# Glucosamine



## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi guys,

Any recommendation for brands of glucosamine to feed your furbies?? Can they take human grade ones like those from kirkland, GNC etc.? 

How many mg do they need for regular maintenance?


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Human grade is fine but get either glucosamine hydrochloride (HCL) or the vegetarian type. DO NOT get glucosamine sulphate this is not absorbed by dogs.

Dosage will depend on strength you get and weight of dog. Plenty of helpful threads on here.


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## siulongluiy (Apr 25, 2012)

I am on the same page as Taylorsmum. I have Oatmeal on human grade ones =)

A lot cheaper and works the same. I just have to sandwich the pill between treats and then give him another chaser treat so he doesn't spit the pill back out! 

Amazing how he can JUSTTT spit the pill out =P


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

How do they know, Taylor does the same spits the tablet out and eats the treat. Have now got a new type of treat for him that he only gets with tablet which is working.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

I use Glycoflex 1.


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## siulongluiy (Apr 25, 2012)

Taylorsmom,

I find that I have to show him that he has another treat coming and he will quickly swallow the sandwiched pill with no thought so that he can have his second one =P

That seems to be working for me. Haven't had to 're-sandwich' in a while =)


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

siulongluiy said:


> Taylorsmom,
> 
> I find that I have to show him that he has another treat coming and he will quickly swallow the sandwiched pill with no thought so that he can have his second one =P
> 
> That seems to be working for me. Haven't had to 're-sandwich' in a while =)



^^^ we do this with Bear. He takes 11 pills every morning. 8 are fish oil, two glucosamine, and 1 vitamin e. They are shoved into two hot dogs (split into ten segments) and are given rapid fire one after another with a treat chaser at the very end. If I give them fast enough he swallows without thinking. 

Our rule is if he spits them out and eats the treat, he has to take the soggy pills "dry".


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

My two get a daily tablet of Nutramax Dasuquin with MSM with their breakfast.

It was recommended by my Vet Clinic


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

I give my two Goldens the same product as I use which is, _NOW_®_ FOODs Glucosamine_ & _Chondroitin_ given twice a day (which at the end of the day equals 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate along with 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate.)


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

Every study done on people and dogs concludes that glucosamine and chondroitin while safe do absolutely nothing.

Best not to waste your money.

Perna, however, has been shown to help joints.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Rob S. said:


> Every study done on people and dogs concludes that glucosamine and chondroitin while safe do absolutely nothing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I beg to differ. I see a physical difference when he's on these supplements then when he is off them. Without the supplements, his knees are swollen(er) and he is visibly stiffer. 

I have a human friend who takes omega-3's because without he has trouble getting out of bed or moving his body in general, especially his knees.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Both my guys get Glycoflex III. 

Benefit of doggy supplements vs people supplements = doggy supplements come flavored for the dogs. Or generally do. 

My Jacks has bilateral hip dysplasia and possibly something going on with his back.... I was the pleasure of watching him zoom like freight train while following a track (I'm training tracking with him) this morning. After he found the item at the end of the track, I took his tracking harness of and just stood back grinning as he ran and ran as well as my 2 year old with OFA cleared good hips does. 

A lot of that I think is a credit to the muscle build he has (the boy has a lot of muscle and not just his legs), but I imagine having him on a supplement is doing some good as well.


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## Rob S. (Feb 2, 2014)

Brave said:


> I beg to differ. I see a physical difference when he's on these supplements then when he is off them. Without the supplements, his knees are swollen(er) and he is visibly stiffer.
> 
> I have a human friend who takes omega-3's because without he has trouble getting out of bed or moving his body in general, especially his knees.


It is placebo effect, working on you. These two supplements have been studied for decades with great hopes but sadly no benefit.

Many pet owners substitute these supplements for treatments that work and what troubles me is that in many cases the animal suffers pain when it shouldn't.

LEGS Glucosamine Study Sows Little Evidence of Real Benefit | The SkeptVet


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Rob's GRs said:


> I give my two Goldens the same product as I use which is, _NOW_®_ FOODs Glucosamine_ & _Chondroitin_ given twice a day (which at the end of the day equals 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate along with 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate.)


 Rob,

Glucosamine sulphate is not absorbed very well by dogs, the uptake is very low, so although they are getting benefit it is not to the degree that you would get if you changed it to glucosamine hydrochloride(HCL).

Jill


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks guys for the great tips. I've only been giving Lucca fish oil and thought I wanna start him on glucosamine soon. Will check out those that you guys have mentioned here.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

Lucca is gorgeous! Such beautiful color!

