Dog Supplements for Hip and Joints - Fact or Fiction?

Joint health takes centre stage when it comes to the health of your canines. It is important to protect, promote and extend the functionality of their joints, as they are the key to extending their life expectancy. We as dog-lovers need to understand that enabling our dogs to move, run and jump freely is imperative for our dogs to lead happy and liberated lives.

However, providing them with the ease to move around freely with no pain or stiffness, doesn’t come naturally, as some dogs suffer due to hereditary problems, age-related problems or due to an unfortunate accident. Hence, rather than allowing your dog to lay around or laze around all day, take the initiative for including the best dog supplements, which specifically target their joints, into their diet. The supplements provide the much-needed boost and vigour to your dog’s physical health, resulting in real and perceivable outcomes.

In sharp contrast to what many may think is the reality regarding supplements, they have proven to show credible results in dog bone health across the globe, due to the necessary minerals and vitamins present within them. It’s never too late to think of your dog’s bone health, as prevention is certainly better than seeking a cure.

Committing to improving your dog’s bone health requires patience, as expecting fast results or looking for a short-cut isn’t a plausibility in such situations. Include the following below-mentioned ingredients in your dog’s diet, to help see a shift in their health.

·         Glucosamine Supplements

Glucosamine is a substance that is found in your pet’s body, with the presence of it being the highest in healthy cartilage. This glucosamine produces glycosaminoglycan, which is important for helping form and repair cartilages. With age and extensive wear and tear, the production of glucosamine gradually slows down in the body. This can lead to joint stiffness and pain, leading to reduced activity and reduced joint functionality.

A sustainable option is to include glucosamine supplements in your dog’s diet, as it helps rebuild cartilages and restore bone functionality. These supplements have an anti-inflammatory effect, they increase mobility, increase the lubrication in your dog’s joints and help to reduce pain. However, it can still take a few weeks before you start witnessing a difference in your dog’s mobility post introducing the supplements in their diet.

·         Omega 3 Fatty-Acids

Don’t allow your dog’s enthusiastic or cheery behaviour to become a thing of the past, instead include supplements that help alleviate the woes that affect them. Omega-3s are excellent for supporting joint and heart health, are beneficial for boosting the immune system and are known to improve kidney health. Dog-lovers should look to include wild-caught cold-water fish to provide their dogs with an equalising combination of both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are naturally present within such fish.

·         Turmeric

If you’re noticing changes in temperament, limping or lethargic behaviour in your dog, then taking a natural route is also a possible option. Turmeric is known for being an excellent relief for joint pain, as due to the presence of ‘curcumin’ within it, it has outperformed several arthritis medications and pain killers.

Sprinkling turmeric over your dog’s food or giving turmeric supplements is an appropriate initiative to take, however, if your dog is ‘hot’, prefers to lie down on cool places, then opt against using it.

·         Astaxanthin

A power antioxidant is released when certain algae get stressed, this antioxidant is called astaxanthin. It is one of the best and most effective natural joint supplements, as it helps in relieving inflammation, pain and also helps clean the toxins in the body. It is considered excellent for cancer prevention, is beneficial for your dog’s immune system and its efficacy in blocking various different chemicals that produce pain is exceptional.

Therefore, including an astaxanthin supplement into your dog’s dietary pattern is fruitful in tackling joint health issues.