Joint Supplementation Recommendation

[Smiley14]

As I mentioned in the bike pic thread, Jelly has just been diagnosed with grade one LP in both knees. Belle had double LP surgery a little over a year ago and it's been very successful for her. But I dread the thought of having to go through that again with Jelly now too. Grade one doesn't need surgery yet, it's usually grades 3-4 that need surgery. But they can slip into a higher grade with one wrong twist. Belle went from grade one to grade four by jumping off the bed. So Jelly may be able to avoid surgery for years or she may suddenly need it at any time. The best way to treat it for now is to keep the knees as strong as possible by a healthy weight, exercise, and joint supplementation. Which brings me to my question. I have been using BiologicVET BioJOINT, but it's getting increasingly harder and harder to get here in the US. For some reason, it gets stuck at Customs a lot, even though it's powder and not liquid form like the BioFAT. My local store that carries the higher quality foods was telling me about this new product and she swears up and down by it. She said it's done wonders for her dog. I've never heard of it so was wondering if anyone else has? It's made by Wapiti and is called Natural Mobility. Basically, it's Elk Velvet Antler, which I know is good, but I don't know about the Chinese herbs they use. I give mine velvet antlers to chew on, but it's not as concentrated of course. Any thoughts on this one or other suggestions? Thanks!

[luckypenny]

I'm not familiar with Natural Mobility but Ava (and I) have had much success with Natural Factors Joint Formula....MSM, Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfates. Ava more so because she takes it regularly for her hips...I tend to forget for myself .

[kandy]

I use Dasuquin with MSM (made by Nutramax Labs) for my newfie girl who has bone deformities, and also for my son's newf who has degenerative arthritis in his elbows. When my newfie girl was diagnosed with a ruptured ACL, and had to have surgery - I was told to expect her to blow the other knee within a year. It's been almost 2 years since her surgery and I had her other leg examined for any signs of instability last month - the vet said that knee is completely stable. I think it's a wonderful product, and it has consistently passed tests by independent labs to contain exactly what it says. Since supplements are not regulated, there are no guarantees that you are getting what you are paying for.

[Smiley14]

Thanks guys!

[Dracko]

Originally Posted by kandy

....I think it's a wonderful product, and it has consistently passed tests by independent labs to contain exactly what it says. Since supplements are not regulated, there are no guarantees that you are getting what you are paying for.

Supplements are regulated by the NHPD here in Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branc.../index-eng.php

As a matter of fact, there are HUGE changes coming for the industry with the switching of DINs to NPN numbers now eing assigned to supplements. They are no different from any other food or drug. The government tests NONE of those things (drugs, foods, HABA products, etc) and relies on responsible manufacturers. When something is discovered to not be what the label says it is pulled. What you want to do is look for companies that manufacture their own products, use independant labs for analysis and are willing to make those available to consumers on request.

[mastifflover]

Shark cartillage is another real good one for joints

[ec140466]

Hi there, I have a 4 year old pom/sheltie mix who is at the grade 3 stage and is now at the point of requiring surgery. I have a few questions for you... I would like to get her the surgery but am very concerned about it. how long was the recovery time? and is there anything else you could tell me about it? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts. As for supplements, we have been giving her recovery SA since she was a year old and it has kept her joints strong up until this past winter when unfortunately she gained too much weight putting too much stress on the joints. Although she has now lost the extra weight her knees are still suffering The one your store recommended sounds good, EVA works great for any joint injuries and it can even help to restore coat health. As for the shark cartilage recommendation I would advise not to use it. If you are wondering why; watch the movie "sharkwater" its a real eye opener! Look forward to hear from you. Thanks!

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by ec140466

Hi there, I have a 4 year old pom/sheltie mix who is at the grade 3 stage and is now at the point of requiring surgery. I have a few questions for you... I would like to get her the surgery but am very concerned about it. how long was the recovery time? and is there anything else you could tell me about it? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts. As for supplements, we have been giving her recovery SA since she was a year old and it has kept her joints strong up until this past winter when unfortunately she gained too much weight putting too much stress on the joints. Although she has now lost the extra weight her knees are still suffering The one your store recommended sounds good, EVA works great for any joint injuries and it can even help to restore coat health. As for the shark cartilage recommendation I would advise not to use it. If you are wondering why; watch the movie "sharkwater" its a real eye opener! Look forward to hear from you. Thanks!

