Wondering what the best joint supplements for dogs are?
Is your pooch having joint pains? Is it finding it hard to get up or even shying away from using the stairs?
If yes, then it’s time to get joint supplements. This article gives you a review of some of the best available.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. Please consult your vet for more supplement-related information.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons.
10 Best Joint Supplements for Dogs
Doggie Dailies Glucosamine for Dogs
This chicken-flavored supplement is designed to support healthy joints, retain mobility, and promote optimal health with its mix of vitamins, minerals, and other powerful ingredients.
Key Ingredients
The main ingredients are glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Yucca Schidigera, Co-Enzyme Q10, and Hyaluronic acid.
Pros
- Suitable for all breeds and sizes
- Quickly consumable soft chew tablets.
- Ingredients are safe for better skin and coat health.
Cons
- Available in a single flavor
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Contains a blend of vitamins, micronutrients, and minerals to promote overall joint health. -Has Hyaluronic acid that aids in joint capsule lubrication -Added with CoQ10, a powerful antioxidant. | -Dogs of all breeds and sizes | $34 |
All-Natural Hip & Joint Supplement for Dogs
It is 100% natural. Beef liver-flavored joint support supplement adds turmeric in its formulation to help ease inflammation while still promoting safe cartilage repair.
Key Ingredients
The active ingredients are Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, and Turmeric.
Pros
- Has no additives or preservatives
- Made with human-quality ingredients that help relieve joint pain and inflammation
- It helps to relieve arthritis pain
Cons
Available in one flavor only- Beef liver
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Has glucosamine and chondroitin for improving mobility and flexibility -Safe made with human-quality ingredients -Contains turmeric to curb inflammation | Adult dogs of all breeds | $24 |
Zesty Paws Glucosamine for Dogs
Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing your fur baby in pain. That’s why this supplement is designed to promote your dog’s overall joint health, inclusive of cartilage and supportive tissues with glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin Sulfate.
Key Ingredients
Glucosamine HCL, MSM, Flaxseed, Vitamin C, Chondroitin sulfate, and Yucca Schidigera extract are the active ingredients.
Pros
- No additives
- Easily chewable and digestible
- Good for curbing hip dysplasia
Cons
- It’s costly
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Has MSM for muscle health-Provides chondroitin sulfate for cartilage, tissue, and joint health support-Contains glucosamine and chondroitin for hip and joint support. | -All dog breeds | $63.97 |
Cosequin Minis Soft Chews Best for small dogs
It is made up of moist and delicious soft chews specially designed with ingredients that provide superior joint support to small dogs of any age. It contains Omega -3 fatty acids which are beneficial to the skin and coat.
Key Ingredients
The active ingredients are Glucosamine hydrochloride, Methylsulfonylmethane(MSM), Sodium chondroitin sulfate, and Omega-3.
Pros
- Fit for small breed dogs of any age
- Available in a variety of sizes
- Made by a reputable brand
Cons
- Contains artificial flavorings
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Has chondroitin, glucosamine, and MSM help improve mobility and stiffness issues. -Contains Omega-3 for skin and health coat -Quality guaranteed as it’s vet-approved | Small breed dogs | 25.98 |
Liquid Health Pets Original K9 Glucosamine Dog Supplement
Need to keep your furry friend’s joints resilient and flexible? Then, this liquid supplement got your back. It’s formulated with an ultra-purified and distilled blend of ingredients that help maintain cartilage and joint health and improve mobility.
Key Ingredients
The active ingredients are glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, Manganese Chelate, and Hyaluronic Acid.
Pros
- Suitable for all dogs
- Easy to use liquid form
- Features high-quality ingredients
Cons
- Maybe undesirable for dogs that don’t like liquids in their food
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Safe for dogs with allergies as it is grain-free and additive-free -Contains Hyaluronic acid for joint lubrication and enhance mobility -It’s in a liquid form easy to digest. | -All dogs | $26.24 |
ProSense Advanced Strength for Dogs
This formula is made with a strong joint-supporting blend of glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM that helps protect your dog’s cartilage. It comes with quality assurance and holds the National Animal Supplement Council quality seal.
Key ingredients
Its active ingredients are glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and vitamin C.
Pros
Quality is assured
Suitable for dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages.
Cons
- Not suitable for dogs with allergies
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Has a mix of ingredients that help in joint and cartilage preservation -Specially formulated to address joint issues in senior dogs -Easy to administer with easily chewable tablets | -Senior dogs prone to joint issues | $19.50 |
Nutramax Dasuquin with MSM Soft Chews
This veterinary diet is formulated with MSM helps to maintain joint comfort. Glucosamine and Chondroitin help keep the cartilage structure strong.
Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiable (ASU ) helps support joint health, improves mobility, and helps relieve pain.
Key Ingredients
The active ingredients are Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Avocado/ Soybean Unsaponifiables(ASU), and MSM.
Pros
- Quickly consumable soft chew tablets
- Supports optimal joint health
- Promotes Increased mobility
- Approved and recommended by veterinarians
Cons
- Flavorless hence may be unsuitable for picky dogs
- A bit expensive
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Supports the repair and regeneration of new cartilage -Has quality ingredients to support joint health -Veterinarian recommended quality is assured | Large breed dogs | $76 |
VetriScience Laboratories GlycoFlex PLUS
Veterinarians develop this recipe with chondroitin for dogs to provide advanced joint support. The high-quality clinically validated formula is made with ingredients that help senior, competitive, and working dogs retain comfort and mobility.
Key Ingredients
The active ingredients include Glucosamine Hci, Perna Canaliculus, Chondroitin sulfate, Ascorbic acid, Manganese, DI-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Grape seed extract, L-Glutathione, and Selenium.
Pros
- Increases hind leg strength
- Has Omega fatty acids
- Great for healthy joint support
Cons
- Has high doses of glucosamine
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Has a unique combination of ingredients for advanced joint health -Contains Omega fatty acids to promote skin and coat health -Vet approved; hence quality is guaranteed | -All dogs | $50 |
PetHonesty 10-for-1 Multivitamin with Glucosamine Soft Chews Dog Supplement
Pethonesty’s 10-for-1 Multivitamin soft chews combine a well-balanced mix of vitamins and nutrients for dogs’ optimal health improvement. Your fur baby’s joints, immune system, skin, and digestion will all benefit from regular tasty chews rich in vitamins, minerals, omegas, probiotics, and glucosamine.
Key Ingredients
Glucosamine, probiotics, Omega fatty acids, Vitamin C, Selenium, Manganese, Fiber( pumpkin), Folic acid are the primary ingredients.
Pros
- Supports absorption of essential nutrients
- Keeps dogs in optimal health condition
- Supports a healthy immune system
Cons
- High levels of glucosamine
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Contains a mix of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to support digestive, joint, skin, coat, brain, and immune health -No artificial preservatives, wheat, corn, or soy | Adult dogs of all breeds | $25.99 |
PetHonesty Advanced Hip + Joint Support Soft Chews with MSM Dog Supplement.
Designed to alleviate joint stiffness, promote a healthy inflammatory response, support cartilage and connective tissue growth.
It’s formulated with a mix of ingredients like turmeric, eggshell meal, glucosamine, MSM, Yucca Schidigera, and chondroitin sulfate, offering antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties.
Key Ingredients
These include organic turmeric, Glucosamine, Yucca Schidigera, eggshell meal, MSM, and Chondroitin sulfate.
Pros
- Free from GMOs, wheat, soy, corn, and preservatives
- It has a delicious chicken flavor
Cons
- Available in a single flavor
| Key benefits | Best for | Price range |
| -Contains natural ingredients that support a healthy inflammatory response and alleviates stiffness -Enhances flexibility and mobility with Glucosamine and Chondroitin | Adult dogs of all breeds | $25.99 |
Best Joint Supplements for Dogs: Buyers Guide
About Joint Supplements
Joint supplements help stimulate joint cartilage and relieve joint pain and stiffness.
While they keep joints supple in younger dogs, they can also help alleviate any existing pain in older ones.
The most commonly used active ingredients used in their formulation include glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM.
Why use joint supplements
Alleviate pain and suffering: Like human beings, diseases and injuries cause pain and suffering to dogs. It results in unhappy dogs with reduced playfulness. Joint supplements relieve this pain and suffering.
Improves the quality of life: A dog in pain is unhappy. Lack of exercise makes dogs dull. Supplements can help increase energy levels and improve their mood, enhancing their quality of life.
Enhance overall mobility: Hurting joints make it difficult for dogs to walk around and be disinterested in exercising. The supplements help curb the pains improving mobility.
Benefits of joint supplements
- It contains vitamins and minerals that promote healthy skin and coat
- Increases energy levels and enthusiasm for exercise resulting in a happy dog
- It helps maintain healthy joints for Improved mobility
- Reduces pain and inflammation
- Provides vitamins and nutrients that help strengthen the immune system and improve overall body health
Types of Dog Joint Supplements
The four types of supplements are:
Liquid supplements
These are easily absorbable into the dog’s digestive system easily and quickly. It can either be mixed with the dog’s food or given using a syringe or dropper.
