Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
The bottom line is, not at this point in time!
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the current gold-standard pharmaceutical therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis; however, NSAIDs may cause gastrointestinal ulceration as an adverse effect and are contraindicated in the presence of renal insufficiency or dehydration.
Other pharmaceutical options include diacerhein, corticosteroids, and hyaluronic acid.
Select nutraceuticals (a foodstuff that provides health benefits) such as glucosamine, chondroitin, pentosane polysulphate, avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, green-lipped mussel, and milk protein have also been used.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly recommended natural health products for treating osteoarthritis in dogs.
Glucosamine regulates the synthesis of collagen in cartilage and may provide mild anti-inflammatory effects while chondroitin inhibits destructive enzymes in joint fluid and cartilage.
These two nutraceuticals also contribute to the synthesis of glycoaminoglycans and proteoglycans, which are building blocks for the formation of cartilage.
Here is a small study looking at the use of Glucosamine and Chondroitin in humans (published way back in 2008). This study showed that for a subset of participants with moderate-to-severe pain, glucosamine combined with chondroitin provided statistically significant pain relief compared with placebo. However, because of the small size of this subgroup the findings were only considered preliminary with a need to be confirmed in further studies.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly recommended by vets as an alternative for treating osteoarthritis in dogs unable to tolerate the adverse effects of NSAIDs, or as add-on therapy.
Clinical trials conducted to date have yielded mixed results.
The available evidence is difficult to interpret due to the use of different manufacturers, salt forms, compositions, sources, strengths, regimens, therapy durations, and combinations of active ingredients – this is because nutraceuticals are not considered medicinal products and are consequently not regulated.
This is discussed in a really helpful Review published in 2017, so pretty recent!
Based on the available literature, the potential benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin use in osteoarthritic canines can neither be confirmed nor denied. The evidence for clinical benefit of these products remains questionable.
The trials generally lacked peer review and were at risk of funding bias due to company sponsorship. Finally, there was an overall lack of generalisability of trial results. The trials were small in terms of the number of subjects used and subject baseline characteristics were not always disclosed.
So in conclusion, glucosamine and chondroitin use in canines requires further clinical study using improved methodology before benefits can be established.
What about Omega-3 Fish Oils?
I was certainly recommended this when I attended a specialist orthopaedic vet about Lilly’s dysplastic hips. He recommended the fish oils, but not the chondroitin. His advice was to take a human supplement at double the recommended dose.
I previously found an interesting online newspaper article on the use of fish oils in humans, which might be of interest, although we can’t necessarily extrapolate to dogs (and it IS The Daily Mail!)’
The interesting bit for me is:
“In the absence of an official recommended daily amount, start by choosing products that contain EPA and DHA……This usually means fish oils. Vegetarian Omega 3 supplements usually contain none at all: instead, they are made with linseed or flax oil, which provide a different form of Omega 3.
Next, ignore any doses suggested on the packet, and focus on the small print to find out how much EPA and DHA combined the product provides.
A good target for mental well-being and performance is 1000mg per day, and to get this amount, you may well need to take more than the manufacturer's suggested dose.”
[My human High Strength capsules said they were 1000mg fish oil but contain 150mg EPA and 100mg DHA per capsule].
Another Fish Oil article relating to dogs this time from the Whole Dog Journal, which may not the most reliable source, however provided me with the following information:
Healthy dogs can be given 100 to 150 mg EPA and DHA per 10 pounds (4.5kg) of body weight daily; dogs who have health problems can be given up to 300 mg per 10 pounds (4.5kg).
One ounce of canned fish with bones (sardines, jack mackerel, pink salmon) averages about 300 mg EPA and DHA combined.
This is a significantly larger amount than you would find in most commercial dog foods.
The dosage required for dogs with osteoarthritis is 3,000 mg/day EPA and DHA for a 30-kg dog. At the dosages required to treat osteoarthritis, OTC products often are not cost-effective.
Having said all this……..where is the evidence?
Well, there is a Systematic Review looking at a wide range of Nutraceuticals, which includes other animal species as well as dogs. The review discusses their collective anti-inflammatory effect in human rheumatoid arthritis patients, along with subjective reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms in dogs. There is however no significant reduction in progression of arthritis or improvement in long term outcomes.
And lets not forget the trendy Turmeric (or “Golden Paste”)
Well, again, the gold standard evidence is just not there. The results of this study suggest that there may be some benefit in feeding dogs with symptomatic osteoarthritis a curcumin based diet, but longer term benefits were not in evidence, and the study again was VERY small.
Conclusion?
