Glucosamine

Does glucosamine really help large/giant breeds dogs and joint issues?

If they have a joint problem and they're getting the right dose, then yes, usually.

I have been told that all large/giant breeds should be given glucosamine to prevent joint problems. I'm not sure if they are trying to hassle more money out of me or if it's true.

I've actually been questioning that myself lately. Gavroche gets glucosamine and fish oil every day because I know his hips aren't the greatest. I don't know if I'll be giving Logan glocosamine, because I've heard that it's pointless if the dog doesn't already have a problem. So maybe someone can answer that for us

It's helped my daughter's Lab .

My personal thought is to save it till they are older. I have no idea of the body gets used to the glucosamine helping it or not. But as the body adapts to many common drugs...

It definitely helps. Two of my dogs are on Triple Max and the one who was limping a lot is has walked so much better ever since being on it.

Oh it helps a ton. My parents give it to their 11 year old Bouvier and you can see the difference. He walks better and is in not as much pain. They also gave it to their Scottish terrier who hurt his leg as a pup and the vet said if it does not get better they would have to do surgery, well we started giving it to him as well and it worked wonders.

It DOES definitely help if there is already a problem. The big question is, does it prevent problems in the future in a dog that is healthy now? Anybody know of a study?

It can help.. a little..but there are many studies for dogs and humans alike that indicate that it may help and may not..unfortunately conflicting. My doctor gave me some for my bad knee a while back and i stopped taking it because i didn't notice any change in how my knee felt. I guess it might be different for everyone though. Might be different for dogs..Im not sure.

prevent problems? no, probably not. but i wonder how many dogs do have arthritic changes to their joints that would be helped by glucosamine even though they're not outwardly showing symptoms. if you wait until there is visible limping/stiffness, there's already some amount of damage done.

perhaps elegy... but my understanding is that glucosamine is supposed to increase the viscosity of and/or amount of synovial fluid in the joints.

Thinking of how the body (canine, equine and human lol) respond to drugs, isn't it a potential worry that the body would come to rely on the 'help' from glucosamine? Then when the dog does get joint issues its not effective, but you also can't take the dog off of it with out making it worse..

As for waiting till your dog is stiff... I don't plan to wait till Dekka shows signs of stiffness per se, but waiting for signs that her performance is different (lmao like hitting contacts regularly out of no where) Not jumping the same, changes in the weaves, not wanting to run up my leg and into my arms, not haring after Sport to put him in his place for having the nerve to look at a ball...