Veterinarians often recommend glucosamine for dogs, particularly those experiencing stiffness or pain due to arthritis. While commercial supplements like Cosequin and Dasuquin are available, natural sources of glucosamine exist that are both cost-effective and palatable for dogs.
Glucosamine is a compound derived from glutamine (an amino acid) and glucose (a sugar). It is naturally produced by a dog’s body and plays a crucial role in the formation of cartilage in their joints. As dogs age, their bodies produce less glucosamine, leading to joint stiffness and a loss of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. Supplementing with glucosamine can help maintain their mobility.
Feeding your dog certain foods can provide natural glucosamine, which is essential for their joint health. Beef trachea, for instance, is mostly cartilage and contains about 5% glucosamine. A 1 oz piece of trachea can supply your dog with over 1400 mg of glucosamine. Similarly, one chicken foot contains approximately 400 mg of glucosamine.
Natural Glucosamine Sources: The advantage of providing glucosamine from natural sources is their high bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the amount of a nutrient that is digested and delivered to the cells that utilize it. Unlike glucosamine supplements, which are not fully absorbed by dogs, natural sources allow for quick absorption, enabling the dog’s body to use the glucosamine immediately. This is because the body recognizes it as food and knows how to process it, requiring less natural glucosamine to be effective compared to synthetic supplements. Researcher Sally Perea, in her paper ‘Nutritional management of osteoarthritis,’ published in the journal Compendium: Continuing Education for Veterinarians, stated that diet additives such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, antioxidants, and green-lipped mussel may have benefits in managing osteoarthritis. Green Lipped Mussels: These mussels contain high levels of glucosamine and have been proven to reduce arthritis symptoms in dogs. A 2007 study at the University of Helsinki found that dogs showed a beneficial clinical response to treating OA-induced pain and locomotion difficulties with GLM. Green lipped mussels are rich in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, which are commonly found in arthritis supplements but are naturally present in these mussels. Green lipped mussels are from New Zealand and are not easily found fresh. However, you can purchase green lipped mussel oil or powder supplements for dogs. Ensure that the product is cold extracted or freeze dried, as heat can destroy nutrients. If you buy a powder, make sure it still contains the oil, as some manufacturers separate and sell it. Look for a powder with at least 6% fatty acids. For a 50 lb dog, administer 800 mg of green lipped mussel powder per day, or 50 mg of oil per day. Alternatively, follow the dosing instructions provided on the packaging. If you purchase a product intended for humans, adjust the dosage for your dog’s weight, assuming it is for a 150 lb person.These supplements are the most effective way to give your dog green lipped mussels. You can also buy freeze dried green lipped mussel treats and give 2 mussels for every 10 lbs of body weight per day.
Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM) is the natural thin membrane on the inside of an eggshell. Eggshell membrane contains naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans that help maintain cartilage and synovial fluid protecting your dog’s joints. NEM is an amazing supplement for dogs with arthritis. It can help reduce pain and improve joint function. Research in humans has shown excellent results in managing joint pain and stiffness. Now there’s research showing proven benefits in dogs too. A 6-week trial on 51 dogs found a 23.6% improvement in pain compared to placebo and a 26.8% quality of life improvement. The study also measured changes in serum levels of cartilage degradation biomarker CTX-II, showing a 47.9% improvement. Make sure the eggshell membrane you buy carries the NEM registered trademark. Give your dog 60mg per 10 lbs of body weight a day. Note: If you feel like a labor-intensive project, you can peel eggshell membrane off the inside of an eggshell yourself. But a supplement is a much easier way to give your dog NEM. What Foods Are High In Glucosamine? These foods are delicious for your dog and good sources of glucosamine for dogs. Trachea is made up of cartilage, rich in glucosamine and chondroitin. Beef trachea is the easiest to find, but some raw dog food suppliers have lamb, goat or ostrich trachea. In fact, Adequan, an injectable joint medication your vet may suggest, comes from beef trachea. It’s a semi-synthetic glycosaminoglycan made by extracting glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) from bovine tracheal cartilage. So you can cut out the middle man (and the expense) and just feed your dog trachea! And because it’s food, his body will “recognize” the nutrients and absorb them easily. Most dogs will enjoy chewing on whole raw trachea or you can give them dehydrated as a crunchy joint support treat. Chicken feet are loaded with naturally occurring glucosamine for dogs. They make a delicious crunchy snack or can be part of your dog’s meal. Some dogs like eating them still frozen. Don’t worry about the toenails – they’ll go down fine! You can also feed other poultry feet such as duck, turkey, goose or guinea fowl. Oxtails or pig tails are made up of cartilage surrounded by some meat. Cartilage is 5% glucosamine. So oxtails (beef) or pig tails are another good way to give your dog a healthy meal with plenty of glucosamine for dogs. Beef knuckle bones have lots of cartilage and dogs love gnawing on these big bones. A good knuckle bone can provide hours of entertainment and it’s a valuable source of glucosamine for dogs. Shellfish shells contain glucosamine for dogs too. As mentioned earlier, many laboratory-made supplements contain glucosamine extracted from shellfish.Feeding your dog glucosamine can help prevent mobility problems as she ages. One natural source of glucosamine is shellfish shells. You can feed your dog wild shrimp with the shells on, or make a glucosamine-rich broth by simmering shellfish shells in water for a few hours.
Another way to provide natural glucosamine is by making bone broth. This gelatinous broth, which requires simmering for around 24 hours, is loaded with glucosamine and other joint-supporting nutrients. It offers numerous health benefits for your dog. Glucosamine is a good supplement for your dog’s joint health. Studies show that even synthetic glucosamine has very few side effects, with some dogs experiencing mild digestive upset. There are many natural alternatives to synthetic supplements or NSAIDs for providing glucosamine to your dog, helping to keep her mobile and pain-free. References: – Reginster JY, Neuprez A et al. Role of glucosamine in the treatment for osteoarthritis. Rheumatol Int. 2012;32(10):2959-2967. – Qian S, Zhang Q et al. Bioavailability enhancement of glucosamine hydrochloride by chitosan. Int J Pharm. 2013 Oct 15;455(1-2):365-73. – Perea S. Nutritional management of osteoarthritis. Compend Contin Educ Vet. 2012 May;34(5):E4. PMID: 22581724. – Hielm-Björkman et al. Evaluating Complementary Therapies for Canine Osteoarthritis Part I: Green-lipped Mussel (Perna canaliculus). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009;6(3):365-373. – Ruff KJ, DeVore DP et al. Eggshell membrane: a possible new natural therapeutic for joint and connective tissue disorders. Results from two open-label human clinical studies. Clin Interv Aging. 2009;4:235-240. – Ruff KJ, et al. Effectiveness of NEM brand eggshell membrane in the treatment of suboptimal joint function in dogs: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Vet Med (Auckl). 2016;7:113-121. Published 2016 Aug 18. – Nicola Volpi, Patrizia Tarugi. The protective effect on Cu2+- and AAPH-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins depends on glycosaminoglycan structure. Biochimie, Volume 81, Issue 10, 1999. – Tri Dewanti Widyaningsih, Widya Dwi Rukm et al. Extraction of Glycosaminoglycans Containing Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate from Chicken Claw Cartilage. Research Journal of Life Science. December 2016 Vol 03 no 03.
