Wednesday, October 13, 2010

osteoarthritis and dogs

If your dog problems walking or running, started limping for no apparent reason or exhibiting trouble getting up and lying down, there is a good chance that the osteoarthritis. Like humans, pets develop arthritic conditions and common diseases that often lead to severe pain. Arthritis in dogs may occur because of multiple factors, including the muscles, ligaments and tendons disease, congenital disorders, degenerative joint disease, metabolic problems and breaking the joints.
Glucosamine may help some of the problems caused by osteoarthritis problems. To understand how it works, it helps to have insight into what glucosamine. Glucosamine is a substance normally found in cartilage and synovial fluid which serves as a lubricant in the joints. Healthy animals synthesize glucosamine on its own to their joints healthy. But as pets get older, their ability to generate and synthesize glucosamine recedes. This leads to a gradual wearing away protective cartilage on the surface of the joint resulting in painful bone-on-bone contact.
Glucosamine supplements can help relieve arthritis using cartilage-forming cells are the building blocks needed for new cartilage for the repair or replacement of worn cartilage it. If swallowed, glucosamine is absorbed and distributed to joint tissue and can not only help slow the erosion of the cartilage, but actually regenerate. Dogs that are placed on glucosamine product begins to show an improvement of about four to six weeks. But they generally must be maintained over the rest of their lives. Fortunately, research has shown that glucosamine products to the life without the debilitating reactions.
Because of their proven success in the treatment of osteoarthritis, there are many glucosamine products available on the market. Choosing the right supplement for your dog can be a tricky proposal and it is something that should be largely dictated by the specific needs of your pet. Some glucosamine products are available as pills, while others come in the form of a liquid. Many consider glucosamine in liquid form, as a better alternative to pills simply because it is easier for a dog to take the supplement. Glucosamine pour over dog food, for example, may be accepted better compared to a pill that can refuse a dog chew or swallow.
Apart from the way glucosamine is delivered, there are several other important considerations that must be kept in mind. The largest of these considerations is that there are three distinct types of glucosamine for dogs, each with very different chemical compositions. The three types of glucosamine found in supplements is glucosamine hydrochloride, glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine mixed with other natural supplement called chondroitin.
Supplements glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin combined with cost less than glucosamine sulfate supplements. But there are some differences in the perception of how easily your body can absorb these supplements compared to glucosamine sulfate supplements. Some vets prefer glucosamine sulfate because it is considered the most bio-available or easily absorbed supplement the three species. There are others however, who believe that glucosamine hydrochloride supplements are more concentrated and rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract than other glucosamine supplements. Meanwhile, the combination of glucosamine chondroitin seen by some as the most effective for the treatment of osteoarthritis, because it combines two of cartilage building supplements.
The differences between the three types of glucosamine supplements are significant. It is crucial to understand these differences before deciding on the right glucosamine supplement to your dog. Also important to understand the correct dosage of glucosamine in your dog. Although there are no fixed or recommended dose, many veterinarians base dosage on the weight of the dog. Some experts recommend the use of glucosamine 750mg for every 50 pounds of weight that looks like a thumb rule that doctors use when prescribing of glucosamine in humans too.

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