31/08/2025
Such a great read all about false claims on joint supplements - and utterly spot on. Thanks Hedgerow Hounds.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7NEqB9R3/
I felt I needed to post this due to the absolute barrage of cheap and nasty joint supplements flooding the internet by companies that have no knowledge about the arthritic dog and are driven by £s.
They have, of course, made full use of AI, showing joints surrounded by flames, bone-on-bone diagrams, dogs falling on slippery floors, and dragging their back legs behind them.
Some of these supplements, mostly of the soft chew type, have been formulated by "real vets," apparently, and have reversed arthritis and hip dysplasia where other treatments have failed. And the arthritic dog has returned to walking for hours, chasing a ball, and jumping out of the car once again!
If only it were that simple!
While quality joint supplements can be beneficial (and I use them with my own dogs) for managing an arthritic dog, the absolute essentials are even more important and need to be put in place alongside them.
It is not just the joint that is affected, as these companies will mislead you into thinking. It is every system in the dog's body that compensates for pain and loss of mobility, and a cheap supplement; however, much has been spent on promoting it, will not benefit your dog's joints, particularly arthritic ones.
A top-quality joint supplement should be the building block, and often, people will only start using it when the dog is really struggling & has many adaptations in movement and muscle atrophy by then.
Using it as a "joint food" to nourish the joints and help lessen inflammation & wear and tear, particularly with an active dog, or those breeds prone to hereditary joint issues, or perhaps after a known injury.
But it is vital to make lifestyle changes, including non-negotiable anti-slip floors, dietary improvement, appropriate exercise, keeping them slim as body fat is inflammatory, enrichment, hydro & complementary therapies such as acupuncture and massage, adequate rest on a supportive bed & limiting concussion from jumping down out of cars & ball chasing.
And yes, often pain relief meds are needed, sometimes short-term or long-term management. A dog in pain doesn't want to move and that will compound the mobility & muscle weakness further. All these lifestyle changes will mean that pain relief can be kept to a minimum for much longer.
If you see these adverts making ridiculous claims, then please call them out. We are the voice for the dogs, after all.
Sunday rant over, but it does get on my wick !😆
