Top 6 Joint Supplements for My Dog's Arthritis

We're kicking off our first blog post with one of the most frequently asked questions we get on our Instagram account: what joint supplements do you give Hattie to help with her arthritis?

If you're new here, there's a few things you should know about Hattie:

• 2019: We noticed on and off limping that occurred mostly after exercise and would occur inconsistently. The lameness would go away after a day or two of rest.

• 2020: Hattie was diagnosed with Elbow Dysplasia and went through two elbow surgeries to remove loose bone fragments.

  • Hattie's left elbow was worse than her right, and as a result, she had developed severe arthritis in her left elbow. Hattie is currently three years old (2021).

• 2021: There are good days and bad days with Hattie's walking. Sometimes she will limp every day for several months, and sometimes she's walking perfectly fine. Just like humans, weather will also come into play for stiff or sore joints.

To note - I am not a vet or a medical professional. Every dog is different, and I am only sharing products that have worked for Hattie and have made a difference with Hattie's lameness/limping. I encourage you to do your own research and to consult with your primary vet if you have any questions or concerns.

With that said, let's get into the 6 joint supplements I give Hattie to help with her arthritis! (products are listed in no particular order).

Dasaquin Advanced Chews

Joint supplements for humans and dogs commonly include glucosamine and chondroitin, and there's no exception to that with the Dasaquin Advanced Soft Chews. Recommended by Hattie's orthopedic surgeon, she's been taking this daily supplement since August 2020. Depending on your dog's level of arthritis or joint issues, this may or may not be enough. In the beginning, this was the only supplement we were giving Hattie and did not see improvement from her lameness. It's all about trial and error when trying to find the right mix of supplements to help with your dog's joints.

We purchase Dasaquin Advanced from our primary vet. You can find other Dasaquin products on retailers like chewy.com.

Turmeric/Golden Paste

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric, and its amazing anti-inflammatory properties can help to ease joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. And in case you didn't know, curcumin is not easily absorbed in the body (for both humans and dogs), and need to be combined with a healthy fat and black pepper. You can view my Instagram Highlights titled Golden Paste to see the recipe I follow, and video clips showing how I make the turmeric paste for Hattie. Recipe blog post coming soon!

Purchase this specific turmeric powder through our Amazon affiliate link, HERE.

CBD Oil + Treats

CBD has so many benefits for both humans and dogs, such as helping with anxiety, reducing seizures, improving appetite, relieving pain inflammation associate with osteoarthritis, and more. We give CBD on an every day basis for Hattie's joints and anxiety, and this stuff is magic. With so many brands out there, it can sometimes be hard to pick one. For us, we've been using Suzie's CBD Treats for 2+ years, and can't say enough good things about their product quality and team. This is the only CBD brand we use for Hattie, and the brand we recommend to everyone who asks!

You can use code HATTIE10 for 10% off on suziespettreats.com.

Green Lipped Mussels

Green lipped mussels are a species of mussel found in New Zealand, and is high in nutrients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and Omega-3 fatty acids - which are great for reducing levels of inflammation for osteoarthritis. We use this GLM powder from Super Snouts, and just sprinkle it over Hattie's food on a daily basis. It's honestly as simple as that, and Hattie has never complained about the taste.

Purchase this joint powder through our Amazon affiliate link, HERE.

Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are a powerful, natural method of decreasing the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis. Dogs specifically need EPA and DHA to decrease inflammation due to arthritis, so keep an eye out for that when looking at the guaranteed analysis of the fish oil you purchase. We've used different fish oils in the past, but most recently purchased this particular one called Welactin Advanced from our vet (per the recommendation of Hattie's orthopedic surgeon).

You can purchase Welactin Advanced through your primary vet.

Boswellia

Thanks to the recommendation from our friends @noah_and_lincoln, Boswellia is the newest addition to our supplement mix! Boswellia, or Indian frankincense, has been used in natural medicine practices for centuries and its anti-inflammatory effects help with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. Some articles I've read even state that Boswellia can be an effective painkiller and may prevent the loss of cartilage.

Before we started using Boswellia, Hattie was limping for about 2 months straight. Even though the vet said she would have bad days, it didn't make me feel good to see her lame every time we would go on walks. I was desperate to help her and even started conversations with our primary vet about Adequan injections. With one last attempt at staying as natural as possible, we incorporated Boswellia into Hattie's supplement mix and she hasn't limped ever since! I can't say for certain that this product alone did the trick, but ever since we added this into the mix - Hattie's lameness has improved for the better.

Purchase this Boswellia supplement through our Amazon affiliate link, HERE.

Something to keep in mind:

I don't give all of these supplements to Hattie on a regular everyday basis. I will rotate certain supplements around, and use my best judgement on increasing/decreasing something depending on Hattie's lameness and how she's doing on any particular day. However, we do give Hattie Dasaquin and CBD oil on a daily basis. Here's what our supplement routine generally looks like:

Day One Example:

• In the AM: Dasaquin

• Supplements in breakfast: turmeric, GLM, CBD, boswellia

Day Two Example:

• In the AM: Dasaquin

• Supplements in breakfast: fish oil, CBD, boswellia

If you're still reading this, thank you for being here and making it through our first blog post. I hope you found something useful and if your dog has arthritis or is currently experiencing lameness, give your pup a big hug from me and Hattie!

Questions? Comments? Leave them down below.

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