| While Glucosamine/Chrondroitin/MSM supplements can help dogs w/ arthritis, it is NOT the same as a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID).
I have typically used Cosequin or now Dasuquin, as they are one of the very few companies who have the research to back up their products - meaning they have looked at bioavailability, etc. What good is saving $5 for a generic if based on the bioavailability of it you'd have to use 6 times as much? That's not to say there aren't other brands or generics that perform well.... it's just kind of a crap shoot to find them.
typically a loading dose is done for the first 4-6 weeks, then a maintenance dose. It is something that is meant to be given all the time. Not something you can just give when they have a bad day and in many dogs the improvement is very gradual.
There are other NSAIDs available if the rimadyl is not working and Gluc/Chond supplements can be used w/ nsaids. Also keeping the dog in a healthy slim weight can make a big difference as well. Other NSAIDs - Metacam, Etogesic, Zubrin, Previcox, Deramaxx, etc.
All in all - their advertising is somewhat misleading. Typically you will not see the same kind of response to a gluc/chond supplement as an NSAID, the levels of the herbs in their product (which supposedly are what make it "better" than other brands) are less than the amount of beef flavoring if that gives you an idea of how much is really in there.
I usually recommend starting w/ Dasuquin or Cosequin since I know they work. If you use some generic or whatever and it doesn't help - is it because the product had very poor bioavailability or because the dog didn't really seem to respond to the supplement? If you start w/ something you know works you can make an accurate assessment - you can always try other brands later if you so desire.
Good luck w/ your dog.
Last edited by reddobes; 09-23-2008 at 11:34 AM..
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