Can my Malamute puppy start Glycoflex now to prevent hip issues?

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.

If he is eating a good quality large breed puppy food, he should not need vitamin supplementation. If you want to give him one, you can't go wrong with Pet Tabs ( https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/pet-tabs.aspx ). A joint supplement, such as Cosequin ( https://www.cosequin.com/ ) or Dasuquin ( https://www.dasuquin.com/en/products/ ), can also be started. Additionally, keep Brandy lean and active.

Hello. Joint supplements are designed to aid in the inhibition of the degenerative enzymes that break down the cartilage in joints, therefore they are chondroprotective. If the old pelvic fracture did not actually involve the joint, & most specifically the coxofemoral joint (hip), then joint supplements will not help in this situation. But joint supplements may be beneficial to all the other moving joints in the body, so knees, elbows, hips & hocks can be helped. In general, for the bigger dogs, like Husky's, I think starting a joint supplement around 7 years of age is ideal, unless radiographic signs of arthritis, or pain in the joint begin earlier. Hope this helps. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Halo and your other dog are on a good quality, balanced diet there is no benefit to giving calcium. I'm assuming you mean that they are already on a glucosamine supplement. Glucosamine supplements vary in quality so make sure they are on a quality veterinary product like Dasuquin. Adding in an omega-3 supplement may also be helpful. Nordic Naturals pet products offers a good omega-3 supplement for pets. Finally, it would be a good idea to ask your veterinarian about Adequan injections. These injections can be very helpful managing hip dysplasia and are very safe!

You will need to take her to the vet to get it checked first, the vet will identify the problem, if it is quite severe she will need anti inflamatories/pain killers, probably permanently- these pain killer are specific to dogs and prescription only.

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 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.