what is the difference between glucosamine and chondrotin or do they both do the same thing.

Dont know the difference. Connie would know. But generally people use both, not one or the other.

Glucosamine usually comes from shellfish sources, but they do have one that is corn based now for people with allergies to shellfish. Most studies with glucosamine sulfate have been shown to be effective, most studies with glucosamine HCL or some other xCL molecule attached have not shown any effectiveness. Why?? Nobody knows exactly.

Chondroitin is usually from shark or bovine caritilage extract. Most human studies have shown Chondroitin Sulfate to have a slightly larger effect than Glucosamine Sulfate, although they've never been directly compared.

Usually taking one OR the other is effective for most people. I usually recommend Glucosamine Sulfate, as it is much cheaper. If it doesn't work, switch to Chondroitin. But that's for humans, its easier to know if its working or not. It's harder to tell in our dogs and it does take about a month or two to build up to an effective limit in the body, so the results are not instantaneous.

There are no studies that show GS and CS together work better than either of them used seperately. Maybe they do, but its never been shown clinically.

thanks for the info i have found most products are made with glucosamine hdl and not sulfate maybe thats why i have not found one that really works yet.

Try Syn-Flex. Leerburg sells it too. Contains both Sulfate and HCL.

iam going to try a human grade supplement ther cheaper and containe a higer level of sulfate, syn-flex is real low in sulfate and high in hcl witch does'nt work and grandflex only contains hcl and no sulfate.

 Quote: joseph romano

iam going to try a human grade supplement ther cheaper and containe a higer level of sulfate, syn-flex is real low in sulfate and high in hcl witch does'nt work and grandflex only contains hcl and no sulfate.

Can you link us to an authoritative source?

I'm not saying that this isn't correct; I do know that the Arthritis Foundation doesn't agree, and that they suggest using a product containing both or trying each.

Having read a couple dozen studies, I have read positive results from each (and the combo).

 Quote: joseph romano

thanks for the info i have found most products are made with glucosamine hdl and not sulfate maybe thats why i have not found one that really works yet.

I've definitely read advice to try both (separately) if you've found no good effects after a month.

 Quote: Eric Read

Most studies with glucosamine sulfate have been shown to be effective, most studies with glucosamine HCL or some other xCL molecule attached have not shown any effectiveness. Why?? Nobody knows exactly.

Can you link me to some studies? I try to read them all, and so far (without actually keeping score) I haven't noticed a huge swing toward one form or the other in effectiveness in trials. It seems that the individual effect varies, but that combining the two (or trying each) settles that pretty well.

I'd love getting new sources of studies and trials.

connie at this point my question is about the type of glucosamine and chondition i should be using based on eric's reply