Will my dog stop making glucosamine if I give her supplements?

If the food already contains glucosamine and chondrotin than you shouldn't have to supplement with more unless the food contains an inadequate amount. You could look on the bag of food to see the amount that is in the food and compare it to the amount you have been giving. Make sure to switch foods gradually so you don't cause gastrointestinal problems.

It's fine to start your 1.5 year old dog on the joint supplement, but it's not recommended to start puppies on joint supplements until he is at least a year old. That's because a puppy will be producing it's own glucosamine for his joints, and will not needed the added support. I would speak to your vet about giving your older dog the GI balance supplement to see if he needs it, but again I would not give it to the puppy until he is at least a year old. He doesn't need any additional supplemental while he's growing, as too much can be detrimental to his growth and health. The reason why I suggest speaking to your vet about giving it to your older dog is because, again, too many vitamins and minerals can be detrimental to your dog, and it may not be healthy to give to him.

Glucosamine and chondroitin will not prevent hip dysplasia. All those supplements do is promote joint health. It is recommended by most specialists to wait until the growth plates are closed before starting any supplements. This usually occurs within 10 months to one year of age.

Studies generally conclude that the human version of arthritis supplements are not able to be absorbed by dogs. Instead look for a supplement for dogs. The two I recommend our Dasuquan and Duralactin. Starting him on an additional omega-3 fatty acid for dogs will also help with arthritis. Lastly there is a food made by Royal Canin called mobility support. It is excellent for arthritic dogs. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for choosing Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since glucosamine and chondroitin fall under the category of medications we refer to as nutraceuticals (fancy word for supplements) there is no specific age that is recommended. Generally, we start recommend using these types of medications when pets reach the senior stage (7+ years of age). Since Bella is still young, I would recommend feeding a quality food that is formulated specifically for large breed dogs as it will include all of the beneficial joint health additives. I am personally a fan of Purina foods, but any of the other brands (Hills, Royal Canin, etc) are all excellent foods. This way you don't have to worry about trying to remember giving Bella pills everyday and nothing in her routine has to change. The supplements may be needed further down the road. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

If this is a glucosamine supplement he should probably take it forever as long as he does not have any negative side effects like diarrhea or stomach upset since he will always have a luxating patella and be predisposed to developing arthritis. If your veterinarian recommended starting a supplement it would be best to see how long they would want Rascal to be taking the supplement since they know his individual case best.

Glucosamine! Without knowing how much of the food you are feeding each dog, it would be hard to tell how much they are getting, however, 750-1500mg of glucosamine daily is the typical dosage (depending on your dog's weight) so if you are feeding around 2 cups of food to each daily it should be enough without an extra supplement- however, if the dogs still seem painful or sore, it is always a good idea to check with your vet and see if they'd benefit from other supplements in addition to their food. I'm not sure what linetos acid is. Are you thinking of linoleic acid? If so, that is an omega-6 fatty acid which can be helpful with joint inflammation and other inflammatory processes of the body. omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are common in joint and other senior dog supplements as a way to help improve overall health.