# Joint supplements for puppies?



## Jeff Kuchel (Sep 29, 2012)

Hi my name is Jeff Kuchel and I'm new to the fourm. I am wondering if a person should use joint supplements for puppies? Do anyone use any type of a supplements for anything for puppies? It is going to be a Dockdog and do some other types of sports. I was just wondering because I don't want to do anything wrong towards my puppy. Thank you for your help. :grin:


----------



## Faisal Khan (Apr 16, 2009)

There are many schools of thought on this matter. Some live by supplements some don't. In my opinion joint health is genetic and supplements are a scam to lighten up your pockets. To back this up, I have 2 dogs that are fed a balanced diet with ZERO supplements, both have top notch hips and elbows, both take part in high impact activities on a very regular basis.


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jeff Kuchel said:


> Hi my name is Jeff Kuchel and I'm new to the fourm. I am wondering if a person should use joint supplements for puppies? Do anyone use any type of a supplements for anything for puppies? It is going to be a Dockdog and do some other types of sports. I was just wondering because I don't want to do anything wrong towards my puppy. Thank you for your help. :grin:


Jeff, please post an intro/bio.  Thanks. http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/vBulletin/f20/

I have never read anything that convinced me that joint supplements that may help a dog with something like OA changes can do anything for healthy puppies. JMO!

However, long-chain Omega 3s, which are hard to come by in modern slaughter meats, whether raw or in kibble or cans, are something else, and you might want to read up on fish oil here. (_Omega_ is probably a good "advanced" search term; and you might choose this forum [Diet and Health] for your search.) 

Welcome!


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Jeff,

I've raised all my puppies on Vit C/Ester C and Vit E. Ran across something recently stating that joint supplements such as glucosamine, etc. could cause faster growth which is undesirable in puppies. My rule of thumb is no impact activities until growth plates have closed.

T


----------



## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

I have always given my dogs Ester-C..from little puppies to seniors...I have read good info on it's joint and bone health benefits.


----------



## Larry Krohn (Nov 18, 2010)

Jeff Kuchel said:


> Hi my name is Jeff Kuchel and I'm new to the fourm. I am wondering if a person should use joint supplements for puppies? Do anyone use any type of a supplements for anything for puppies? It is going to be a Dockdog and do some other types of sports. I was just wondering because I don't want to do anything wrong towards my puppy. Thank you for your help. :grin:


 
I've had very good results with Steadfast Canine, but for my adult Rotty. He limps at night if I throw a ball for 5 minutes with him. On the Steadfast all the limping stopped even after working for extended periods of time. When he was on 100% raw he also did not have any lameness at all no matter how much activity. I don't think I would supplement a puppy though.


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Skip Morgart said:


> I have always given my dogs Ester-C..from little puppies to seniors...I have read good info on it's joint and bone health benefits.



 I should refine what I said about supplements that may help a dog with something like OA changes being (as far as I know) unsubstantiated as doing anything for healthy puppies ..... I meant the GAG (glycosaminoglycan) precursors and GAGs (MSM, Adequan, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, etc.).

These were what I was assuming was meant by "joint supplements."


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

These were what I was assuming was meant by "joint supplements."[/QUOTE said:


> That's basically what I was saying, also.
> 
> T


----------



## Louise Jollyman (Jun 2, 2009)

I use http://www.k9power.com/k9-puppy-gold.html with all my puppies and at about 6 months I stop feeding that and start with a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement which they stay on while they are active in sport.


----------



## Rachael Lincoln (Jun 18, 2012)

IMO I don't supplement unless there is a specific reason to such as illness, injury, etc. If you feed a quality diet you shouldn't need to supplement. Supplements can do more damage than good. It is easy to mess up the nutritional balance of your food by adding supps. For example, it is very easy to cause calcium deficiencies from adding calcium.


----------



## James Kotary (Nov 14, 2012)

Hi Jeff,
If you feed a premium food most times they have glucosamine and chondroitin already in them. I use Nutro Natural Choice and would recommend a large breed puppy formula. It is all natural, made in Nutro's own American facilities and held to the highest safety regulations. You can look it up at Nutro.com. As for supplements I hear that what they do not absorb into their system is passed through the kidneys and out it goes. But why pay extra for supplements when you can get it in what you feed the daily?


