Your favorite joint supplements?

Hey all,

It's been a while -- been too busy to keep up with Usenet lately. Good

Human_And_Animal_Behavior_Forensic_Sciences_Research_Laboratory...

INDEEDY. We've all missed your hilariHOWES posts.

Like THIS:

From: Rocky (2...@rocky-dog.com)
Subject: Re: How to handle aggressive situations
Date: 2004-10-19 19:42:54 PST

Melanie L Chang said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Human_And_Animal_Behavior_Forensic_Sciences_Research_Laboratory...

Or, at the other end of the spectrum, Rocky cowers,
thinking I'm angry at him - a reason I don't "yuk out"
others' dogs at agility trials or training.

to see some familiar names still around. I'm hoping our sports mavens
are still reading!

I need recommendations for the best joint supplements out there.

t...

I once played in a band with guys who'd frequently supplement theirs
with a lot of taco bell afterwards. Does that count?

Paula...

If Solo is like my dogs, he'd enthusiastically embrace that treatment
protocol even if it didn't help his arthritis any.

Solo went to the orthopedist yesterday for lameness in his right hind.
The short story is that he has severe degenerative arthritis in his right
hip (dysplasia or an old injury or both). I am not all that experienced

Suja...

Sorry to hear that, Melanie.

looking at canine hip x-rays but from the ones I've seen his hip is
really quite bad. Luckily the left hip looks perfect.

The vet and I discussed a number of options. I'd like to avoid total hip
replacement unless it becomes absolutely necessary due to the
invasiveness and follow-up (Solo is about as horrible a veterinary
patient as it is possible to get) and I'm not really considering FHO. An
intermediate surgical option is denervation of the joint. The nerve
supply to the joint itself (not to any of the muscles surrounding it) is
removed, which doesn't "fix" anything but alleviates the pain. There's
only so much worse Solo's hip can get as it's essentially bone on bone
now, so this sounds like a viable option. It's done much more often in
Europe than in the States. The only articles I could find on PubMed
regarding denervation of the joint are in German.

For now Solo has a prescription for Metacam and I am considering
Adequan. He's still very mobile and doesn't seem particularly bothered
by his hip -- he limps after exercise but isn't reluctant to run or jump
and doesn't seem sore in the evenings. His agility career (such as it
was) is over, but he can still work sheep which is low-impact in
comparison, especially since he is not a trial dog and does not need to
be able to do big sweeping outruns.

Solo had been on Pilgrim's Pride triple strength glucosamine/chondroitin
tabs for a few years. Recently, I switched him to SynoviG3 on the
recommendation of a bunch of working Border Collie folks but I can't tell
yet if it's any better than what he was on before. I've been looking
into other supplements, including chewables, granules, and liquids. I
remember Robin Nuttall being enthusiastic about GlycoFlex (unless my
memory is failing me). What else is considered the gold standard? There

Robin Nuttall...

I do like the Glycoflex 3. But the latest thing I've been giving that
I'm thrilled about is a supplement called Dog Gone Pain (DGP).

Viva's spondylosis has progressed. She seems to have a spur that is near
the point of her right hip. So sitting is sometimes painful and she
doesn't put as much weight on her right hind leg as her left. And she
has arthritis in her feet and now, I think, starting in her wrists. Her
left front leg, where she had the tendon removed several years ago, is
often pretty painful.

A few months ago I tried DGP. I was absolutely floored by the results I
got. I went from a dog who was sort of hobbling around but generally
pretty good natured about it, to a dog who moved evenly and fluidly, and
who started playing harder, running far more often and for longer
distances, and interacting more with me and with Zipper my new Min Pin
puppy.

When I showed the DGP to my acupuncturist she said the "money"
ingredient was Boswellia. There were a couple of other ingredients she
didn't care as much for, so I moved Viva to Boswellia only. Within a
couple of months she was back to being lame, sore, and having
difficulty. She was ignoring Zipper and not able to run much. I put her
back on DGP last week and again the difference has been astounding. Last
month I finished her Open Tunnelers title in NADAC, but in a time that
wouldn't qualify her for Elite Tunnelers. I had to pull her from
Jumpers--she just couldn't do it even at 16". I'm now pretty confident
that she can go on to Elite Tunnelers (requires 5+ yps) and maybe even
finish her Outstanding Elite Jumpers title. And no, I really don't care
about the titles, I care about how she lights up like a candle when she
gets to run agility. :)

DGP is available at http://www.doggonepain.com. I have no financial
interest in the company whatsoever.

Suja...

Don't know about gold standard, but we're happy with K9 Liquid Health 5000.
As you may remember, Pan has bilateral CHD, and Khan is now developing
arthritis in his left hip. For a time there, we were using glucosamine in a
pill form, and around the beginning of this year, Pan started showing
effects of her bad hip (reluctance to jump into the car, getting ouchy about
being touched, etc.) and switching her to the Liquid Health basically took
care of it. I buy it by the gallon from Countrysidepet.com (must be
refrigerated after opening), and between the two dogs, it lasts me about 4
months.

My friend's GSD who has crippling arthritis is on K9 Liquid Health (not
5000), and is now getting Adequan shots. He also benefits from chiropractic
adjustments and acupuncture, but I'm not sure how well that'd go over with
Solo.

are so many supplements available out there that I am having a hard time
figuring out which ones to try.

Thanks for any advice. Hope you all have been well.

FurPaw...

Sorry to hear about Solo's problems. I hope you find the right
answer for him.

Dylan and Chile have both gotten huge benefits from Adequan.
Dylan had a degenerating spine and hip dysplasia, and when we
started her on Adequan, it made a big difference in her mobility.
Chile has spinal arthritis, bad knees and hip dysplasia (yes, a
Chihuahua!), and she has also gotten much friskier and more
mobile on Adequan - surprisingly so for a 15 year-old with her
problems. She gets her Adequan shot every 5-6 weeks. She also
gets a daily pinch of glucosamine/chondroitin powder, a few drops
of fish oil and a bit of Deramaxx, but the big improvement came
when we started her on Adequan.

What I want to know is, why isn't Adequan cleared for use on hoomins?

Rocky...

I'd like to know, too. I've finally come to realise that the
recurring gout in my left big toe is probably early arthritis,
something I was warned about a decade ago after shattering that
toe while sparring in karate.

mirellepoetta...

Soak your toe in Epsom Salts daily.
Or have a long bath with one cup Epsom Salts
In the water and soak you will not only get relief for your toe
You will fell like relaxed and equanimous !

Chi Quang is much easier on the body than Karate !

mirellepoetta...

Mirelle La Belle

the.longest.username.available...

I have heard that Syn-Flex works really well. I don't have a clue as
to the reliability of this source, but they have a dosing chart which
can help determine the cost to administer it to your dog.
http://www.easysource.com/synflex/syn_pets.htm?id=
I know you can get it cheaper from other sources. I buy training
equipment from http://leerburg.com/49.htm and they have it for $25 plus
shipping for starters. I know they are a reliable store, but I am
certain you can find it from other places for less.