There is probably no harm in using these products, but the evidence for benefit is broadly anecdotal, and as yet have no really good large randomised controlled trials to justify their recommendation.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the current gold-standard pharmaceutical therapy for dogs with osteoarthritis; however, NSAIDs may cause gastrointestinal ulceration as an adverse effect and are contraindicated in the presence of renal insufficiency or dehydration.
Other pharmaceutical options include diacerhein, corticosteroids, and hyaluronic acid.
Select nutraceuticals (a foodstuff that provides health benefits) such as glucosamine, chondroitin, pentosane polysulphate, avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, green-lipped mussel, and milk protein have also been used.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly recommended natural health products for treating osteoarthritis in dogs.
Glucosamine regulates the synthesis of collagen in cartilage and may provide mild anti-inflammatory effects while chondroitin inhibits destructive enzymes in joint fluid and cartilage.
These two nutraceuticals also contribute to the synthesis of glycoaminoglycans and proteoglycans, which are building blocks for the formation of cartilage.
Here is a small study looking at the use of Glucosamine and Chondroitin in humans (published way back in 2008). This study showed that for a subset of participants with moderate-to-severe pain, glucosamine combined with chondroitin provided statistically significant pain relief compared with placebo. However, because of the small size of this subgroup the findings were only considered preliminary with a need to be confirmed in further studies.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly recommended by vets as an alternative for treating osteoarthritis in dogs unable to tolerate the adverse effects of NSAIDs, or as add-on therapy.
Clinical trials conducted to date have yielded mixed results.
The available evidence is difficult to interpret due to the use of different manufacturers, salt forms, compositions, sources, strengths, regimens, therapy durations, and combinations of active ingredients – this is because nutraceuticals are not considered medicinal products and are consequently not regulated.
This is discussed in a really helpful Review published in 2017, so pretty recent!
Based on the available literature, the potential benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin use in osteoarthritic canines can neither be confirmed nor denied. The evidence for clinical benefit of these products remains questionable.
The trials generally lacked peer review and were at risk of funding bias due to company sponsorship. Finally, there was an overall lack of generalisability of trial results. The trials were small in terms of the number of subjects used and subject baseline characteristics were not always disclosed.
So in conclusion, glucosamine and chondroitin use in canines requires further clinical study using improved methodology before benefits can be established.
What about Omega-3 Fish Oils?
I was certainly recommended this when I attended a specialist orthopaedic vet about Lilly’s dysplastic hips. He recommended the fish oils, but not the chondroitin. His advice was to take a human supplement at double the recommended dose.
I previously found an interesting online newspaper article on the use of fish oils in humans, which might be of interest, although we can’t necessarily extrapolate to dogs (and it IS The Daily Mail!)’
The interesting bit for me is:
“In the absence of an official recommended daily amount, start by choosing products that contain EPA and DHA……This usually means fish oils. Vegetarian Omega 3 supplements usually contain none at all: instead, they are made with linseed or flax oil, which provide a different form of Omega 3.
Next, ignore any doses suggested on the packet, and focus on the small print to find out how much EPA and DHA combined the product provides.
A good target for mental well-being and performance is 1000mg per day, and to get this amount, you may well need to take more than the manufacturer's suggested dose.”
[My human High Strength capsules said they were 1000mg fish oil but contain 150mg EPA and 100mg DHA per capsule].
Another Fish Oil article relating to dogs this time from the Whole Dog Journal, which may not the most reliable source, however provided me with the following information:
Healthy dogs can be given 100 to 150 mg EPA and DHA per 10 pounds (4.5kg) of body weight daily; dogs who have health problems can be given up to 300 mg per 10 pounds (4.5kg).
One ounce of canned fish with bones (sardines, jack mackerel, pink salmon) averages about 300 mg EPA and DHA combined.
This is a significantly larger amount than you would find in most commercial dog foods.
The dosage required for dogs with osteoarthritis is 3,000 mg/day EPA and DHA for a 30-kg dog. At the dosages required to treat osteoarthritis, OTC products often are not cost-effective.
Having said all this……..where is the evidence?
Well, there is a Systematic Review looking at a wide range of Nutraceuticals, which includes other animal species as well as dogs. The review discusses their collective anti-inflammatory effect in human rheumatoid arthritis patients, along with subjective reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms in dogs. There is however no significant reduction in progression of arthritis or improvement in long term outcomes.
And lets not forget the trendy Turmeric (or “Golden Paste”)
Well, again, the gold standard evidence is just not there. The results of this study suggest that there may be some benefit in feeding dogs with symptomatic osteoarthritis a curcumin based diet, but longer term benefits were not in evidence, and the study again was VERY small.
Conclusion?
There is probably no harm in using these products, but the evidence for benefit is broadly anecdotal, and as yet have no really good large randomised controlled trials to justify their recommendation.