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

I've been wondering how this was going to pan out. This is marketing. As for the glucosamine/chondroitin, at what therapeutic levels. How many miligrams per cup and is it added before or after cooking at high temperatures


----------



## Craig Snyder (May 7, 2012)

Jeff..

Isn't it great when you get such consensus on a question! #-o

Makes your decision forward sooooo much easier!! ](*,)

One of those subjects that you'll probably get a different answer from everyone you ask!

Craig


----------



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

If the puppy is well bred, why would you need it? A quality DIET works for man and beast...:-k


----------



## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

Rachael Lincoln said:


> IMO I don't supplement unless there is a specific reason to such as illness, injury, etc. If you feed a quality diet you shouldn't need to supplement. Supplements can do more damage than good. It is easy to mess up the nutritional balance of your food by adding supps. For example, it is very easy to cause calcium deficiencies from adding calcium.


I agree Rachel. We always want more, one pill, okay I'll take two! Way of thinking! Good diet most importantly .......


----------



## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Jeff, even tho you didn't mention what breed, i would say the short answer is No 
there are much more important issues to be concerned with regarding puppy growth than whether or not supplements are required

but since this subject does interest me, here's more food for thought ......

imo, lots of supps are probably added to dog food because they have already been promoted and accepted as good for the humans who buy the product ...maybe that's also why they are listed in big letters but added in micro amounts, but who knows for sure 

- from my own research, there have been no definitive studies that determine the effect of Gluco.... and Chon.... in canines ... no max/mins; nada

** for the Nutro guy : as a nutritionist, what specific studies has Nutro done to determine the selection and amounts of supplements they add in their premium food ? are they available for a concerned consumer to read ?

- and anyone correct me if i'm wrong, but don't canines, unlike humans, produce their own Vit C ??

- what's needed and good for humans doesn't always apply to canines straight across the board 

- look at some of the premium" brands and you will see all sorts of rare herbs that are only found in human health food stores that are extremely rare in nature and certainly not available for all canines. herbs are the natural medicines of the plant world and potent, in both good and bad ways. do you really believe those companies have conducted careful studies that determined those herbs were beneficial to canines in the amounts they add ? i have personally written to two well known manufacturers and neither could provide any data

- for me it's simple :
- if your dog eats anything near a proper diet, and ANY responsible owner should know those requirements, than supps are mostly a money drain unless you can refer to clear cut definitive CANINE studies that confirm their effectiveness or necessity ... for DOGS
- i realize sometimes people consider supplements as "insurance" rather than necessity. to me better insurance is a wholesome diet in a proper amount with lots of exercise and mental stimulation

- and i agree about how would an uneducated dog owner (not an experienced canine nutritionist) know the correct amounts and ratios once they start playing around with supplements ??

...not to mention that dogs haven't taken supps for many thousands of years and have evolved just fine without human intervention. has the invention of dog food brought about more healthier canines ? i don't see that either, but i sure see lots more overweight dogs nowadays than i did 30 years ago. and that includes senior dogs on special "senior" diets, that are still fat pigs and grossly overweight 

- last but not least, what somebody else has fed THEIR dog should never be sufficient reason to copy it with yours, imo 

probably more than you care to read but it only takes about a minute and a half, if you read slow


----------



## James Kotary (Nov 14, 2012)

rick smith said:


> Jeff, even tho you didn't mention what breed, i would say the short answer is No
> there are much more important issues to be concerned with regarding puppy growth than whether or not supplements are required
> 
> but since this subject does interest me, here's more food for thought ......
> ...


 
Hi Rick,
Great question! Nutro does extensive research through the Waltham Pet Food Research Center. They would never add an ingredient that does not have some benefit for our pets or add one that would do any harm. I am currently seeing if it is OK for me to post the direct link to the research because I do not know if I have the permission to. But you can go to Waltham.com and search for the link by entering "joint" in the search box. But when I know if I can personally paste the link I will do so.


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Yes, it's fine to provide links to research.

http://www.waltham.com/document/nutrition/dog/dog-joint-health/265/







ETA
What we are careful not to do is link to other forums. We also don't copy and paste text without providing a citation and a link. Thank you!


----------



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Connie...there's other forums out there? :-k](*,)


----------



## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Well, I know from experience that Vit C, Gluc/Chon/MSM and other supplements benefit dogs and other animals. 

T


----------

