As you know Juno has ED and on vet advice is fed Hills Prescription Diet J/D reduced calorie and also has a joint supplement. Due to problems with my normal supplier (I cancelled an order for £140 yesterday) I'm now looking for an alternative joint supplement as I've been using their own brand, possibly Yumove. I've also been looking into adding some salmon oil into her food for the extra Omega 3 &6. Not being an expert on supplements I'm concerned that I may overdose her without realising . So please help, would the Hills J/D (which contains Chondroitin and Glucosamine) + Yumove + this salmon oil http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_health/skin_coat_supplements/oleum_canis/520569 be too much in the way of supplements for a dog that weighs in between 24.5 and 25kg. Any advice, suggestions very grateful received
I know this doesn't answer any of your questions but I used Riaflex Canine Joint Plus for my last lab. I had just purchased an 800g refill pack in May (expiry date 2017) when I lost him, this has had a tiny amount taken out of it. If it would be of any use to you I would be quite happy to send it to you.
I only know the upper dosage limit for Omega 3 which is EPA + DHA as 2,800 mg/1,000 kcal of diet, equivalent to 370 mg per (kg body weight)[SUP]0.75 I think it's better to work it out of kcals of diet rather than bodyweight of dog. Hill's provides 101mg of EPA per 100g - so way, way off anything approaching the limit I would have thought. I have to say that I do not believe that Glucosamine and Chondroitin do anything at all. I give Charlie these supplements, because there is an outside chance that they might - but I think it's pretty remote. I have never found anything remotely reliable in terms of what dosage is necessary to make a difference (probably because there is not much evidence these actually work at all), but what recommendations I have seen talk about dosages for Glucosamine of around 1000mg, and chondrotin of around 900mg for a Labrador sized dog. Like I say, I don't know of any recommended upper limits, but Hill's JD contains just 30mg of Glucosamine and just 23mg of Chondrotin per 100g, so again you seem to be way under the kind of doses that people discuss. [/SUP]
By the way, it's omega 3 that you want to be adding, not omega 6 (which is usually found in excess in dog's diets).
JulieT Thanks so much for that Julie, I was just a bit concerned that I could end up overdosing without realising. I'm with you on the glucosamine and chondroitin though. The ortho specialist's view was that they might help , and I guess where our dogs, particularly young dogs, are concerned that's good enough for us . It sort of goes with the 5 minute rule and no jumping - no evidence to support but........ I've taken a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for my dodgy knees, at the physios suggestion, for around 5 years now. Has it helped, I really don't know, but I managed to go the best part of 3 years without any prescription drugs and it's only the last few months my knees have been causing a problem and back on the meds.
SteffiS Many thanks for the kind offer unfortunately I prefer the supplement in the form of tablets rather than powder which I can just feed to Juno as "treats" before her dinner. I think she'd wonder what was going on if she didn't get the treats and then her dinner.
When my 16 week old Labrador broke his elbow, the veterinary surgeon from a large consultancy practice suggested I give him Synoquin which is Glucosamine, Chonrdotin and Vitamin E. He is now almost ten years old and although he walks with his leg sligthly swinging out, he recently had an x-ray and despite a large screw and two pins, his elbow joint is in good condtiion. So I tend to believe that it is useful.
MaccieD That's fine it was just a thought as I don't really know what to do with it - of course if anyone else on the forum (in the UK) would be able to use it I would be pleased to pass it on.
I also give synoquin - I'm not sure that it is the glucosamine and chrondrotin in it though that might make a difference - it also contains krill oil, claimed to be a superior form of omega 3. Feeding omega 3 seems to be the best bet, but I don't know what works, what doesn't and is a waste of money, and what might. But so long as there is no reason to think these things are harmful, I'm willing to spend the money just in case they might help....
My Synoquin EFA doesn't have krill oli in it! Has Glucosamine HCI 99%, Chondroitin Sulphate 95%, Dexahan, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Sulphate. They must do different ones?
Not to panic Stacia their website says that Dexahan is a purified form of krill oil. I've been looking at Synoquin but can't find the recommended dosage. How much do you give. Just trying to work out the finances as it looks a lot more expensive than some. Love my pup but finite finances.
Stacia - yes, your synoquin EFA has krill oil in it. Dexahan is the trademark name for Synoquin's krill oil. MaccieD - after a six week loading dose, Charlie gets 1 large breed tablet a day. It works out at just under 50p a day. If I wanted to keep the cost low and had to choose, I'd choose a very good quality salmon oil over Synoquin. I honestly do not know if that would be the right choice, but it's the one I'd make.
Thanks JulieT, I did wonder if the Dexahan was the krill oil! I should have taken the trouble to have Googled it! Edited to add, have just Googled but it desn't say what Dexahan is! Just Googled again, this time put in "krill oil" and get "d docosahexanoic acid (DHA)"
Thanks JulieT I was considering a good salmon oil plus the Synoquin type supplement. I've just been looking at Salmon oils and am now confused as what is "best" compared to others . Life would be so much easier if all manufacturers had to,provide data in the same way
I don't know, and I don't think anyone knows, how much omega 3 makes a difference (and anyway, it might actually depend on the omega 6 in your dog's diet in that it's the ratio between the two that matters so no-one could even work it out without keeping your dog in a Laboratory for a few weeks ). I would say 'not all that much' is needed. So I wouldn't worry about getting a triple strength salmon oil or even exactly how much omega 3 is in it. A squirt of good quality salmon oil once a day is pretty much all you need to do I would say. It's more important to get a salmon oil from a source that you trust t(as far as you are able to trust any supplier) to be free of contaminants. I use fish4dogs and CSJ (the bottle is more convenient when travelling), squirt a bit on his kibble and that's that.
