Safe Joint Supplements

[mrs.athey]

Hey everyone!

So my dog, Bailey, has been diabetic for over 4 years now. We have owned her for 12 years now, and she was a few years old when we rescued her.
Overall, she is wonderful health! But we are noticing that, at times, she struggles to get her back legs beneath her, mainly after she has just woke up. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, thank God. Just struggling sometime.
We want to make sure we get her on a joint supplement before anything does start really bothering her. But I want to make sure whatever we give her won't interfere or negatively mix with her diabetes.

What joint supplements do you all use/give to your doggos? What have you found to be healthy and safe with diabetes?

Thank you in advance! I sure appreciate this forum.

[jesse girl]

Re: Safe Joint Supplements

snickers thread was just talking about something that was helping on post 47 you may want to take a look

My jesse is almost 14 and she doesnt jump as well. I dont think its arthritis just weakness getting older .

AS far as how diabetes is affected thats just something you have to try and see how blood sugar reacts . I have been giving milk thistle to jesse as a liver supplement and appears to be helping with blood sugar reducing early spikes .maybe tied to the livers supply of stored sugar and somehow affecting it . Just a guess

sounds like bailey is doing great and handling diabetes quite well . A testament of the good care your giving

[MikeMurphy]

Re: Safe Joint Supplements

I give Dasuquin to Lily. It doesn’t effect her BG.

https://www.chewy.com/nutramax-dasuq...joint/dp/35842

[LizE]

Re: Safe Joint Supplements

My dog has arthritis too and at this time, it is the biggest health problem she faces.

Honestly, I would make sure your vet is included in the management of your dog's pain. When you say she is struggling at times that means she has pain. Dogs are just really good at hiding it (it's a survival thing I would guess). Anything that directly improves arthritic pain, either herbal or pharmaceutical has the potential for side effects and your vet should be made aware of it.

Also, just remember that supplements, particularly herbal supplements, are not all created equal. Potency and efficacy can vary a lot from supplier to supplier and even if you use the same brand all the time, there is no guarantee that the current lot you are using is that same as the last lot you used. I used to work in the natural foods industry for a company that specialized in medicinal herbs. There are a lot of "experts" who don't know what they are doing, make false claims and adulterate products. I would be particularly skeptical of anything claiming to be organic. Stick with trusted brands and do a lot of research on your own, beyond just the first few articles on your search page. Most of those are really sponsored ads disguised as normal websites.

That being said, this is what I do for my dog. She has negative side effects with traditional nsaids prescribed by the vet so even though they work great to eliminate her pain, they are not a good option for her.

1)I massage Snickers first thing in the morning to get her blood going. She tends to favor one side and she gets a knot in her back from it. Then we do some gentle stretching since she can no longer stretch out on her own. We joke that about doggie yoga but she seems to enjoy it. 8 years ago she tore her ligament in her back hind leg leading to arthritis there. That joint really stiffens up without regular stretching.

2)Collagen - I crush up one of Makondo Pets Joint Support Collagen w/ Vitamin C tablets. I take collagen for myself (I started it for my skin but noticed it really helps my joints. Unfortunately I am still as wrinkled as ever). Collagen supplements can take weeks to show improvement so it's hard to know how well it works but Snickers has no side effects from it so it stays in the routine.

3)Tart cherry extract. Snickers gets on capsule of Swanson's HiActives Tart Cherry every day. I take a capsule and pour 1/2 over breakfast and the other 1/2 over dinner. Tart Cherry is an excellent anti-inflammatory and I have yet to find evidence of any side effects. I also take this myself. I get almost immediate relief using it and really notice if I don't take it for a few days.

4) Glucosamine -MSM-Chondroitin and Sea Cucumber. I use Sea Mobility's Joint Rescue Treats by Ark Naturals. 4 soft chew squares have 500 mg of glucosamine. Snickers gets a couple a day as treats. They don't seem to have any side effects. She's been eating them for years, before she was diagnosed as diabetic. Obviously they did not prevent or eliminate arthritis for her but she likes them so they stay in the routine.

5)Turmeric - Just started this for the dog and it really seems to help. Turmeric is known to lower blood glucose in people so I would be careful with it. It also can have many of the same side effects as prescription nsaid's, maybe because it is thought to work in the same way as a cox-2 inhibitor. Turmeric can also be contaminated with lead so again, be careful who you buy from. It can also thin the blood so again, you might want your vet informed if you decide to go this route. Taken plain, it is not very effective. It needs fat to be absorbed by the body. It's effects are greatly enhanced by "heat" such as pepper or ginger.

For Snickers I mix 1 720 mg capsule of Swanson 's Turmeric with the oil of one Swanson's Omega-3 Fish oil softgel. I sprinkle some pepper on it and mix it in a small spoonful of Chobani's orange and cream yogurt then put half of the mixture in her breakfast and the rest in her dinner. Snickers has had a very good response using this but we are new to it so we'll see how it plays out over time. Her biggest problem so far is that it stains her beard (and dishes and anything it comes in contact with).

I can't honestly tell if it is effecting her blood sugar because fish oil will raise her blood sugar normally and she is going thru a period of decline in her insulin needs I'm assuming this is age related as it has been going on for a while now.

I would also encourage you to make lifestyle choices that make things easier for your dog. Cushioned bedding, raised dog bowls and even trimmed nails can help. Don't forget the importance of daily exercise and the use of heat applied to affected joints.

Sorry this got so long - I just always worry when people talk about supplements. It sounds like you are doing great with Bailey!

[Daisydog10]

Re: Safe Joint Supplements

You may want to try Methyl B-12 for diabetic neuropathy. Others have had very good results with back leg weakness. The GNC brand doesn't have sucrose or any sugars in it. The dosage is .67mcg per pound. Just be careful on the brand and hidden sugars.

[Isabelle]

Re: Safe Joint Supplements

Isabelle, who has been diabetic for 2 years, has taken Glycoflex III since she had her cruciate ligament repaired 7 years ago.