Supplements With Glucosamine

Glucosamine may help ease an older or arthritic dog's joint discomfort.dog image by Ramona smiers from Fotolia.com

All dogs are born with the ability to produce a certain amount of glucosamine, a natural compound that is generated in healthy cartilage. With normal aging, however, Fido may not be able to produce enough of it to keep leaping, running and playing with his usual gusto. When your veterinarian suggests that glucosamine may be able to ease your dog's joint discomfort and increase his flexibility, you will find that glucosamine supplements are available in many forms.

Liquid Glucosamine

Liquid glucosamine is easy for dogs to swallow. It works quickly because it is absorbed as soon as it enters the stomach of your dog. Liquid supplements have another advantage. You may pour liquids directly into your dog's food. However, the liquid form of glucosamine is the most expensive.

Glucosamine pills for dogs are affordable. They might also make sense to you because you are probably used to taking your own supplements in pill form. However, because fillers or buffers are often added to pills to create capsules or coatings, they may not be absorbed very easily. It also takes a significant amount of time for pills to get circulated into your dog's system.

Glucosamine is available as an extra ingredient in specialized dog food products, including treats. You may figure that it is easier to add a supplement when it is already included in your dog's daily food supply or in treats that you pass out for rewards. The problem with this delivery system is that the dosage is less than that of liquids or pills. Your dog may get too little glucosamine in his daily food supply, or he could get too many extra calories on big treat days.

If you already give your dog a daily vitamin, you might want to find one that contains glucosamine. This might be a good choice if the added dosage is the same amount that your dog needs to get moving the way he should. As with this and all dosages, the size of your dog and the veterinarian's recommended daily amount of supplemental glucosamine is an important guideline.