My dog has weak back legs and hip problems. Can glucosamine help?

I am so sorry to hear this. I would make sure she is on a joint supplement - I like dasuquin or flexadin. I would also look into the orthodog hip hound brace. I have had some of my geriatric patients who this has help tremendously with getting up. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on everyone. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not she needs a daily anti-inflammatory to help keep her comfortable. Finally, if you can find a vet in your area who specializes in acupuncture and Chinese herbs, this can be a tremendous help to increase the STRENGTH and decrease pain in an arthritic dog. I hope this helps!

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.

Dasuquin with MSM and Cosequin DS Plus MSM (both by Nutramax Labs) are excellent products. I prefer these because it is the same company that makes the human product, Cosamin, and one of the few companies that submits its products for outside testing to verify ingredients. The GlycoFlex line of products would also be one to consider. These are my own personal recommendations.

Arthritis is definitely a possibility. You could start him on a joint supplement, like Dasuquin and see if that helps. Your vet could also take an x-ray to evaluate for arthritis and then start him on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like Deramaxx, Previcox, Rimadyl, etc. NSAIDs help relieve the discomfort associated with arthritis.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Shaking in the morning does sound like arthritis, and this is likely the cause, however it is a good idea to get him checked out by a vet to see if there are any other problems. Treatment for arthritis is multifocal. Glucosamine can help, just make sure you get the one that is Glucosamine HCl (not Glucosamine Sulphate used for humans, they will pee this out unchanged). You can also talk to your vet about pentosan injections, as well as a change in diet. Hill's has a food called "J/D" that is good for joints and has supplements built in. Keeping the muscle mass up without excessive stress on the joints is very helpful, and swimming is great for this. Also, if Paulie is overweight, a diet will be the most helpful treatment. Best of luck with Paulie! I hope he feels better soon!

First I would recommend to have Cloud examined by her veterinarian. Cloud is old enough that she may start to exhibit the beginning signs of hip dysplasia or other growth abnormality. Large and giant breed dogs are prone to the issues and the issues are best addressed while the pet is very young to avoid permanent changes to the body. The veterinarian will need radiographs to look at the joints and determine what to do next. At home you can give her supplements. Start giving an omega 3 fatty acid (Nutramax makes a nice product) can help with natural inflammation control. Make sure to get one meant for pets. Go ahead and start her on a joint supplement. Dasuquin is a good product for the joints. It will help to keep the inflammation in the joints lower and this will decrease pain. If you are interested in a diet change, Royal Canin makes a diet called Mobility Support which has green lipped muscle as an ingredient and pets tend to do very well in it. You cannot use this though until Cloud is adult sized as it is not formulated to support growth of puppies. I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

If supplements alone haven't helped, it may be time to add in a pain medication or other joint medications to help relieve Halo's discomfort. Unfortunately, these do require a trip to the vet in order to be prescribed, but it's a good idea to schedule a vet visit anyway to monitor Halo's joint health and any progression of disease. Your vet may recommend regular bloodwork and X-rays to watch the hips for any additional deterioration so that medications and joint supplements can be adjusted as needed. Changing supplement types in addition to this, such as adding in fish oil and vitamin E, Green-Lipped mussel, or another glucosamine/chondroitin combo may also help, however, consulting with your vet first to make sure there is no interaction with other medications is best.