Managing the challenges of ageing is something that all doggo mums and dads will encounter at some stage in their journey. However, issues relating to joint health, including arthritis, can often be managed with a range of natural foods and supplements for dogs. Several types of natural dog treats contain high levels of the nutrients that are essential for healthy joints, both in the early and later stages of life. The feeding of one or two treats a day along with the simple inclusion of natural joint supplements in daily meals can provide the necessary nutrients to promote the development of healthy joints. These supplements also provide with the nutritional support necessary for dealing with joint conditions such as arthritis in older dogs, often with astoundingly positive results.
Causes of Arthritis in Dogs
Arthritis is a common condition that typically develops over time, however early onset arthritis also occurs in many dogs. While there is no single cause, a combination of nutrition, conformation (how the dog is built), weight and condition, activity levels and prior injuries can all contribute to the development of arthritis in dogs. Other joint conditions such as dysplasia can predispose dogs to developing osteoarthritis as they age.
Dog Arthritis Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of arthritis in dogs include difficulty getting up and down, lameness, stiffness, swollen joints, reluctance to jump up or down and reluctance to go up or down stairs as well as a loss of stamina (if your doggo isn’t just super lazy like Bach). While we always recommend seeking the advice of a veterinarian, it is possible that your doggo is suffering from osteoarthritis if they are presenting with one or more of these symptoms.
Joint Health & Nutrition
Just as nutrition is important in preventing or delaying the onset of arthritis, careful nutritional management can also yield wonderful results in managing it over time. There are a number of key nutrients that are important for the development of healthy joints as young dogs grow and these same nutrients simultaneously assist in the prevention and treatment of joint conditions in dogs as they progress into mature age.
The top nutrients for healthy joints in dogs are;
- Water – it might seem like a no-brainer, but hydration is important for providing the hydration necessary to keep joints lubricated.
- Omega 3s – these fatty acids are important for reducing inflammation within the body as well as supporting healthy tissue development.
- Protein – promotes the healthy development of the tissues that support the joints.
- Natural Anti-Inflammatories – the enemy of healthy joints is inflammation and a range of natural supplements act to treat this within the body (more on that below).
- Methylsulfonylmethane (or MSM) – a naturally-occurring, easily-absorbed sulfur that is an essential building block for all cells and is highly effective at relieving pain and inflammation.
- Glucosamine – an amino sugar that is essential for maintaining healthy cartilage and joint function.
- Chondroitin – an important building block for cartilage that promotes the elasticity needed for mobility.
- Collagen – collagen is a protein that forms an important part of the body’s tissues, including the connective tissue that supports joints.
Dog food for arthritis and joint health
Some of our top dog food products rich in nutrients for supporting healthy joints are;
- Whole Green Lipped Mussels – these tasty little treatos contain three different types of omega 3 fatty acids, including Eicosatetraenoic Acid, which is not found in other fish products and fish oil supplements. This makes mussels a powerful source of anti-inflammatory benefits. Several studies outline the results of mussels in treating arthritis – find them at the Green Lipped Mussels product page.
- Chicken Feet – high in both glucosamine and chondroitin, dehydrated chicken feet dog treats are a potent source of these important joint health nutrients, with one chicken foot containing levels of glucosamine equal to a daily dose of joint health supplement for a medium-sized dog. Glucosamine is produced naturally within the dog’s body however not at high enough levels to adequately prevent joint damage and therefore needs to be supplemented. Read more about these crunchy nutritional powerhouse delights at our previous article – A Guide to Chicken Feet for Dogs and Other Icky Meal Toppers.
- Cartilage Crispies – shark cartilage is perhaps the most well-known natural treatment for arthritis in dogs as it includes a trifecta of essential joint health and anti-inflammatory nutrients, these being omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin (they’re also crunchy and 100% delicious).
- Grass-Finished Beef – in both its dehydrated and fresh form, grass-finished beef is up to five times higher in omega-3s than its grain fed counterparts. As well as being a brilliant source of the proteins necessary for tissue growth and repair, grass-finished meat is high in CLAs which have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Beef treats such as Moo Tubes are also high in glucosamine and chondroitin.
- Other Seafood Products – treatos such as Fish Twists, Whole Fish Tails and Fish Jerky are also jam-packed full of nutrients for healthy joints.
Natural arthritis supplements for dogs
While our natural dog treats are packed full of essential nutrients for canine joint health, we also stock a range of supplements which can be a very powerful arthritis treatment for addressing the symptoms of arthritis in dogs. Find a short summary of these below or find more information (as well as feeding guides) at our previous article – All About Supplements for Dogs: Joint Health and Other Benefits.
- Gelatin – Gelatin is a superfood for joint, skin & coat health and is particularly useful when utilised as a prophylactic (preventative) supplement for arthritis in dogs. The key active component of Gelatin for dog health is collagen. Prior to becoming domesticated, dogs would normally access sufficient amounts of this nutrient by consuming tendons, skin and cartilage of their prey. However, as most canine diets nowadays include processed or pre-prepared dog food with the icky bits removed (our doggos live a life of luxury thanks to their hooman slaves), collagen often needs to be supplemented.
- Rosehip – Rosehip for dogs has significant anti-inflammatory properties, being high in polyphenols and galactolipids. Therefore, organic rosehip can be particularly useful in treating arthritis in dogs (especially when used in conjunction with other supplements) and is useful for treating other inflammatory conditions as well as being a powerful immune booster.
- Kelp – Kelp (or seaweed) is jam packed full of nutrients and is natural superfood for dogs, containing over 60 vitamins & minerals as well as 21 amino acids. The bio-available nutrients in kelp provide metabolic support within the body while the amino acids assist in speedy and effective tissue repair. Most importantly for natural arthritis treatment for dogs, kelp is high in omega-3 fatty acids making it helpful in reducing joint pain & inflammation.
Natural Pain Relief for Dogs with Arthritis
While supporting joints with nutrients is important, pain management is essential for arthritic dogs as they age and their condition increases in severity. While plenty of counter medications are available from your vet (and indeed, may be necessary to manage pain in extreme cases), we always prefer to give the natural option a try and natural supplements can yield astonishing results.
MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane is a powerful natural pain relief supplement and antioxidant that rejuvenates cells and heals joints. We discussed MSM in our previous article, All About Supplements for Dogs: Joint Health and Other Benefits;
The active component of this plant-derived supplement occurs naturally in the body of both dogs and humans, however usually at lower than ideal levels. Having natural anti-inflammatory properties as well as being an analgesic (pain killer) MSM is great for treating arthritis but also promotes overall wellbeing in dogs. For this reason, MSM is an invaluable supplement for older dogs with stiff joints and can have incredible results even in a short period of time.
Natural Dog Joint Supplements – The Results
The outcomes of daily feeding with natural supplements can be truly astounding. Deanne recently left us the following review of our pure MSM supplement for dogs, telling a story of the incredible results that her Moodle experienced;
My 8 yr old somewhat grumpy-towards-puppies Moodle pulled up with the dreaded twisted knee from his obvious Olympic Ball team training he just must do daily. The MSM and Rosehip combo started working within the week. It’s now been 3 weeks. He is bounding around like a much younger dog. Not chewing his knees after a ball session (reduced time and intensity) and I’m being that person reaching for the camera when he is playing with another dog like he was a puppy again!
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