How Much Glucosamine Is Recommended For Dogs?

Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM etc. don’t have a specific daily amount recommendation that is accepted by everyone. That comment goes for humans as well as dogs.

Here are some points to keep in mind:

  1. Our Hip And Joint supplement contains not only Glucosamine (325mg) but also Chondroitin (175mg) & MSM (150mg) and Fish oil (125mg) as active ingredients.  Combined together the supplement gives enough “fire power” and we don’t need to add excessive levels of Glucosamine. In many cases Fish oil is given by itself as stand-alone for joint issues….we include it in our supplement. Our blend of the four active ingredients together is an excellent combination for most dogs suffering from joint and hip problems, joint pain and hip dysplasia.
  1. People tend to think that more is better, but they forget or don’t know that the body can only absorb so much and giving 1500 mg does not mean that the dog will actually be able to use 1500 mg worth of active ingredient. In many cases this represents an overload that the kidneys would have to deal with to get rid of it from the system….even for larger dogs. For a dog with other non-joint related health issues this might put them over the edge.
  1. Our chews are cold pressed, not extruded under heat and pressure. Using heat and pressure ends up potentially damaging a large majority of the active ingredients and in many cases where you have a high amount of glucosamine in a chew, much of it is pretty much useless because it was lost during manufacturing.
  1. Glucosamine-based supplements work over a long period of time….in many cases it takes several months to see a “consistent difference”.

Of course each dog is individual and it’s always best to consult a vet if you have any doubts.