I have two great pyrenees (both are under 3 years old) and I want to start taking care of their bones and joints now in hopes of keeping them healthier longer. What are some good dietary supplements that I can get for them? I’ve looked in WalMart and the only thing I can find are pills where the dosage is something like 5 pills per day — ugh! I’m looking for something a little more economical and user-friendly.
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Tags: diet, dogs, Good, joints, Keep, shape, some, Supplements
raw meat. and you can buy pills and vitamins for that.
HubrisHound. My dog had cartilage damage and it seems to have fixed it. He loves it as well and you only have to give half a teaspoon a day (maybe a full teaspoon for Great Pyrenees).
Many “complete” dry foods now contain stuff such as glucosamine to keep joints healthy. I use Advance Active, and Advance Senior for my two dogs, and both have supplements which are good for joints and muscles. You can also get powders such as Saschas Blend, which you can sprinkle on top of your dogs dinner. These are both Australian products, but I’m sure you can either find someone who can get them, or source similar products wherever you are.
http://www. sashasblend. com. au/
http://www. advancedpetnutrition. com. au/home. aspx?pettype=dog
On my Vet’s recommendation I use doggy Glucosamine, but I wouldn’t buy it at Walmart, If their human medicines are suspect, imagine what their dog medicines are like. Costco sells a good supplement at a reasonable price.
Also be sure you are feeding them a premium quality (not supermarket) food or a raw diet
DO NOT GO TO WAL-MART. That’s your first problem. Also, nothing that is worth buying will be cheap.
What kind of food are you feeding them?
Try this stuff – we have two Dobermans and it’s done really well by them. It’s a powder you mix with their food. You can also put some water with it if you want to make a gravy – yummy for dogs: http://www. missinglinkproducts. com/
But, seriously, consider your food. If you’re feeding them Kibbles and Bits or some other retarded mess they like to call ‘food’, you’re just pissing in the wind (wasting your money) buying a supplement. Visit a pet store (like Petco or PetSmart) and ask about the foods; find someone who knows what they’re talking about (you’ll be able to tell) and ask a lot of questions. Most higher end brands will have size specific formulas (Large Breed, Small Breed, ect).
To give you an idea of cost – we spend no less than $50 on a 40lb bag for our two dogs every two-three weeks. Since yours likely eat more, it’ll be more frequent. Remember that nothing worth anything is cheap.
You want a food that has Glucosamine and condroitin (I spelled those soooo wrong, but you’ll recognize the names on the package) included with it that is designed for big dogs with joint concerns.
And, yes, you can feed them raw meats, too.
First, a little disclaimer:
According to one of my profs (who does research on joint disease), there is no good evidence that *any* of these joint supplements actually do anything like what they say they do. His opinion is that there is no harm in them, but that the primary effect of them is a placebo effect (you’re giving your dog something to make them feel better, so you feel better about it). As far as objective evidence goes there is none.
That being said, there is *plenty* of anecdotal evidence to suggest that they do some good. I have myself used joint supplements for my dogs, and I’ve seen what I believe are objective (although not controlled) results.
Next, I would advise against supplementing with anything you haven’t specifically run by your vet. Just because a product is ‘natural’ and or ‘safe’ for humans, does not automatically imply that it is safe or effective for dogs, or that it won’t interfere with other medications you might be giving. (human vitamins may contain potentially toxic levels of vitamins for dogs – more is not always better).
Ok, disclaimer over:
The supplements I know of with the best track record are Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroiten Sulfate, and MSM (note there is also Glucosamine Sulfate available — this isn’t the one you want as its metabolized in such a way that apparently you have to give about twice as much of it).
I give my dogs a product called CT Support Plus. They get 3 teaspoons a day. I doubt though any of these products would have an impact on delaying the onset of joint disease.
my dog has arthritis, and glucose tablets help support their joints, and adds cushion around them to when they walk and run there’s not as much pressure on their joints- they are pills and he takes 2 a day (one with every meal) and they go right into wet or dry food. there’s also special foods that support bone and joint health so check for those- and there’s always coupons for them so keep looking!
I give my huskies the human grade glucosamine tablets. Next time I would try something other than tablets because I have to hide them in meat as they taste salty and are not very appealing and my dogs will eat most anything!
I give my pyrs daily:
(1) glucosamine 1500 / chondroitin 1200
(1) fish oil ( or borrage/fish oil/flax) capsule
I give them twice a week:
(1) ester C
The fish oil is for skin tone. The other is for other two are for joint care and lubrication.
I buy these at Sam’s Club. If you’re not a Sam’s Club member, you may be able to get these at Walmart.
It’s better to start these as a prevention as you wish to do. I researched and started using these AFTER my male required TPLO surgery and I didn’t want his second leg to need surgery, which happens way too often.
Meanwhile, I’d like to invite you to join one of Yahoo’s fine pyr groups where you can ask these questions and get better answers from pyr owners and breeders than you’ll get at YA. -!-
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