Glucosamine Sulfate for Dog Arthritis
Perhaps the most popular alternative treatment for dogs with arthritis pain, inflammation or dysplasia is the natural substance glucosamine sulfate, which has the benefit of many double-blind, placebo-controlled studies proving the effectiveness of this natural supplement against arthritis pain and inflammation.
Glucosamine sulfate is therefore the primary component in nearly all of the multi-ingredient holistic nutritional formulas for canine arthritis and dysplasia because of its proven effectiveness as an arthritis aid. Together with chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate has helped many dogs regain their ability to walk without pain.
So what is it?
Glucosamine is a simple molecule composed of an amino acid and glucose. It is naturally produced by the body and found in the cartilage and the synovial fluid of joints. It promotes the incorporation of sulfur into cartilage, and itself acts as a shock absorber for the joints, absorbing and releasing water with each step or jiggle a joint makes. It is the principle ingredient of proteoglycans (water-binding) molecules in cartilage which are the major building blocks of healthy cartilage.
In particular, glucosamine stimulates the production of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are important proteins that are part of the cartilage matrix and “bind” the water within that matrix.
Research on humans and animals has found that when they are given glucosamine, in either the sulfate or hydrochloride (HCl) form, it stimulates the production of the GAGs, which in turn stimulate cartilage production. Since arthritis and dysplasia often involve the deterioration or wearing away of cartilage, stimulating the GAGs to produce more cartilage is a way to directly address arthritis over time by attacking the root of the problem.
Glucosamine does this so well, with very few unwanted side effects while reducing the pain of arthritis in the process, that it’s probably the most commonly used nutritional arthritis supplement on the planet.
While NSAID anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen or aspirin, are traditionally used by veterinarians to treat arthritis, their prolonged usage can actually decrease the production of cartilage in a dog’s body. Furthermore, while the anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) do treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis or dysplasia, they do absolutely nothing to help eliminate the underlying cause of the pain and can lead to severe gastric, kidney and liver problems, as well as under extreme circumstances, death.
We have a number of human friends who have been able to toss their arthritis medications away since starting on a good glucosamine sulfate supplement, but the mainstream medical industry in the US still ignores (or fights) this treatment because they cannot patent it and hence there’s no big money to be made from it. Even so, in Portugal , Spain , and Italy , glucosamine has been a primary treatment for osteoarthritis for over twenty years and it is widely used by many United States veterinarians.
Glucosamine sulfate doesn’t just reduce the symptoms of arthritis but also slows the course of the disease, so it merits the title of being called a "chondroprotective" drug ("chondro" refers to cartilage).
Anyway, in various human studies, glucosamine has been shown to rehabilitate cartilage, reduce the progression of osteoarthritis, and significantly lessen pain from arthritis.
We’re not talking about one study, but many studies.
Here’s just a few examples …
In one study of 252 osteoarthritis sufferers, 4 weeks on glucosamine left them with less pain and more mobility in the knees and no side effects. Another study of 329 patients found the effects of this natural substance as powerful as … but more effective than … the prescription medication Feldene. Another 3-year study of 350 patients found it just as effective as ibuprofen. Yet another study of 212 people found it can protect joints from further progressive damage.
We could go on and on …
Here’s the short of it … Glucosamine has been well proven in clinical study after clinical study to be effective at relieving joint pain and repairing cartilage in humans.
Studies and practical experience show it works for dogs, too.
However, the results you can get from glucosamine sulfate can vary greatly from one brand to another. That’s the problem – you might have to experiment with many brands to find the one that works best with your pet. And, of course, even with many alternatives available to try, some animals don’t respond favorably to glucosamine despite its combination with other substances.
That brings us to the other substance naturally found within the body’s connective tissues, which is normally paired with glucosamine in combination, and that is chondroitin sulfate.
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