Glucosamine and Chondroitin

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I read that the glucosamine and chondriotin found in pet supplements (with some exceptions) do not contain the amounts that the dogs need so I have decided to give my older dogs human glucosamine and chondriotin. My vet told me to use the same dosage I would use for myself. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'd think, aside from the multivitamins they get, they'd get it in the milk since it's fat soluble but I don't actually know.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't know at what age they start the multivitamins; it's been almost 30 years since I had an infant. But I know the recommended amounts have increased for both lactating moms and breastfed babies in recent years, particularly those living in Northern climates who get little sun exposure.

[Adina P]

The thing with Vit D is it is pretty well accepted now that the current RDA (or is it DRI for vit D?) is not high enough, BUT what isn't known is what a better goal should be. So the research is still out on that one. When someone is actually deficient (per blood work), docs usually give a 50,000 per week dose for one month and then recommend a maintenance dose of 1,000 daily--way over the RDA/DRI. But the upper limit seems to be fairly high as to not be dangerous.

For those who don't use formula, vit D apparently (going on hearsay here) isn't high enough in breastmilk. Not sure if MY supplementing with D makes a difference in my milk supply or not. I also don't drink cow's milk, but use soy milk.

[F, Calla & Luca]

All interesting! I would think your supplements would increase the amount in the breast milk but don't know that for a fact. The 50,000 is mind boggling! But you have to remember, as I may have said before, when I was a kid we "had" 48 chromosomes.

[Tammy & Gracie]

I too, take G & C personally for fairly serious arthrirtis in my back and knees. I stopped after having read some of the studies showing no effectiveness. After a month or so I was having significantly increased joint pain. Again, I started the G & C and things improved once again after a month or so. So unscientifically, it certainly helps me. I would prefer not to take it, especially at the rather high costs but it definately helps me.

[F, Calla & Luca]

That's interesting.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My husband has had the same reaction! When he has stopped the G/C he had much more pain and when he took it again, he felt much better. So, he takes it.

[Natasha]

Hello - I'm new here and happy to be here!

If I might chime in on the glucosamine and chondroitin topic... Two years ago, my doctor said that it might be worth it for me to give glucosamine + chondroitin a try to help stem off further joint pain based upon a study that was done with dogs. He said that the most recent human study (at the time) was inconclusive in his mind as the study itself was flawed. HOWEVER, he had read a study that was performed on a large sample size of dogs in various states of joint degredation that showed statistically significant evidence that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin did stop further degredation. No other combinations of glucosamine (alone, with other minerals or vitamins, etc.) used in the study showed similar results. The study did not show that glucosamine and chondroitin reversed the damage but it did show that dogs taking the supplement were able to increase their movement and daily exercise and decreased signs of pain (favoring the hips, not wanting to move about, etc.).

My doctor is very study focused and also tends to be critical of how studies are performed. He liked this one because, given the duration of the study, the large sample size and that they were dogs, they were not aware of their participation in the study - any improvements or lack thereof were not influenced by the placebo effect.

So - net of conversation - the study performed on the dogs passed my doctor's test for being comprehensive and double-blind and showed that glucosamine and chondroitin, when used in combination, stopped and/or slowed further joint damage and made it possible for the dogs to lead a more active life with less pain. It did not show that it reversed the damage. Whether this translates to humans is unknown but he did not see harm that would come from taking it as a human.