Do guinea pigs need glucosamine supplements to prevent joint pain?

As they are herbivores, I don't recommend trying cod liver oil, their system may not be able to handle it. Flax seed oil has been given to guinea pigs by some caretakers for flaky skin, but I don't know if there are any benefits for protecting their joint health. Providing an optimal diet is probably the best way to protect her health. I would ask your veterinarian about the best supplements to use for any health concerns.

Thanks for your question about Theo and Leo. I was not sure if your question was asking about keeping the bones strong or helping with the joints, so I’ll try to speak to both. For the bones, the most important nutrient to keep them strong will be calcium. Thankfully, you won’t need to supplement anything in the diet to ensure that calcium levels are adequate, as long as you are feeding a high quality grass hay (and they are eating it, of course). If it is the joints that you are concerned about, due to the potential for arthritis after a bone heals in a suboptimal fashion, then you’ll have a few options. A supplement that you can use is the Oxbow joint supplement- it is a tablet that guinea pigs can eat on a daily basis. Other medications, such as anti-inflammatories and other pain relievers, would require a veterinary visit to see if they are needed. Please don’t give the guinea pigs any human medications at home, as many of these are harmful to our furry friends. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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.

Guinea pigs can handle large doses of Vitamin C usually without issue. It is a water soluble vitamin so excess will be excreted in the urine. The only time it could cause an issue is if he has an underlying kidney problem or you are giving extreme, massive doses. What we recommend is 50mg per day of Vitamin C. Try not to go crazy with the supplementation and he will be fine.. Good question and thank you for asking. You need to be very careful where you get your information from over the internet so don't believe everything you read. Always ask a veterinary professional if you have questions about your animals.

I recommend the following supplement, depending on your guinea pig's size you should give her between 1/2-1 tab: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/oxbow-vitamin-c-supplement-42-oz-5022783--1

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.