There's another reason to give glucosamine, at least to mice and roundworms:

Glucosamine promotes longevity by mimicking low-carb diet, study finds


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi guys,

I was surfing amazon and found this glucosamine which is human grade ones. Is this considered to be sulphate free? 

It says that it contains:
Glucosamine Hydrochloride 1500 mg
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) 1500mg
hyaluronic acid 3.3mg

It also contains a load of other ingredients if you look at the amazon pics. Can doggies actually take all these cos' Ive no idea what these ingredients are. Thanks a bunch!


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Yes this is glucosamine hydrochloride and fine for dogs to take. The other ingredient you mention methylsulfonmythlene it is a naturally occurring sulphate and is found in many foods and even the atmosphere as well as in the human skin. Hope this helps.


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi Taylorsmum,

Thanks very much for the info. However the human grade glucosamine usually contains a lot more other ingredients such as those below:

Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Magnesium Trisilicate, Cellulose, Coating (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Modified Corn Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Polyethylene Glycol, Magnesium Trisilicate, Glycerin, Dextrin, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Polydextrose, Triacetin, Carmine Color and Gelatin), Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Silicon Dioxide and Magnesium Stearate.
Glucosamine Hydrochloride, MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane).

Are the other random ingredients ok for dogs to take? I tried to make a comparison with other dog-grade ones such as glycoflex etc. but don't seem to see those ingredients which are found in the human-grade ones. 

So sorry for the many questions. Trying to weigh out the pros and cons between getting a dog-grade one or human-grade one.


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Luccagr

As a general rule of thumb (here in the uk and I would assume in the states) the higher on the list an ingredient is the more the finished article contains. The two ingredients last on your list are the ones that are the only ones of benefit to you or your dog.

The rest are mostly fillers and lubricants

Hydroxypropyl cellulose, also commonly known as hydroxypropyl methycellulose (HPMC) is a coating agent and film-former used as an inactive ingredient in the pharmaceutical industry. It has also been used as a rate-controlling polymer for sustained-release dose forms

Magnesium trisilicate mixture contains three active ingredients, magnesium trisilicate, magnesium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate (also called sodium bicarbonate). These are called antacids and are commonly used in a variety of indigestion 

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a naturally occurring mineral used as a bright white pigment for paint, in the food industry as a colouring, in sunscreens and cosmetics and in other industrial uses. After processing, it is exists as white, powdery solid

Dextrin glucose polymer formed by the hydrolysis of starch. It is used in a number of pharmaceutic products Dextrose is a simple sugar

Glycerol is yet another simple (sugar alcohol) compound. It is a colourless, odourless liquid widely used in pharmaceutical formulation. Glycerol is sweet-tasting and generally considered non-toxic

Sodium citrate draws water into the bowel and softens stools. Obviously not in the amounts we are talking about here.

polydextrose is a sugar subsititurte . Assigned an E number of E1200 .

Triacetin (C9H14O6), also known as glyceryl triacetate, is pharmaceutical excipient used in manufacturing of capsules and tablets, and has been used as a humectant, plasticizer, and solvent. It is a liquid, and has been approved by the FDA as a food additive.

Carmine is a pigment of a bright-red colour obtained from the aluminium salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some insects,. Carmine is routinely added to food products such as yogurt and certain brands of juice

Silicon dioxide is found in higher amounts in plant-based foods. The SiO2 content is remarkably high in cereals. SiO2 is comparatively less in foods that are derived from animal sources.

magnesium stearate as a binding and emulsifying component possesses lubricating properties and is the most frequently used as LUBRICANT In pharmaceutical industries.
[B]This means its added for the ease of the producer[/B] 


MSM is a chemical in animals, humans, and many plants. People use it most often to try to treat arthritis 
MSM can be produced in a lab, where it is sometimes combined with other vitamins and supplements glucosamine or chondroitin.

I wouldn't take this particular version nor would I give it to my dog, there are far too many fillers and variables and what appears little of the active ingredient. In addition I object to the magnesium stearate being used and the volume of sugars hiding under other names.


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks Taylorsmum. This is very good info. Helps me loads in making the decision.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

Luccagr, if you decide to get glucosamine supplements for your dog, it is cheaper on Amazon, depending on what kind you use. We used to get Glyco-flex from the vet's(only place available), but found it was 3x cheaper online.


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks Eclipse. I haven't decided which brand to buy but I might just end up buying glycoflex since the reviews are good. It's so difficult to choose a human-grade one that is suitable for them.


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## Luccagr (Feb 25, 2011)

Cosequin Joint Supplement for Dogs Tablets - Walmart.com

Is this the cosequin to feed dogs? Realised that walmart sells them.


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## Jtesk (Nov 28, 2014)

Thanks for the information.


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