Treating dogs that have knee and hip problems can be very costly. Prescription medications aren’t always available for our pets due to cost, trouble getting a prescription written by a vet, and many times we don’t even know that particular prescription medications are available unless our veterinarian specifically recommends them. As humans, we use supplements all the time to treat different symptoms we may have, whether it be melatonin which helps us regulate our sleep cycles, or something like creatine which helps our body build muscle by supplying more energy to our muscles.

Here is a list of supplements that I’ve used and/or had recommended to me by friends, family and readers of this site. If you have any suggestions that aren’t included on this list, please add it into the comments below.

• Nupro Joint Support for Dogs
  This product is great because it contains both Glucosamine and MSM, both help with joint stiffness, and MSM has been shown to help with inflammation and some studies have showed it to reduce pain.
• Cosequin DS Anti-Inflammatory
  Cosequin can be beneficial for dogs that have either knee or hip problems, or even both. Cosequin is known as an anti-inflammatory and many surgeons recommend that a dogs take this daily after knee surgery. Cosequin has manyy benefits and is recommended for any dogs with inflammation or joint pain. A 4-6 week period should typically be enough time for the owner to tell if there is an improvement in mobility.
• Joint Treats® (60 Soft Chews)
  Healthy and beneficial for dogs of all ages. Can be used as treats or as daily supplements. I’ve heard of people using these supplements for dogs with hip dysplasia. These add the benefit of being considered a “treat”.
• Salmon Oil
  Salmon oil can help with joint mobility in canine knees and hips, and has been shown to have healthy effects on dogs coats as well.
• Flax Seed Oil
  Flax seed oil has been personally recommended to me by 2 different veterinarians to help us with our dogs skin during summertime. One of the main benefits of adding flax seed oil and other types of oils as a supplement is that it will help with the dogs skin and coat.
• Traumeel Gel – 50gm Tube
  Traumeel is an external analgesic that is an anti-inflammatory. It’s a cream or rub that addresses inflammation and is commonly used in dogs, cats and horses. I haven’t personally used this product, but it has come highly recommended by many of our readers.
• ARTHROPLEX for Canines (180 Capsules)
  Arthroplex serves multiple purposes, all of which will benefit dogs with knee problems, hip problems or arthritis. Arthroplex capsules contain Glucosamine Sulfate (225 mg), Green-Lipid Mussels (90 mg), DL-Phenylalanine (75mg), Boswellia Serrata Extract (35 mg), Bromelain (35 mg), Vitamin C (100 mg).

If you have any other product suggestions, supplements or otherwise, let me know and we’ll post them on here as well.

Photo by aluzano.

Related posts:

1. The Use of Supplements for Conservative Management Rather Than Medications
2. Cost of Repairing a Torn ACL/CCL Injury in a Dogs Knee
3. Dog Knee Infected After CCL Knee Surgery – Infection Caused by Surgical Hardware

After running this site for over a year now, I’ve heard many stories, some good, some sad, but they’ve all had one thing in common – everyone absolutely loves their dog. This post isn’t necessary going to be helpful, but it is certainly interesting.

As I’ve been maintaining and trying to grow this site to make it as helpful as possible for people who are looking for information on dog knee injuries, I’ve also paid close attention to our web traffic. I use Google Analytics so that I can see where the visitors of this site come from (Google, Yahoo, etc) and how many users are visiting, etc. The interesting part is in the traffic spikes that the site sees on Mondays, and to be honest, it makes a ton of sense. Take a look at the following graph that shows visits to this site, and then take a look at the list of assumptions I’ve written down below. And after doing that, leave a comment and let us know what day of the week your dog was injured on (just because I’m curious to find out).

Click on the Graph for Larger Version

Here are the things we can assume:

1. People who visit this site are dog owners.
2. Dog owners are typically active people.
3. Dog owners are likely not sitting inside on their computers on the weekends.
4. Dog owners are most likely out on weekends, running, hiking and playing with their pets.
5. Since dogs and their owners have a tendency to be more active on the weekends, there will be more cranial cruciate ligament injuries in dogs on the weekends than during the week.

Image by Flickr user rpb1001.

Related posts:

1. Canine Knee Surgery on Both Knees at the Same Time
2. Cruciate Ligament in Dogs, Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament (Crucial)
3. Canine Cruciate Brace – Will a Knee Brace Help My Dog?