Choosing The Best Joint Supplement/Glucosamine for Dogs – 6 Things You Must Know

#1: For Maximum Efficacy, Choose a Supplement for Your Dog with Multiple Active Ingredients

When most people think of a joint supplement for their dog, glucosamine comes to mind. And while glucosamine is the most popular active ingredient, other powerful nutraceuticals include MSM, chondroitin, and turmeric (curcumin). If your supplement contains only one or two of these, you may be missing potential benefits. Different dogs respond to different treatments, so when in doubt, offer a broad spectrum of nutrients.

#2: Always Check The Amount of Active Ingredients

If the quantity of active ingredients (in milligrams) is not made available, the product likely contains low levels that are unlikely to have a therapeutic effect on your dog’s joints. As a rule of thumb, your dog should receive 20 mg of glucosamine daily for each pound they weigh. Budget oriented joint supplements (often in the $15-20 a bottle range) often contain levels too low to make any serious impact on your dog’s joint health. In addition, dry dog food manufacturers have begun including trivial amounts of glucosamine in their products in an attempt to woo consumers. Make sure your dog receives enough to matter!

#3: Always Buy Made In USA

While you’d expect that most pet stores would have transitioned to only carrying consumable products that are made in the USA, this is simply not the case. Many budget oriented pet stores, online retailers, and grocery stores still carry inferior supplements made in factories outside the USA with far lower production standards.

#4: If Your Dog Has Allergies or Food Sensitivities, Choose a Hypoallergenic Option

If your dog has reacted to ingredients in the past, pursue a hypoallergenic joint supplement. While there’s no 100% guarantee that your dog won’t react to the ingredients, they are far more likely to cause allergies due to a focus on ingredients that rarely cause sensitivities in dogs.

#5: Results Will Vary Based on Your Dog’s Age and Condition

Ideally, a joint supplement regimen should begin before signs of pain are present in your dog. (ideally around 5 years of age, although large breeds may need earlier) In reality, however, we often don’t consider the need until signs of pain are apparent. If your dog is already showing signs of distress, a joint supplement can still offer substantial relief. However, it may take 1-2 months to show signs of improvement.

Related: Best Glucosamine for Dogs

#6: Taste and Format Matters

The best joint supplement in the world is worthless if your dog refuses to eat it. The most popular formats of delivery for joint supplements are liquid, tablet chews, and soft chews, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to palatability, soft chews and liquids tend to please the most canine palates. Because a soft chew can contain a wider variety of nutraceuticals (see item #1) it’s our preferred method.

Where Our Research Led Us

Our research in hip & joint supplements for dogs led us to develop & recommend the Project Paws® line of joint care supplements (available in both standard and hypoallergenic formulas). An added bonus of the Project Paws brand is that each purchase goes towards helping provide food for animal shelters in need.