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Why Do I Supplement My 3-year-old german shepherd with glucosamine & CHONDROITIN?

10/25/2018

10 Comments

 
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​Canine joint health has always been an extremely important topic for me as I have owned only large breed dogs my entire life. Not to say that joint health is not as important to small and medium sized dogs or even cats, but I find it is the larger breeds that seem to age the quickest and are affected more severely by arthritis and other joint diseases.

What is Glucosamine & Chondroitin?

They both contain glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate which are components of natural joint cartilage and other types of structural tissue. Both are traditionally used to reduce pain and improve joint function in individuals with arthritis.
However, my use for it regarding Monty, my German Shepherd, is not for pain nor arthritis, as he is only 3 years old, very active and has absolutely no pain or signs that he is slowing down. So, why supplement him?

Consider it as an insurance policy and maintenance. Breeds such as German Shepherds who are prone to joint diseases can greatly benefit from G&Ch supplementation when they are younger adults because both ingredients help provide structural support for soft joint tissue. Chondroitin in particular provides resistance against compression forces, while glucosamine provides support for the building and repair of cartilage and synovial fluid, which surrounds the joints and helps cushion them. Let’s also not forget the sulphate portion of these compounds which is very important, since the body requires sulphate to produce cartilage.

Supplementing with G&Ch at a younger age does not give a guarantee that they will by pass arthritis and other joint issues all together, but it can reduce the chances, as most vets agree it is not a bad idea to supplement breeds who are younger adults that are prone to joint diseases down the line. In fact, some DVMs who specialize in athletes promote G&Ch supplementation as young as 3 years and younger for longevity, as supplementation can work on a deeper level for suspensory ligaments. Also note that G&Ch is not a one trick pony and does not work in isolation, it’s uses can go far beyond just joint health, it can be a catalyst for a symphony of things, such as promoting gut health.
Now if you feed kibble and the package claims to provide joint support because it already contains glucosamine, consider this; dogs need about 500 mg of glucosamine per day per 25 lbs of body weight, so a 100 lb dog would require 2000 mg a day, for some kibbles you would need to feed over 40 cups a day to get that amount! Not to mention that it’s most likely from an overly-processed low quality source, but that is a different article all together!

Now, along with supplementing Monty with G&Ch that actually is from a sustainable food source, there are foods I feed that naturally contain these components which are; natural bovine tendons, cartilage, trachea, chicken feet, beef knuckle bones or other bones with good cartilage, green or blue lipped muscles and bone broth. He loves it!

Fun fact: 1 oz piece of bovine trachea has about 1400 mg of glucosamine. A chicken foot has about 400 mg of glucosamine.

Remember to always feed raw and never cooked bones of any kind.
 
 
 
 

10 Comments
Nathaniel link
8/11/2020 08:32:13 pm

Much obliged to you for the all-around clarified data. It's extremely useful that there are articles like this to help how we handle it, Keep sharing.

Reply
Lucy (author)
8/12/2020 10:11:24 am

Thank you and glad you enjoyed the article.

Reply
GHO-AHK CORPORATION link
3/16/2021 03:58:52 pm

Great content!! So much informative content you produce high quality of content which is good for those people can possibly visit your site.

Reply
German Shepherd link
5/13/2022 01:59:12 am

Hey I'm Kemsikela.
I’d love some tips on how to train my 5 months old German Shepherd puppy named Zeus . My husband just recently got him and he hasn’t had any training whatsoever.
The only thing he knows for now is his name an he sometimes doesn’t respond to it when I try to train him. He’s also usually too playful during training and doesn’t respond to my efforts.
I’d also like to know how to stop him from jumping and licking my hands everytime I get close to him.
Thank you.

Reply
ajay link
4/7/2023 05:44:18 am

Thanks for sharing informative article, I really like this post.

Reply
Ephuroa Labs link
4/7/2023 08:57:21 am

Ephuroalabs' Joint Support delivers impressive results! It significantly alleviates pain, enhances mobility, and promotes healthy joints. A must-try for anyone seeking natural and effective relief. Highly recommended!



Reply
https://calgarypodiatry.ca/ link
5/4/2023 06:32:56 pm

Thank you for the helpful information. If you want to know more about foot problems, treatment and others, you can visit this site.

Reply
Carisa
5/22/2023 07:12:36 pm

Hi,

Thank you for the content. I have a Great Pyrenees and have been trying to give him frozen raw chicken feet as a treat, but every time, he tends to get loose stools. We also recently adopted a Bernese puppy who has the same problem with the chicken feet. He is now 9 months, and she is 3 months. Is it that they are puppies and have sensitive stomachs? I'm not sure how to provide natural uncooked sources of nutrition when they always seem to upset their stomachs. I tried going raw but that was horrible diarrhea. So we put them on Stella & Chewy's puppy kibble and I cook and mix in either grassfed beef or turkey meat and add a few veggies (broccoli, carrots, green beans, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, whatever I have on hand that mimics what is in the dog foods), pumpkin seeds, rice or quinoa, hemp seeds, kelp, blueberries or apple and they seem ok until I change it to one another. I even got a raw food source from Polyface Farms and cooked it, as it had all bone and organs and such, and still mushy stools. If he just has kibble, no loose stools. Even when I baked the chicken feet on low heat for hours, loose stools. Feeling like giving up but I love my dogs and just want the best for them. Thank you for your time.

Reply
Lee Bridges link
8/4/2023 12:33:25 pm

Breeds for example German Shepherds who are inclined to joint sicknesses can extraordinarily profit from Gandch supplementation when they are more youthful grown-ups in light of the fact that the two fixings assist with offering primary help for delicate joint tissue.

Reply
Tiffany link
10/4/2024 01:54:58 pm

This iss a great post thanks

Reply



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    Author

    Lucy is an avid pet mom; with dogs, cats, goats and horses to keep her busy! All of her pet 'kids' are fed a species appropriate diet with proper supplementation so she can watch them thrive. Her expertise and experience lie in nutraceutical supplementation and is a health advocate for proper diet and nutrition. ​Her other passions in life are schutzhund and equestrian riding.

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