I'm sorry to hear your dog needs LP surgery! I was very nervous and fearful, but overall, it wasn't as bad as I had expected. It's 4am for me right now, so I need to get to bed, but I can share my experience and post some pics for you on Mon afternoon. Stated recovery time is two months before being allowed to walk off leash and a full year for full recovery, but they are walking within a day or two after surgery and acting normal and wanting to play within a week after surgery. Then it's the challenge of trying to keep them quiet and still for two whole months! I think that was the worst of it. Once you get past the first day or two, the hardest is keeping them still for two whole months. That gets very long, very quickly. But the surgery is definitely worth it and I would do it again in a second for the quality of life it restores in the long run. But it's still a major surgery and one I would avoid if possible, so I'm hoping I won't have to go through it again with Jelly. But anyway, I'll share more of Belle's story with LP tomorrow. Thanks!

[kandy]

Originally Posted by Dracko

Supplements are regulated by the NHPD here in Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branc.../index-eng.php

As a matter of fact, there are HUGE changes coming for the industry with the switching of DINs to NPN numbers now eing assigned to supplements. They are no different from any other food or drug. The government tests NONE of those things (drugs, foods, HABA products, etc) and relies on responsible manufacturers. When something is discovered to not be what the label says it is pulled. What you want to do is look for companies that manufacture their own products, use independant labs for analysis and are willing to make those available to consumers on request.

Supplements aren't regulated in the US, and the OP lists their location as being in the US. In fact our FDA continually warns people about supplements, about their potency, their safety and their claimed benefits.

I would agree that you need to find a manufacturer that you trust, no matter what the supplement is.

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by ec140466

Hi there, I have a 4 year old pom/sheltie mix who is at the grade 3 stage and is now at the point of requiring surgery. I have a few questions for you... I would like to get her the surgery but am very concerned about it. how long was the recovery time? and is there anything else you could tell me about it? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts. As for supplements, we have been giving her recovery SA since she was a year old and it has kept her joints strong up until this past winter when unfortunately she gained too much weight putting too much stress on the joints. Although she has now lost the extra weight her knees are still suffering The one your store recommended sounds good, EVA works great for any joint injuries and it can even help to restore coat health. As for the shark cartilage recommendation I would advise not to use it. If you are wondering why; watch the movie "sharkwater" its a real eye opener! Look forward to hear from you. Thanks!

Ok, I'm back. Sorry about that! I found the original thread from when Belle had her surgery. If you read through it, I updated it through her first few days after surgery and included pics:
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....=Belle+surgery

I posted this thread 8 weeks after her surgery and you can hardly tell she had any surgery at all:

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....=Belle+surgery

Belle's surgery was with Dr. Kramek at the U of MN. She's an orthapedic surgeon, and I highly recommend going with an Orthrapedic surgeon instead of your normal vet. I also post on a Boston Terrier forum and have seen threads on dozens of LP surgeries as it's very common for the breed. There is a marked difference in the quality of the surgery, the surgical methods, and the recovery time from those that used a specialist vs their regular vet. From the surgeries I've seen from regular vets, they use what the surgeon told me were old school methods, including the way the surgery is done (leg on table instead of elevated in the air and leg casted vs left open, etc) Belle was walking the day after surgery and running three days after surgery. She definitely had pain for the first few days and would shake when it was close for her next dose of medicine. But she never cried and acted pretty much normal the entire time. I was completely dreading it, but it wasn't any more traumatic really than a spay. The first day or two can be a little rough, but then after that, they want to run and play, but can't. The hardest part, as I mentioned before, is having to keep them still for two months. That is a very long 60 days, and I have to admit, I was way more lax with that after the first month than I should have been. Within a month, I started letting her off leash and within 8 weeks, you could hardly tell she had surgery at all. Now we joke and say she has bionic knees as she is a very high jumper and fast runner. The surgery was a complete success. I do fly with my dogs so had to get a letter from the surgeon certifying she has pins in her knees. But luckily, she hasn't set off any airport alarms yet. : ) But I always keep the letter with me just in case! It's a scary process, the day of surgery, and can be a little rough the first day or two, but after that, it's not bad and you just need to find your new routine of keeping her on leash or crated for a whole two months and get creative with ways to keep them occupied during that time. It's a really annoying process and honestly, I dread the thought of having to go through it again possibly with Jelly now, but it's definitely worth it in the long run and for the quality of life it restores.

[Dracko]

Originally Posted by kandy

Supplements aren't regulated in the US, and the OP lists their location as being in the US. In fact our FDA continually warns people about supplements, about their potency, their safety and their claimed benefits.

I would agree that you need to find a manufacturer that you trust, no matter what the supplement is.

Guess I'd be buying supplements manufactured in Canada then.

[Smiley14]

Originally Posted by Dracko

Guess I'd be buying supplements manufactured in Canada then.

That's what I've been doing with the BiologicVET line, but it's getting harder and harder to get here. :sad: Customs doesn't like it for some really annoying reason.