How much glucosamine should I give my large dog for joint health?

There are many different recommended doses for glucosamine/chondroitin, but most veterinarians recommend between 15-30 mg/kg of the chondroitin component as a starting dose. This would be up to 327 mg, so you might want to give just one capsule per day. It should be fine to give with fish oil, although both supplements can potentially cause diarrhea so if you see any diarrhea you may want to ask your veterinarian about decreasing the dose or giving the supplements at different times.

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.

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.

I don't think that your pup will stop making glucosamine naturally if she were on a supplement. However, I do not typically start such young dogs on this type of supplementation unless they have been diagnosed with a cartilage disorder. An appropriately balanced commercial dog food for large breed dogs will have a great balance of minerals, nutrients, and protein to support her musculoskeletal system. I also agree that the efficacy of glucosamine supplements is a bit iffy. I have seen much better results in dogs with arthritis or other joint issues with Adequan injections.

That greatly depends on the concentration of the product you're using. Most bottles should have a recommended dosage on the side of them for your pet's weight. You can start there, and adjust as needed depending on how Ember reacts. Generally, you'll start with a loading dose that is higher than the daily dose for 1-2 weeks, and then reduce down to the recommended dose after that. (This is generally around 1500mg glucosamine for the loading dose, and then dropping down to 1000/500mg depending on how they are doing). What you are offering are already the big three, though some joint supplements also contain MSM and Green-lipped mussel which may also help with joint pain and inflammation when used together with glucosamine/chondroitin.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is a great question! I think the ones that are specifically designed for dogs are way more complete. I would recommend you consider Cosequin or Dasuquin as both cover all the joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin that are great for joint health. Both of these are over the counter. You are usually able to see a marked improvement within weeks to a few months. Best of luck!