I know I'm not the only one here with senior dogs, so I'm wondering what everybody is using, if anything, for a joint supplement. I've been using one from Drs. Foster and Smith for several years and have been very happy with it, but, unfortunately, Drs. Foster and Smith has been sold to Petco, and I'm not sure I will be able to continue getting it. I got an email from Petco yesterday telling me my auto-shipment would not be arriving as the product is out of stock. Here is what I've been using, to give you an idea of the ingredients I'm looking for:

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/drs-foster-and-smith-level-1-joint-care-soft-chews-for-dogs

(click on the "ingredients and guaranteed analysis" tab)

The main thing I'm looking for is glucosamine, chondroitin, and green lipped mussels. Finding something with all three of those has proven impossible, but I can find the green lipped mussels as a supplement on their own, so I figured I would combine that with a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement, but I cannot find one that does not contain MSM. I am not comfortable with what I've read about MSM, and I'd prefer not to feed it.

Does anybody know of a joint supplement that contains glucosamine and chondroitin but not MSM? Or, alternatively, can anybody reassure me that MSM is a safe substance to feed? Both of my dogs have dilated cardiomyopathy and are on meds for that. In addition, the 12-year-old is getting a thyroid supplement and carprofen, 75mg per day, for pain. I know the carprofen is not without side effects, but anytime I try to cut her back on it, I can tell she's more uncomfortable. Oh, and they both get fish oil/Vitamin E, so I don't need anything that contains omega 3s.

Just curious as to what others are doing for their senior dogs' joint health and pain issues.

I've had great luck with Cosequin DS but it does contain MSM.

This interests me too very much. My dpgs are about seven years. At what age did you or should one start with those supplements?

Bob, after exhaustive surfing of the internet, lol, I did find that Cosequin comes in many different formulas, one of them being the Cosequin DS, without MSM. So I've ordered that, plus a separate product that is solely the green-lipped mussels. We shall see how it all works out. I don't like it when products I have used and liked for a long time suddenly become unavailable. I seem to deal with that a lot lately, not just with my dogs but with all kinds of stuff in everyday life.

Christina, I am not qualified to give out medical/veterinary advice here, but all I can tell you is, in my own situation, I started joint supplements when my dogs appeared to need it. Several years back, my female started showing signs of occasional pain and stiffness, so I started her on the supplements. She was probably around eight or nine. Then a year or two later, my male, who is a year younger than her, started seeming to me like he could benefit, too, so I started giving them to him.

Both dogs are still showing their age. She's just turning twelve, he'll be eleven in a couple months. The joint supplements are not a cure for old age, of course, but I'm convinced they are helping. With these dogs or any other dogs I have owned or will own, it's not a matter of the exact age but more just being observant, talking with your vet and with others who have experience with old dogs, and making a choice based on your own set of circumstances. Every dog is different, and their breed, size, age, overall health, and activity levels will all factor into it.

Ms. Grissom,

I've been giving the mutts glucosamine with MSM but not chondroitin.

Your post inspired me to do some looking, and I believe chondroitin will be added to the mix.

I discovered that, by some reviews, I've been over dosing the mutts with glucosamine. I've been doing it for a long time with no apparent bad outcomes but I'll reconsider the dose with the introduction of the chondroitin.

There didn't seem to be much useful analysis available for or against the use of MSM, so, not noticing any bad outcomes from glucosamine and MSN, I think I'll continue the dose, and add 1,200 mgs or more of chondroitin in some form to the mix.

So, I appreciate the nudge to look into the stuff.

I have an older female GSD that seems to present no ill effects on the current doses, and I hope the addition of chondroitin will add a bit to her quality of life. She is pretty active but maybe it will smooth off age edges.

Always something to consider.

Thanks.

Cheri, here's a thread describing some research I did a few years ago. I hope it might help a little.

http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=16242&page=1

The detailed post is on page 2.

Connie, thank you so much for that link. It will help a lot! There's a lot to absorb there -- no pun intended, lol -- so I imagine Mike, Christina, and I will be reading a lot over the next few days. I did a quick check just now, and a few of the links are no longer valid, which isn't surprising since the thread is around twelve years old, but there is still plenty of information there that I'm sure is going to be helpful. I may end up ordering something different next time I need it, but the Cosequin will tide me over since I'm about to run out of what I've been using -- which may not have been the best stuff, anyway.

Again, thank you.

Thanks so much Cheri for your answer. I actually didn't intend to give to my dogs those supplements against age. We can't prevent it anyway. But I'm asking myself if it would be recommendable to give them those supps precautionary. I observed my dogs well and none of them seems to suffer from any such problems yet. I'm now unsure, as I don't know if I could harm them by adding such supplements preventively.

Thanks also Connie for your thread. I've merely started to read. Vow, this will take time to get through all of this. But it's without doubt worth it to read it all thoroughly. I as well will consult a Vet to hear his opinion. Problem here - I don't really trust the Vets in my region very much. I'll chose the best I know and will by then have enough questions thanks to this forum and so will be able to test him, what and how much he knows about those supps, if at all.

Thanks Cheri !

I'll certain look into the DS without the MSM.

Bob, please don't discontinue using your product just based on my expressed preference for a product without it. I did not mean to imply that there was something dangerous or undesirable about it, only that I myself was not comfortable with a few things I have read. It is very commonly included in joint supplements, both for humans and dogs, as evidenced by my difficulty in finding one without it. The supplement I had been using did not have it, so I was just not wanting to upset the apple cart.

This lengthy article from the National Institutes of Health gives the overall impression that it is safe:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372953/

However, I've also found a lot out there to suggest that more research is needed:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/expert-answers/msm/faq-20058526

https://www.rxlist.com/msm_methylsulfonylmethane/supplements.htm

If you're happy with using it and your dog doesn't seem to be showing any undesirable side effects, I wouldn't want you to stop because of something I said. As with anything, we each have to make our own decisions based on carefully weighing the pros and cons.