Mary Allen
When our dogs and cats suffer from osteoarthritis, it has a massive impact on their quality of life. Pain and lack of mobility often prevent them from acting out natural behaviors and that means stress. To prevent joint diseases from occurring in the first place or to alleviate the disease process, you can take targeted countermeasures with certain nutrients. You can read how this works here.
For Which, Dogs and Cats are Joint Support Nutrients Important?
If your cat or dog is already suffering from a chronic joint disease such as arthrosis, high-dose joint-supporting nutrients are an important part of the therapy. They have been shown to improve symptoms and can help save on painkillers.
However, if the animal has an increased risk of osteoarthritis, it is advisable to use special feed or feed additives as a preventive measure, e.g. if:
- the animal is exposed to high stress, e.g. working dogs, hunting dogs, sled dogs.
- hereditary joint misalignments or cartilage damage are present, e.g. hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), or osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD).
- other types of joint damage are already present, e.g. due to accidents.
- it is a very large, heavy animal, e.g. a dog of a giant breed.
- it comes to “senior age”. Depending on the breed, this is already the case with dogs at the age of 4-5 (very large breeds) or from around 7 years of age. Cats are also considered seniors from the age of 7 and benefit from age-appropriate feeding.
- his joy of movement decreases noticeably.
Which Nutrients or Active Ingredients Help the Joints?
The feed additives used today in the prophylaxis and therapy of joint diseases mainly follow two principles:
- they have an anti-inflammatory effect and/or
- represent important building blocks for joint metabolism.
The active ingredients should break the vicious circle of joint inflammation and joint destruction and enable the regeneration of joint structures. While it is not possible to restore already damaged articular cartilage as if nothing had happened, the progression of joint destruction can be slowed or even halted and the animal’s quality of life improved.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are built into the cell membranes of the body’s cells and play a role in inflammatory processes.
The aim of fatty acid supplementation in osteoarthritis therapy is to change the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the diet in favor of omega-3 fatty acids, since these have an anti-inflammatory effect, while omega-6 fatty acids are more pro-inflammatory.
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) have been proven to have positive effects on joint health. Fish oil from cold-water fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, herring) contains high concentrations of these omega-3 fatty acids.
It also usually takes two to three months for fatty acids to show a positive effect. Overdoses of omega-3 fatty acids can cause side effects, especially blood clotting disorders. A combination of fatty acids with antioxidants such as vitamin E is useful. These not only protect the fatty acids themselves from spoilage but also the organism from oxidative stress.
Green Lipped Mussel Extract (GLM)
New Zealand green-lipped mussel contains a joint-healthy cocktail of
- gags,
- omega-3 fatty acids,
- vitamins,
- Amino acids (e.g. glutamine) and
- Minerals (copper, zinc, selenium).
In addition to the well-known effects of GAGs and omega-3 fatty acids, green-lipped mussel extract appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect that has not yet been fully clarified. Studies show positive effects of green-lipped mussel extract in mild and moderate osteoarthritis. As a rule, GLM only shows a clear effect after long-term use of more than two months.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM, organic sulfur)
The unwieldy name sounds like pure “chemistry”, but methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a natural organic sulfur compound. The body needs sulfur to build such important things as cartilage, synovial fluid, tendons, ligaments, etc. MSM also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and numerous studies have shown a positive effect on arthritic joints. For example, people with inflamed, arthritic joints felt pain relief, their joints were less swollen and more flexible. Combinations of MSM with glucosamine, chondroitin, frankincense extract, and/or collagen type II (all also contained in Dr. Hölter Pro Agility) were also examined (in humans). There was a significant increase in the positive effects of MSM on arthritic and arthritic joints.
Given prophylactically, MSM was able to reduce the development of cartilage damage in animals after a cruciate ligament rupture and in marathon runners reduced the oxidative stress caused by strenuous exertion, resulting in faster recovery and less muscle soreness.
Turmeric (curcumin)
Turmeric is not only a component of curry and gives food a nice yellow color, but it has also been used in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory. The most important active ingredient in turmeric (Curcuma longa), which is related to ginger, is curcumin. This secondary plant substance belongs to the so-called polyphenols, which are also becoming increasingly important in western medical research. There are over 1100 scientific studies in the Pubmed database on the effect of curcumin on osteoarthritis alone. Various mechanisms were discovered in the laboratory by which curcumin has an anti-inflammatory effect on various cell types, including cartilage cells. In doing so, it partially intervenes in the same inflammatory mechanisms as the classic anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID, COX-2 inhibitor). An increase in collagen type II formation by curcumin, which is useful for cartilage formation, could also be demonstrated in the laboratory.
A study of dogs with osteoarthritis showed that the animals fed curcumin had even fewer inflammatory activated white blood cells than dogs in the comparison group that were treated with NSAIDs. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of a turmeric extract have also been demonstrated in horses. So the first scientific results in pets are promising. In human medicine, larger studies have already shown the pain-relieving effects of dietary supplements containing turmeric in knee osteoarthritis. For example, people who took a turmeric supplement were able to climb stairs better and had less pain when walking. The effect of turmeric was comparable to the pain and inflammation relief provided by the commonly prescribed NSAID drug ibuprofen.
However, it is unfortunately not enough to season the feed of dogs, cats, or horses with arthrosis with turmeric. The active ingredient curcumin is poorly absorbed into the blood so large amounts of turmeric have to be consumed or the active ingredient curcumin has to be dissolved in a special way so that it can be better absorbed.
Oral Tolerance by Undenatured Collagen II (UC II)
“Oral tolerance” is the name of the latest trend in the treatment of arthrosis and arthritis. What is meant is that the joint-destroying immune reaction can be prevented or dampened by oral administration of a small amount of the cartilage building material collagen. This completely new, promising treatment option works in a similar way to hyposensitization in allergy sufferers. It starts very early in the development process of joint inflammation without suppressing the immune system as a whole.