Dogs and Glucosamine

[Gwen'sMom]

Hi there, my dog has been experiencing pain in his back legs and hips so I have been giving him 500mg of Glucosamine per day. I started him on it 4 days ago. Has anyone else been given this to their dogs and if so when did your dog get relief?

Thanks!

 

[K9_Trainer]

For the pain, your going to want to get him on a medication like Rimadyl.

Glucosamine/condroiten supplements are great, but they aren't ment to relieve pain instantly or act as an all day pain killer. The purpose of Glucosamine is to help rebuild cartilage in the joints to eventually help alleviate some of the pain. But the dog has to be on it for sometimes 2 months or more before that actually starts happening and it starts making a difference.

So for all day pain relief, see a vet and ask about Rimadyl.

 

[Sabina41]

Also, what type of dog do you have and how much does it weigh? I hate to say it, but I see so many people bringing grossly overweight or obese dogs (or even slightly overweight) into the animal hospital where I work, the dog has arthritis and joint problems, and they wonder why. Many times, if the dog lost 20 or 30 pounds they wouldn't have so much difficulty. I'm not saying that your dog definitely is overweight because it has joint problems, often these things are genetic also, but it should be a part of the solution you're looking for- if weight loss could help alleviate the problem rather then just using medications.

 

[Gwen'sMom]

K9_Trainer thanks for the advice on Rimadyl. I will certainly check that out.

Sabina 41 my dog is a Papillon but a large one. He is much taller than the breed standard. Yes, he is overweight but has recently lost weight as we moved to an apartment and I have been walking him 3 times per day. I have also cut out most of his snacks. I am thinking that all the walking has had something to do with the pain. He is 9 years old and was very sedintary before we moved.

ladies, I appreciate your advice very much!!

 

[snoochface]

Be very, very careful giving your dog glucosamine, and please do not give it to him without first having his blood sugar checked by your vet. If your dog has high sugar levels, which many overweight dogs do, the glucosamine can make him become diabetic. I've read about this risk in a number of articles and in the Animal Doctor column that runs in nationwide newspapers.

Just be cautious, get his sugars checked, and don't give him anything without checking with your vet first.

 

[K9_Trainer]

Yes, your deffinitly going to want to shed a few pounds off of him if he's overweight.

Just cut back on food, put him on a good reduced calorie food or weight loss food (I prefer Nutro) and go for a short walk every day. It's very important to cut back food and get him on a good diet because being elderly and having arthritis, you don't want to over do the walks.

Be patient though, you won't get quick results. I could be a few months before he finally starts slimming down.

Your vet can also help you out alot with a good weight loss plan.

 

[Gwen'sMom]

Thanks for the tips. Max has lost some weight already with me reducing his diet (and no snacks) and a gentle walk a couple of times a day. I can really see the difference. I am going to get him into see the vet and have some bloodwork done.

 

[K9_Trainer]

What kind of food do you have him on?

Nutro makes 2 really great senior formulas, both contain Glucosamine and Chondroiten added right to the food. I have my 11 year old Akita/shepherd mix on the Nutro Senior support system which has added stuff like Taurene for a healthy brain as well. The senior support system bag is purple and the regular senior is silver.