Jackie Brown investigates pet supplements and finds a lot of questions remain.
While certain supplements can have a place in joint disease management, some veterinarians are concerned about how they might be perceived by pet owners.
Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2018. Link. Sam Franklin, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, tells clients, “. . . if they can afford to give glucosamine and chondroitin they can do so, but if they have to be more prudent about budgeting money for different things, there are other things for which I think there is better evidence.
Dr. Franklin’s main priorities are fourfold:
- getting the dog to an optimal body weight,
- introducing moderate daily exercise (preferably low or minimal impact),
- implementing optimal nutrition, and
- prescribing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
INSIGHTS: Neal Sivula, DVM, PhD, FAAVA, vice president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association counsels his clients that not all joint supplement products are created equal.
There is a broad spectrum of quality between products,” he said. “We recommend products that have been used in large numbers of pets and have been tested for quality. In general, you get what you pay for in quality.”