Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Joint supplement suggestions for aging lab

I posted this in Hunters Campfire and thought it may be fitting here as well, so please forgive if you already saw this.


Our awesome lab Max (pure house dog) is 7 and starting to show some age in his hips and joints.
We have been giving him Synoquin (description below) which seems to be helping but it’s quite expensive.

Any suggestions for supplements that have proven helpful to your older dog?

Here is their description:

SYNOQUIN® is a complementary feed for dogs which promotes healthy cartilage, soothes stiff joints, promotes mobility and supports joint health.

SYNOQUIN® is the only joint supplement to contain Dexahan, a purified Krill packed with Omega 3 fatty acids.


Thanks for you help,
PigGuy

Buy a cheaper supplement and get your krill from Costco.
It's all the same.

7 is very young for that kind of problems.

Do some research into Adequate... I have used this off/on for 20 years with so so results.

If it is arthritis
you can get a cheap generic Rx for Meloxicam. A 15mg tablet can be broken into 1/4's and given a piece each morning. This works pretty well.

I have also given fish oil tabs and glucosamine/chondroitin/msm tablets (Sams) since they are puppies.

ALSO.... walk the dog EVERYDAY for 1-2 miles... motion is lotion.

I am not making a claim, just sharing an anecdote. I save bones and carcasses that will fit in the crockpot. I keep the crock in the fridge to prevent spoilage. When it gets full, I cover them with water and put it on the counter at low heat for a few days, then back in the fridge to set up. I put the resulting jelly on my dogs' kibble (usually grain-free, but not exclusively). My male got his hips OFA certified at 120 months this summer. My vet's partner thought we were crazy to even take the x-rays. I will continue the practice with my younger female.

It appears as thought there exist some commercial varieties: https://be.chewy.com/bone-broth-for-dogs/

Good luck.

Thanks for everyone’s replies , it looks like we have some great options by going generic

Acti-Flex 4000 worked for my Lab—someone with horses initially gave me a free sample they had gotten. Feed stores carried it here, and there's also a dog specific version now.

No substitute for the exercise part mentioned. You can add supplements etc to that but it won't substitute for exercise

My dog gets dried green lipped muscle powder for her joints. She's young, but I don't want issues in the future.

Do you load your dog in the back of a pickup? Using a ramp is a lot better on the joints especially exiting from the bed of the truck. Four door cabs with back seats folded are a lot lower than the bed if they balk at ramp use. Some wear and tear is preventable.

My dog gets Glucosamine and fish oil supplements. He's a big boy (183lbs) and his left hip or knee used to get sore when he played a long time with his buddies. After about a year of daily doses he can run and jump for at least an hour or two without soreness.

I have a few suggestions:
1- Is your Lab at or slightly under their ideal body mass? If not, ANY extra weight he's carrying is breaking down his cartilage. If he's overweight, reduce his caloric intake by 20%. Add canned cut green beans to his food bowl with his food to help fill the belly without additional calories. Weigh him at least every 2 weeks, your vet won't mind.
2- from your vet, get a prescription for Adequan (hyaluronic acid) or Pentosan polysulfate (Cartrophen) and be instructed on how to inject into your dog (either subcutaneous or intramuscular, respectively) and what the schedule is. I use a number of pet mail-order pharmacy to get the best prices.
3- purchase the krill oil, greenlipped mussel oil, glucosamine/chondroitan/MSM combo pills (all but the mussel extract) can be found at Costco or similar warehouse store.
4- Daily exercise: swimming and bumper fetching is a great, low stress exercise. Walking a must if you don't have water around. Caveletti exercises are good for strengthening your dog's muscles. Consult YouTube and/or a vet clinic with a rehab department.
Try all these and see how he does. This has helped a number of my Labs! Mark & Belle

Equa Holistics Green Lipped Mussel Powder for Dogs, All-Natural Hip & Joint Support Dietary Supplement Formula for Dogs (120 Servings) https://a.co/d/1sR7yaR

Ask your veterinarian about librela . A new monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor. It has been amazing on my personal dog as well as client animals for degenerative joint disease.

sorry. ADEQUAN is the correct spelling

My DVM told me the same thing on Tuesday. Going in to find out more about it next week. She said on her dog it's been like rolling time back 2-3 years.

With Librela, is this an IM injection? Dose size by weight?
Calling my Vet about it now..... English Pointer with OA signs, weight correct , and regular exercise....I would like to improve her quality of life.....and extend her field usefulness, for both our sakes.

Monthly subcutaneous injection. Dose based on weight

Thank you so much for the information..... I'll be in my Vet's office on Tuesday Morning for a consultation.

Follow up to the above Post. I immediately conferred with my Vet and put my 10 year old English Pointer on the medicine. Maybe just wishful thinking , but I already see a noticeable improvement in her mobility on our most recent outings, 10 days into the Rx.
Thanks for all the helpful input, particularly to Dogvet for his information and endorsement.