What age would you start giving supplements for joints?

I didn't know Leon was going to be so badly effected with arthritis, in the end, it was the treatment that he had over the last year that caused his bad tummies and really dragged him downhill.

I don't think they necessarily caused him to go into heart failure but I really don't want to be so ignorant again and want to get as much into young Henry to protect his joints as I can.

Leon was on Cosequin, which is a mixture of the Chrondroitin and Glucosamine, that was supposed to be gentle on his tummy and I had no reason to suspect it caused him any additional problems.

Henry will be 14 months old tomorrow and I don't want to start popping pills and potions into him unneccessarily, but equally, I want to give him a more comfortable old age if possible.

I just wondered whether anyone starts supplements at an early age, or waits for the signs of arthritis to show before they do anything.

personally, I give cod-liver oil etc. when they get to about 6 or if there is a problem.

I have always given Ollie something for his joints.

I have given a variety of things over the 4 years but now he is on the Vetzyme high strength flexible joint tablets, he also has the fish4dogs food which has fish oils and he also has salmon oil in his food every morning.

He seems very supple at the moment and I hope he will always be so but with age I do think him being the size he is he will suffer in later years. Hopefully though because he has always had some extra help he will not need the vets intervention.

The Vetzyme are good Ollie has them as his treat for having his harness on nicely for his morning walk. They do say prevention is better than cure.

I will no doubt find out in the next few years.

Hi Sheree

We have been giving Max glucosamine, chondrotin and MSM tablets for a few years now. If I remember rightly he was about 4 when we started. Max was 2 when we got him and particularily with him being a big dog I was worried about how much care had been taken with his exercise in the early days. I discussed it with my vet after a couple of times when he got up from the sleeping position he looked very slightly stiff in his back legs. They seem to have done a good job. Max was 7 at his last vaccinations and our vet was pleased with how much mobility he had in his joints.

Thanks ladies I suppose I have got a bit of time then to decide what to give him and when...I just don't want to put him at risk as I had never had one as badly effected as Leon was, and I would hate to go through that with another and thinking I could have possibly avoided it to a degree.

Jane...Dave had huge hugs off Henry when he popped round...I think he wanted to steal him but I wouldn't let him

I spoke to Dave briefly after lunch and I think he was very taken with Henry indeed - I'm very jealous!

Aww, we'll have to meet up again and you can get to have a hug too...I'd love to meet your lad too

If you met Max, you may never speak to me again!..................

Both my boys who are aged 2 and 3 yrs are on Glucosamine and Chondroitin and Cod Liver Oil.

Ollie has a slight problem with his back which caused him to lie on his bed and refuse to go out for his walk a couple of times. He has been on the supplements for 6 months and they really have helped. He hasn't had another episode since.

Dusty was refusing to jump out of the car when we got home after their walk. It seemed to hurt him and he would sit waiting to be lifted. He has been on the supplements for 4 months now and prefers to jump out than be lifted although I don't always give him a choice.

I have taken the view that as they are supplements rather than medication they won't do any harm long term. They are simply rebuilding the cartilage which should keep arthritis at bay for as long as possible. If they hadn't had their various minor problems then I wouldn't have bothered at such a young age. I had a Springer pts about 3 years ago because he was crippled with arthritis in his elbows and this seems like a sensible precaution.

Thanks Maxine...in all my years of setters I hadn't had one so severely effected by it, although I know Claire had similar problems with our Remy. I think I will play it by ear for a while, as you say, the supplements won't do any harm long term.

Sorry to hear about your Springer