Supplementation

**Like A Boxer** · 05-19-2008, 11:09 PM

Does anyone have previous experience with using ester-c and glucosamine supplements? Has it worked in preventing or at least helped hip dysplasia in your dog? Please, any feedback would be excellent! Whenever I plan on getting a doberman pup, I was planning on using these supplements!

-JB.

katekev04 · 05-20-2008, 12:40 PM

I have a Dobie with wobblers so I do believe supplements are better than no supplements. I have been giving him Vit C, Glucosamine, MSN. The MSN is a bioavailable form of sulfer. There is a huge amount of disulfide bonds in connective tissue and in articulating joints. So when you take in a usable form of sulfer you will speed up repair of muscle and connective tissue. I really believe its preventative maintanece. With all over the counter supps you need to research the brands and make sure they have the right dose and ingredients in them. There are labs out there that test and give reports stating what they found.

Murreydobe · 05-20-2008, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juliabustard

Does anyone have previous experience with using ester-c and glucosamine supplements? Has it worked in preventing or at least helped hip dysplasia in your dog? Please, any feedback would be excellent! Whenever I plan on getting a doberman pup, I was planning on using these supplements!

-JB.

I think if you feed a top quality, balanced diet there's no need to supplement unless a dog has a specfic medical condition that makes it appropriate. Of the three dogs I have now, only one is given any supplements. He's given Denosyl and Marin (a milk thistle derivative) for a liver issue.

If a dog has the gene(s) that cause Hip dysplasia, then you're not going to be able to prevent it. Depending on the severity of the problem in the individual dog, you may or may not be able to lessen the situation with glucosamine or similiar supplements.

The good news is that HD isn't a common problem in dobermans. It's way down on the list of possible diseases that can occur in this breed, not something I'd worry about supplementing an asymptomatic dog for.

robinb · 05-20-2008, 01:22 PM

I give vitamin c and use joint supplements on active mature dogs. I believe the joint supplements can help to prevent damage to all the joints.

**lyngr** · 05-20-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murreydobe

If a dog has the gene(s) that cause Hip dysplasia, then you're not going to be able to prevent it. Depending on the severity of the problem in the individual dog, you may or may not be able to lessen the situation with glucosamine or similiar supplements.

Would the opposite also be true.. or could a dog that has OFA good or excellent have any chance of developing a problem with their hips later in life?

Thx

DobeGirl07 · 05-20-2008, 01:48 PM

I give my dogs supplements. I give Vitamin C, Alfagreen, digestive enhancer, the Ultimate. Not ALL everyday. But I do beleive in giving supplements.

**ellenm** · 05-20-2008, 01:49 PM

I would think that dogs, like horses, could have arthritic problems with hips and/or other joints as they age. A dog who is a high performance dog...agility, Schutzhund, upper levels of obedience...definitely have a harder toll on their joints than the couch potato dog!

I supplement with MSM, glucosamine in addition to grape seed extract or Vit E (I rotate them).

I have seen the benefit of joint supplements with horses, who can be ridable into their late 20's if cared for properly. My dogs run like crazy, they jump for obedience training, and I'm starting agility with Cheers....so I think a joint supplement is a good choice for them. Supplements really help arthritic horses.

thea2003 · 05-20-2008, 01:58 PM

Correct me if im wrong but cant HD be bred out of your dogs if you DONT breed until you get them tested and all of the have good to excellent hips?

**ellenm** · 05-20-2008, 02:12 PM

I've actually never even known a Dobe who has had hip dysplasia. I would not call it that common in this breed, unlike DCM, cancer and CVI.

I was referring to normal wear and tear arthritis in my reply. However, I would think that if a dog had mild dysplasia, joint supplements would definitely make the dog comfortable for a longer period of time.

Murreydobe · 05-20-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thea2003

Correct me if im wrong but cant HD be bred out of your dogs if you DONT breed until you get them tested and all of the have good to excellent hips?

You certainly can diminish the possibility of producing dysplastic dogs if there's a history of OFA'd, hip healthy dogs in the family group you're working with. But due to the probable nature of the mode of transmission (probably many different genes), it IS possible to produce a dysplastic puppy in the best of situations. That doesn't happen often, but it could happen.