The use of Glucosamine to help your dog with joint mobility issues, prevent further deterioration in their joints and to alleviate osteoarthritis pain has gotten very popular. I have read several accounts of great success.
I wanted to start Chester on Glucosamine so I bought him a joint supplement.
The Pet Arthritis Resource Center recommends giving a 10 lb dog 106 mg of glucosamine a day. To be honest, it seems that every dosage chart I look at varies a little. The average recommendation seems to be 100-300 mg for a 10 pound dog.
Many vets recommend doubling the dosage (so 300 to 600 mg per 10 lbs) of Glucosamine for dogs the first 2-3 weeks so we blasted through the jar we bought pretty quickly. When I saw the pep in his step return I switched to a maintenance dose.
I use treats very regularly for training and photography. I wondered if there was a way to combine a glucosamine supplement with a traditional dog treat. I found that many dog treats nowadays contain glucosamine. Unfortunately, just because a product says it contains glucosamine doesn’t mean that it does so in an effective dose.
Enter Zuke’s, the maker of our favorite Power Bones. Zuke’s makes a treat called Hip Action that contains 300 mg of Glucosamine and 50 mg of Chondroitin per treat. It is one of the highest concentrations of glucosamine I have seen in a traditional treat and one treat more than meets the recommended daily dose for a small dog.
Chester and Gretel don’t like them quite as much as their Power Bones but I think it is because of the texture difference. The glucosamine crystals make them a little drier and harder. They are still one of their favorite treats though…just not THE favorite.
So far, Chester’s improvements are holding and I haven’t seen his demeanor change back towards the slow and sluggish since supplementing with Hip Action instead of traditional supplements.
Since they can easily be broken into smaller pieces and can double as training treats we are going to stick with these for maintenance.
Zuke’s treats are made in the USA and wheat, corn and soy free. A 6 oz bag of Hip Action contains about 23 treats (maintenance doses) and costs about $8.75. A portion of their profits are donated to the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund.
You can win a bag right now over at our giveaway.
Thanks for the tip on the treats, and a continued thumbs up to how well you photograph your dogs. They are so beautiful, and you do a great job.
Thanks Bruce. You’re too kind
yum yum yum we love those!
Stop on by for a visit
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
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They look so proud in that picture. It cracks me up. Also, I love how Spartacus got his face on here, too!
My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content for you? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write with regards to here. Again, awesome blog!
I am happy that you and your husband enjoy reading our posts. I do not currently accept guest posts. If you have some good ideas you can contact me using the instructions on the “contact” page of the blog. If your post ideas seem to be a good fit for us, I would entertain the idea.
We are big fans of Zuke’s products.
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Hi Jessica,
When I quickly glanced at that last picture I thought Chester and Gretel were holding up the packet of treats together and then I came to my senses and realised what a silly thought that was cos us Doggies don’t have thumbs!!
Wags to all,
Snoops
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Milo is my a 3 years old red smooth hair dachshund. He has been on Hip Action since he was 1/2 year old. Being a little dog with long back, I really worried about injury of his back or joints when he was puppy. That’s why he started on Hip Action so early!
I put one piece of treat into a small size Kong toy before leaving home for work everyday, and he enjoys playing with it.
Unfortunately, Milo is allergic to Chicken and I am having hard time to find Beef favour in Canada. He is down to only Peanut Butter favour. I hope Zukes with come out with some new favours later
These sound great! We love the Zuke’s minis.
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