Tablet supplement
These are not easy to absorb as they contain binders that compress active ingredients administered by pushing them to the back of the dog’s mouth.
Powder supplements
They are powder form and can be mixed with food or dissolved in a drink.
Dog chews
These are in dog treats or chews and are meant to trick dogs into eating them.
Understanding Dog Joint Health
Large-breeds: Large breed dogs are prone to diseases like arthritis, hip, and elbow dysplasia due to their large size. Joint supplements can lower the likelihood of these diseases occurring.
Small breeds: Joint pain and inflammation isn’t a preserve of large breed and senior dogs. Like the large breed or senior dogs, small breed pups can also suffer from osteoarthritis. It means that they also need joint supplements to control these.
Senior dogs: As dog’s age, the cartilage weakens and reduces cushion and support to the joints. It makes them prone to age-related diseases and injuries. As such, they will need joint supplements to help curb this.
Read our article on Senior Dog Diet- Why it’s Important for Aging Frenchies
Dogs with malformation and injuries: Malformation in dogs enhances their chances of joint injuries. These injuries subject the dogs to pains. Hence, joint supplements will provide a great way of alleviating this pain.
Causes of Joint pain in dogs
- Diseases; obesity, cancer, arthritis, hyperparathyroidism, and Lyme disease.
- Developmental issues include elbow and hip dysplasia
- Ligament wear, and degeneration resulting from age.
- Metabolic-related diseases.
Common Signs of Joint Pain in Dogs
It can be quite challenging to spot joint pain in dogs. Therefore, as a pet owner, it is necessary to know what to look out for. The following are some of the signs that dogs exhibit when they have joint pain:
- Reluctance/unwillingness to move
- Spinal issues indicated by a sore neck, fragile hind legs, hunched back, or an abnormal stance while walking
- Unusual Irritability and aggression
- Favoring one leg
- Stiffness in joints
- Visible swelling on the joints
- Refusal to climb stairs or jump on things
- Unusual low energy
- Limping
- Sleepiness
- Loss of appetite and depression.
- Licking, chewing, or biting off legs
- Difficulty in standing
Ingredients to Look for in Joint Supplements for Dogs
| Ingredient | benefits |
| Glucosamine Hydrochloride | -Helps to reduce inflammation -Supports healthy joints -Treats bone and joint disorders -improves lubrication in dogs’ joints |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | -Reduces anxiety and depression -Reduces inflammation -Improves immune system -Boosts skin and coat health |
| Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASUs) | -Reduces joint stiffness -Used to treat osteoarthritis -Reduces pain |
| Chondroitin Sulfate | -Prevents bone structure damage -Reduces the rate of cartilage breakdown -Reduces pain and swelling -Treatment of arthritis |
| Cannabidiol | -Reduces arthritis and joint pains -Helps to manage chronic inflammation -Reduces stress and anxiety -Reliefs moderate to severe pain |
| MSM/DMSO | -Repairs cartilaginous tissue -Reduces inflammation -It’s an antioxidant |
| Eggshell membrane | -Has collagen that supports connective tissue strength and elasticity -Supports cartilage and muscle growth -Has elastin that helps tissues resume to standard shape after stretching |
| Green-lipped mussels | -Helps to protect and repair cartilage -Lubricate joints -Reduce inflammation -Helps in relieving pain |
| Boswellia serrata | -Maintains smooth and comfortable joint movement -Prevents damage to the cartilage -Helps maintain the structural integrity of joint cartilage -Reduces inflammation of the joints |
| Curcumin | -It’s an antioxidant -It’s an anti-inflammation -Helps fight arthritis |
| Hyaluronic acid | -Joint lubrication -Strengthens connective tissue -Decreases joint inflammation |
| CoQ10 | -It’s an antioxidant -Helps reduce inflammation -Makes joints more flexible |
| Turmeric | -It’s an anti-inflammatory -Anti-arthritis medicine -It’s an antioxidant |
| Vitamin C | -Improves collagen production -It’s an antioxidant t-Repairs tissue -Prevents cellular damage |
| Vitamin E | -Reduces inflammation -Minimizes the rate of cartilage destruction -Promotes cartilage repair |
| Selenium | -Improves mobility -Helps with cartilage regeneration |
| Elk or deer antler | -Improves dental hygiene -Helps in stress relief |
| Hyper-immune milk factor | -Boosts immunity -Helps build stronger bones and joints |
| Creatine | -Increases muscular strength -Increases energy-Helps build muscle mass-Boosts performance |
| Whey protein | -Supports lean mass gain -Aids muscle recovery -Helps in muscle building |
| Chromium | -Assists in muscle building -Supports proper cartilage functioning |
| Dimethylglycine | -Improves exercise performance -Builds muscles-Acts as an antioxidant -Improves immune function |
Beware of these ingredients:
These ingredients have no nutritional value and are considered fillers. Avoid any supplement that contains them.
