she seems to have trouble taking the people pills.

 

[pandora]

Hi, When Oscar had problems we used a human grade pill and we tried hydrotherapy, sounds fancy but we bought an old jucazzi bath and set it up for him moving about in the water with the jets running really helped him retain mobility but a childs swimming pool would do the same if you have room for it and your dog likes the water.

 

[Jen2010]

Hmm, I never thought of trying a human supplement for dogs. It's probably cheaper!

I don't know, but have heard that the Cosequin on Amazon is fake, that Nutramax does not make Cosequin available on Amazon. I've never checked that out, but have stopped buying there and switched to Chewy.com.

It says the seller is Nutramax, but you can never really be sure I guess. Chewy.com is not available in Canada :-(

Hi, When Oscar had problems we used a human grade pill and we tried hydrotherapy, sounds fancy but we bought an old jucazzi bath and set it up for him moving about in the water with the jets running really helped him retain mobility but a childs swimming pool would do the same if you have room for it and your dog likes the water.

Pepper loves to swim and we go lots in the summer. Even that though, she'll only swim for a short while now before coming out. We'd have to install a full size pool at home for her to be able to swim in it, haha. That's not really an option.

 

[sydneynicole]

I know you read my thread about my dog's arthritis, but figured I'd chime in here as well!

I've had the best luck with Nutramax products. My dog takes Cosequin. If you go that route, make sure you do the initial loading dose. You can also 1.5x her dose or double up her dosage on daycare days (I'd double the night before and the day of, possibly the day after, personally).

Bone broth is pretty easy and cheap to make as home, especially if you have a pressure cooker or instant pot. It's a great whole food supplement to add and dogs love it. I make big batches and freeze it in mason jars - I go through about 2 mason jars a week for my dogs (2 large and 1 small).

Something I have looked into but haven't tried for my dog yet is the Back on Track coat. I almost bought one on sale but then wavered too long and haven't pulled the trigger. They are supposed to promote circulation and healing and minimize inflammation. I know people who swear by them and they are extremely popular in the sport horse world. For the horses, we put them (leg wraps and a blanket) on after a strenuous workout overnight. For my dog, when I eventually get her one, I would put it on on the way to our hikes to help her warm up her muscles faster, and then have her wear it after our hike and probably over night. They are kind of expensive but it's a one-time purchase and might be worth a shot for her to wear after her day care days, especially since they would cover her hips well. My dog's arthritis is in her knee which is why I haven't purchased one yet.

 

[Jen2010]

Thanks! I have never heard of the Back on Track coat before, but that's pretty interesting!

In my research I discovered that the supplement I'm giving Kane actually has really good levels of glucosamine and MSM! I haven't been giving it to Pepper because when we first bought it over a year ago, she got a weird rash that took forever to go away and I suspected it was something in the supplement that caused it. However, since we're already buying it for Kane it would be easiest if I could give it to both dogs. So I'm giving it another try for Pepper. I've started out at a low dose and will monitor her excess licking or other signs of rash. Fingers crossed!