Choosing a Joint supplement for our dog can be overwhelming. Andrew the founder of Jointly365, explains why researching the ingredients of a product is so important and ensures your dog gets the best joint support possible.
Here we consider the following:
What ingredients and why?
What to look for when choosing a joint supplement?
Introduction
We all know that as dogs progress from middle to old age they tend to decrease their levels of activity to some degree. This can be due to many reasons, but ageing and stiff joints are one of the most commonly seen.
Stiff joints are caused by the degeneration of the normal joint structure which leads to the aches and pains that become worse as they get older – which some of us may have experienced ourselves…..
There are many approaches we can take to this progressive condition - such as exercise and weight management, complementary therapies, or prescription medication - and though they will not be discussed here today, it is important to remember a holistic and multi-pronged approach to stiff joints is always the best way forward.
Today we will be discussing joint supplements - one of the most commonly used methods to help dogs with stiff joints.
But with so many out there to choose from, how do you choose one that is best for your dog?
My simple approach to this is there are only two things you can do with a supplement: soothe the stiff joints themselves, and provide the necessary structural ingredients that a joint requires to function as well as it can.
If you can successfully achieve both, you are on the right track. Only achieving one or the other, is a sub-optimal and unnecessary situation.
The provision of structural ingredients is a more simple topic, and will be looked at shortly, but soothing joints and working with the bodies own natural anti-inflammatory system is a more complex area.
One of the most studied and effective methods of achieving soothing joints is by using marine sourced omega 3 oils. These are a type of essential fatty acid – EFA (that has to be eaten as it can’t be made by the body – hence ‘essential’), which moderate the bodies inflammatory response, so helping aching joints. These are hard to provide at high levels in normal food due to rancidity problems during storage.
Even though only a few EFAs such as EPA or DHA are ever discussed, there are dozens of them that contribute to the overall effect in different ways. So the quality and balance of those is critical in achieving the results we want. Some fish oils and mussel powders are of poor quality for what we are trying to do in a joint supplement. And this is where the big issue lies for choosing products – it is hard to know which is which.
Those who are more sure of their product will have conducted a clinical trial and published it, so owners and vets can scrutinise the methodology and results. And you should be looking for high levels of cold water marine sourced Omega 3’s – enough to carry a regulated claim that it can “XYZ”.
The second part of the equation is providing all the structural elements the joint requires, which is critical as this is a long term condition. Depending on the food that you feed your dog, these will be supplied in higher or lower quantities, but rarely to the levels that are provided by a quality supplement.
You should be looking for ingredients that will help the production of the cartilage and joint fluid such as glucosamine, N-Acetyl glucosamine (a special type of glucosamine that is utilised more readily by the body) and hyaluronic acid, that will all help the joint function to the best of its ability.
Additionally, we can help remove free radicals, which speed up the degradation of the joint. High levels of antioxidants such as vitamin E and C are what to look for here.
So if you are using a joint supplement now, remember the condition progresses and you may be able to help your dog more by changing to a more concentrated alternative.
With this in mind, if you feel the supplement you are currently using may not be giving the best response to what is a progressive condition, or just want to start with the better alternatives out there, consider trialling one that contains the ingredients mentioned previously.
And finally, there is also the cost element of the supplement – both financially and environmentally. Generally speaking buying one from your local veterinary practice will be more expensive than elsewhere, due to the profit margins vets operate on, though you will most likely be able to get extra advice at the same time.
And nowadays you don’t need to settle for using blister packs that aren’t recycled or even plastic pots anymore, when there are technically brilliant plastic free packaging materials around. No-one want s to use more plastic than we need to, and with around 12 million dogs in the UK now, we all need to do our bit to help the environment we love to get out into with our dogs.
However using a trusted supplier with a clinical study, the regulatory claim on the pack, who is also able to give advice, usually provides the most value.
Jointly365 has been developed by Andrew Little BVetMed. Andrew worked in practice for many years before gaining 15 years of product development experience in major animal health companies, including with market leading joint supplements products in UK and abroad. He has combined this experience to focus on dog joints, producing a natural, sustainable, plastic free joint supplement, with both soothing and structural ingredients carefully chosen and tailored to provide the very best for your dog - that is roughly half the price of veterinary alternatives to ensure as many owners as possible can access quality care for their dogs.
www.jointly365.com