Preservatives: These are chemicals added to foods and supplements to prevent them from going bad.
Artificial flavors: These are additives designed to imitate the taste of something natural. They are meant to make supplements and foods tasty but add no value.
Artificial colorings: Added to make supplements more appealing to dogs.
Soy: These are plant-based protein sources but can cause intolerance and allergies.
Grain: Used as a source of energy but can lead to obesity.
Can dogs take human vitamins?
No. It is because some ingredients are safe for humans but toxic for dogs. Additionally, their concentrations and dosages broadly differ.
Choosing Joint Supplement What to Consider?
Palatability: Check out how easy it is to administer to your dog. It should be tasty enough to take daily.
Ingredients: This is of utmost importance. It should contain the right ingredients.
Safety: Check out for adherence to any regulations set by the FDA
Cost: High costs are not reflective of quality, but low prices may lower the quality.
How to evaluate products
- Read the labels: This will give you information on the ingredients and other important information.
- Go for trustworthy brands: This will give assurance on the quality.
- Learn about the product: Get to know more about the ingredients and their effects.
- Go through reviews to identify specific cases which are similar to yours.
Where to buy joint supplements
You can purchase joint supplements from your local pet supply shops or manufacturers. Alternatively, you can order from online distributors like Walmart, Amazon, or Chewy. Some supermarkets also store them.
How We Reviewed
We reviewed various supplements based on how the ingredients get used, customer reviews, certifications, and costs, from which we came up with the ten best supplements available in the market.
Overall Pricing
The joint supplement’s prices vary widely depending on the brand, quality of ingredients used, availability of the materials, packaging, and other things. These range from low-priced, through medium-priced, to highly-priced. Generally, the prices are between $20-$80.
How To Ease Your Dog’s Joint Pain
Other than the use of supplements, there are multiple ways to ease your dog’s joint pain. These include, among others:
- Switch to a raw diet: With a raw diet, most essential nutrients are preserved as no cooking is involved. Some of these nutrients help alleviate joint pain. As such, you are feeding your dog raw food that can ease its pain.
- Keep him at a healthy weight: Getting your dog down to an ideal weight decreases joint pressure and can also help minimize fat-induced joint inflammation.
- Don’t over-vaccinate: Vaccines contain foreign animal protein and heavy metals. Although these are meant to boost immune response, over-vaccination can damage the immune system.
- Regular exercises: Regular safe exercises like physical therapy helps to strengthen muscles and ligaments. It can help reduce inflammation and pain and boost muscle function.
- Don’t use NSAIDs: NSAIDs have various side effects that can be severe, fatal, and irreversible. Avoid it because it can cause more pain.
Dog joint supplement side effects
Stomach upset: some dogs may experience vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea easily resolvable.
Overdose: This can severely affect your dog, and it needs immediate veterinary intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know my dog has joint pain?
Tiredness, making strange noises, or not being as active as they used to can indicate that your dog has joint pains. Consult a veterinarian for proper evaluation and diagnosis.
Are joint supplements safe?
Yes. The majority of dogs can safely take supplements made from entirely natural ingredients. Find out from your vet the safety of combining the supplements with other medications your dog is taking.
What if my dog has an allergic reaction to the supplement?
It is rare. However, you should visit the nearest animal hospital for help immediately if you notice any sign that you suspect an allergic reaction to your dog.
At what age should I give my dog joint supplements?
In their early years, healthy dogs don’t usually require joint supplements. However, you should talk to your veterinarian about the proper life stage to give joint supplements to your dog.
What foods help dog joints?
Natural foods like turmeric, fish oil, papaya, glucosamine from shellfish shells, chondroitin from cow’s cartilage, vitamin C, and blueberries can help dog joints.
Read our article on Dog-Friendly Snacks That Your Frenchie will Love Anytime
Keeping Your Dog Joint Healthy
Undoubtedly, joint supplements are beneficial to dogs. They not only promote joint and cartilage health but also help dogs to live longer and happier lives. Isn’t this what you wish for your beloved fur baby?
Well, you owe it to your dog to provide the very best supplement to ensure healthy joints. You can choose what works best for your pup from our list.
Are you still stuck? Try our top pick, Doggie Dailies Advanced Joint supplement. This quality supplement will prevent inflammation while supporting healthy cartilage functioning with its unique mix of ingredients.
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