Hey everyone, well i did a search and didn't come across a post that answered my question.

Is it too early to start giving my almost 2 year old dog glucosamine, or is he too young? He's about 24' at the shoulder and around 70lbs.

I had to put my last dog down because of severe arthritis (He was 15) and I think if i had heard about glucosamine when he was a bit younger, it would've made his last few years alot more comfortable. The vet didn't suggest anything about glucosamine until he was at least 11 years old, too late to repair any damage that was already done.

The dog I have now is ALOT more active than my other guy (part Border Collie & Husky)and runs full tilt for almost 20 minutes when we're in the park playing 2 ball fetch so I thought I should start him on glucosamine now. Plus I was thinking about putting him in agility, and I know all that jumping and running is hard on the joints.

So...too soon??? And if it's not...how much should he be given? And should I up the dosage the older he gets? If so, how much is the maximum a dog should receive.

I do have him on food that contains glucosamine, but I know that it's not near enough to make much of a difference.

Thanks for your help!!!!


Wendy

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Hey everyone, well i did a search and didn't come across a post that answered my question.

Is it too early to start giving my almost 2 year old dog glucosamine, or is he too young? He's about 24' at the shoulder and around 70lbs.

I had to put my last dog down because of severe arthritis (He was 15) and I think if i had heard about glucosamine when he was a bit younger, it would've made his last few years alot more comfortable. The vet didn't suggest anything about glucosamine until he was at least 11 years old, too late to repair any damage that was already done......So...too soon??? And if it's not...how much should he be given?

This site discusses glucosamine's properties:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/arsupp.html

This one does too, and also mentions the not-so-proven benefits of chondroiton (and I've read a lot that leads me to give glucosamine and not to bother with chondroitin....JMO):
http://www.placervillevet.com/nutraceuticals.htm
QUOTE from the above site:Large dogs should receive a glucosamine supplement starting at four or five years of age, before showing symptoms. Any large breed dog is going to have stiff uncomfortable joints when he gets old and these products work much better at preventing joint damage than treating it. A large dog (60-90 lbs.) needs enough of whatever formula you are using to supply between 1,000 and 2,000 milligrams of glucosamine per dog per day, divided into morning and evening doses. END

I have never read anything to discourage me from starting glucosamine HCI and glucosamine sulfate before symptoms are seen. I have read several vets who believe that it's a help in preventing arthritic changes, and is better started before the dog shows advanced symptoms.

I'd call my own vet if I were you and ask about it.

That said, what I do (and I am not a health professional) is to give human-grade glucosamine (capsules, opened, or liquid, either one on the food) in approximately the following amounts: 100-200 mg. per 50 pounds of dog weight for young dogs with no problems and no extra weight.

I increase it as the dog ages (starting at 4 or 5, as above).

Both the sites above give dosages, as do many other sites if you Google DOGS, ARTHRITIS SUPPLEMENTS.

But again, this is a fast and simple telephone question for your vet. I'm a big supporter of glucosamine, but all I have are anecdotal evidence and research. Your vet knows your dog.

There have been recent studies debunking glucosamine's effect on humans: conclusion: "it doesn't hurt but we can't say it helps..." I didn't get any citations from recent readings, sorry, and certainly don't have any comment on the merits of those conclusions.

I don't know if there is a body of research for canines, however at least glucosamine is not too expensive if it proves not to be effective...

rgds andrew may

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There have been recent studies debunking glucosamine's effect on humans: conclusion: "it doesn't hurt but we can't say it helps..." I didn't get any citations from recent readings, sorry, and certainly don't have any comment on the merits of those conclusions.....

I am guessing you refer to the G.A.I.T. study, conducted by the U. of Utah.

I didn't by any means discount this study's findings; I did, however, keep in mind that the study was relatively short (six months), and that it was done to measure pain relief, as opposed to cartilage-disintegration or cartilage-regrowth evidence. I do understand that they are connected, but because of those two limitations, I (personally) decided that, while I'm very happy to see that careful studies are being done, for now I'm going to stick with my anecdotal experience and with other medical theories about glucosamine.

The study (involving some 1500+ older humans with significant knee arthritis) was not of a scope to address preventive aspects or non-pain-related benefits. At least, that was my take when I read the study (which is available on the web).

I agree with you, Andrew, that (as long as chondroitin is not an ingredient) it's an inexpensive supplement.

It has a large body of support in the medical community, and no published findings about side effects.

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......It has a large body of support in the medical community, and no published findings about side effects.

Oops......I should've added "that I know of," when I mentioned no negative side effects.

My biggest concern is if it is supplemented, is there an effect on the gland/s that produce this? An easy example is testosterone, and the shrinkage of the testicles due to the fact they are not used and have a significant decrease in what they can produce after. This is the only thing I haven't found anything about. I use the stuff myself, but I am old and fat. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Andrew...Just thought I'd throw something else 'into the pot' for others to consider...Just something I've read very recently:

***There is a NEW study published in the past few weeks that concludes: that glucosamine and chondroitin do not penetrate joint connective tissue to repair joints (which have no blood supply), meaning there is no clinical effect to support supplementation....***

It will probably be a while before this study is published as the study was only completed recently...

B

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***There is a NEW study published in the past few weeks that concludes: that glucosamine and chondroitin do not penetrate joint connective tissue to repair joints (which have no blood supply), meaning there is no clinical effect to support supplementation....***

Can you give me the source of the quote? This would not be the G.A.I.T. trial, right?

The reason I ask is that the New England Journal of Medicine reported in late February that a new study showed that glucosamine made little difference for individuals (human) with mild arthritic pain, but significantly helped participants with moderate to severe pain.

This study is under fire now because it used a form of glucosamine not commonly used in supplements (glucosamine hydrochloride instead of glucosamine sulfate).

Chondroitin is a whole 'nother subject.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you could point me to the study (or the quote). I thought I had caught up, and obviously somebody's been sneakin' around doing more trials....... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Hi Connie...Yes I can see if I can contact the individual who quoted this study...With his permission...I'll post his email and you can contact him directly for the references. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

B