Hi Can I ask can anyone recommend any natural supplements to aid bone and joint concerns, I'm looking into given Denzel some supplements based on his recent operation and the possibility of having his right elbow operated on this year too. I have been given him food with a contents of glucosamine and have spent hours looking on line for some highly recommended supplements. Could anyone suggest if they have tried any please? Thank you Michelle and Denzel
Hi there This is a very tricky area. First, because the evidence for the effectiveness of supplements is very mixed (even though there iare many anecdotal accounts of people swearing by X supplement), and second because even where there is evidence of effectiveness, there is very little guidance on the amounts that are required to make a difference. If you check the food you are feeding, you will (typically) see that the amounts of Glucosamine and Chondroitin are quite small, and there are some articles around that suggest for real effectiveness you would have to give much more than is usually added to food, even food marketed as helping joints. There are also some articles that suggest Glucosamine and Chondroitin is not effective in assisting with arthritis. There is some evidence that Omega 3 helps, and this is often included in supplements along with Glucosamine and Chondroitin. My dog has had cruiciate surgery, and is at a high risk of arthritis in the future (well, he will already have it just there are no symptoms as yet). I give Synoquin which has quite high levels of Glucosamine and Chondroitin but it also contains krill oil for Omega 3. In addition, I boost Omega 3 levels again by feeding a good quality salmon oil. There is an upper safe limit for Omega 3 (this has been discussed on the forum before, if you search you will find the references) so it is worth calculating how much you give to make sure you have a good margin below the limit. I honestly do not know whether or not any of this is worth it, but I do believe (with my vet's advice) that these supplements are not harmful, so they are worth giving in case they help my dog now or in future years.
I have to agree, there is no good evidence of any supplement really helping here. Most are unlikely to do harm however, except to your wallet, and maybe your hopes. Interestingly this afternoon I came across this trial, which is looked at the beneficial effects of a compound in broccoli, which MIGHT have a beneficial effect on your cartilage and slow progression of arthritis. There is no evidence AT ALL that this makes a difference (I don't think), so I am not suggesting we should all be eating broccoli by the bucketful, or feeding it to our dogs, I just thought it was interesting. I think it might apply to all the brassicas (I think in the US these are Cole Crops). I tried to read the trial but my brain melted.....its the weekend..... Easy to read - http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/...-key-in-the-fight-against-osteoarthritis.aspx Not so easy to read - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240673/
