Hills J/D

[MinnetonkaMan]

My black lab is almost 81/2 years old and last fall he started getting very stiff and had a little gimp the vet says that he might have a little spot were all of the cartlilidge has worn away and maybe causing some arthritis. We have heard that Hills J?D does wonders but I would like other peoples opinions on other dog foods that might have the same effect with out giving the dog glucosimine condriton pills. aqny info or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Minnetonkman

[Boogaard]

I too have an older dog. I cant think of the meds off hand but there is one just for arthritis. I give it to him ont he days where he seems to be hobblin around and once in the morning and once at night when I take him hunting. Seems to help a lot!

[SoldierGirl]

Hills J/D works great because it contains glucosamine and chondroitin. Eukanuba Senior and I think a couple other senior diets also contain glucosamine and chondroitin although I don't know off hand how they compare in dosage. Not sure why you don't want to give it in pill form. Some brands come in beef flavored chewables so you don't have to pill the dog. My dog thinks it's the best treat ever. Of course he's not real bright.

There are dog specific NSAIDS out there that can help when the pain is bad and he's really limping around. These are likely what Boogaard is using (probably Rimadyl or Deramaxx). For long term treatment however the glucosamine/chondroitin combo is ideal.

[311Hemi]

 Originally Posted By: SoldierGirl

Hills J/D works great because it contains glucosamine and chondroitin. Eukanuba Senior and I think a couple other senior diets also contain glucosamine and chondroitin although I don't know off hand how they compare in dosage. Not sure why you don't want to give it in pill form. Some brands come in beef flavored chewables so you don't have to pill the dog. My dog thinks it's the best treat ever. Of course he's not real bright.

There are dog specific NSAIDS out there that can help when the pain is bad and he's really limping around. These are likely what Boogaard is using (probably Rimadyl or Deramaxx). For long term treatment however the glucosamine/chondroitin combo is ideal.

I agree for the most part with whats said here. I don't have experience with this food but the one thing I question is how much Glucosamine is actually in the food. Most dog food do not have enough to make a difference, and Hills does not specify an an exact amount for this food which is even more questionable IMO. I would be curious and may recommend contacting them to see how much of a dose the dog would actually get......I have a feeling you would be better off just supplementing the dog.

The other thing that stands out for this food (while I don't personally care for the ingredients) is the claim of the Omega 3 fatty acids. A discussion I had with an othro surgeon at the U of MN last week said that a 4:1 ratio of Omega 6: Omega 3 would be good, and that a lower ratio would be better. In this food that are almost at a 1:1 ration, which seems to be good. The Omega 3's supplied from fish oils have an anti-inflammatory affect, so this can help the dogs joints. Too much Omega 6 can be detrimental as Omega 6's have are pro-inflammatory. I suspect the Omega 3's are where most benefit is seen with this food.

But again, IMO I would personally feed a good fish oil supplement with the proper ratio's of Omega 6:3, and EPA:DHA ratio. This was also recommended to me by a different ortho surgeon at the U of MN, along with Glucosamine. And make sure that the fish oil is pharmaceutical grade or molecularly distilled.