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Q & A Q: We have a 7 year old lab cross who has started limping when she goes on a long walk or runs about too much. We're also noticing that she is really stiff when she first gets up in the morning. She is a bit overweight, and we have been trying to help her lose weight by getting more exercise but now we are worried about stressing her joints. We've been trying to feed her a bit less, but it seems like she gets so much less than what is recommended on the bag already. Is there anything we can do with diet or nutritional supplements that would help? A: Helen Brooks of The Whole Hound responds: The first piece of advice I would give is to make sure that you know what is going on with your dog. A veterinarian can diagnose the condition for you. If they diagnose it as the onset of some form of canine arthritis there are several options which may be used to significantly improve her condition post exercise. If you only want to make one change to your dog's regime then the addition of a high quality, daily glucosamine supplement such as Whole Hound's OSTEO AID is worth trying. Glucosamine has been studied in dogs and many people use it together with MSM to help reduce inflammation, regenerate joint components, and build connective tissue and synovial fluid. If you are interested in taking additional steps which may even more dramatically improve her condition and whole health, then I would recommend changing her diet to a mostly grain free raw or cooked whole food (i.e. unprocessed) diet, AND add a daily multi-vitamin mineral supplement such as TOTAL HEALTH PLUS. Feeding the least processed possible food means your dog gets more nourishment from the food, which also helps to satiate her. It will be harder for her to heal if she is mal-nourished or hungry all the time. Vitamins and minerals are foundational to health and necessary for proper growth, health maintenance and disease prevention. TOTAL HEALTH PLUS also has glucosamine HCI, MSM and digestive enzymes in it, which are all ingredients that are used to help combat arthritis in dogs. FInally, adding an essential fatty acid, such as our milled flax and lecithin or a salmon oil daily will further help reduce inflammation, while contributing to a healthy skin and coat. The full range of Whole Hound products are available at bow wow haus. Our archives of previous Q&A are located here. |
