# Best food for a dog with arthritis?



## Faux (Aug 5, 2013)

Long story short, my 11 month old English Shepherd puppy has arthritis due to some surgeries he went through in February and July. The surgeries were on his hind legs. If you have questions on that fiasco, you can privately message me.

The arthritis isn't bad as of currently, and I want to help slow it down as much as possible.

I've read that grains can cause the arthritis to be painful, and luckily he's been on grain free food his whole life. I've also got him on different supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin, and salmon oil. The vet recommended Flinstones vitamins as well. I couldn't exactly tell you why though, cannot remember. The food he gets is Blue Buffalo Freedom puppy. I tried switching him over to Blue Wilderness Salmon...but yeah...that got nasty on day 4 out of 10.

I guess my question for you is, what brand do you recommend? Would you put him on large breed, since that has come glucosamine and chondroitin in it already? Does his diet need to be completely grain free, or can it have brown rice or oatmeal? How do you feel about Simply Nourish and Nature's Recipes? 

I don't want to go more expensive than Blue D; that's where my budget taps out, I don't have much extra to mess around with since I have to pay off his surgeries and my credit cards. 

Thanks in advance, and I appreciate the help!


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Your 11 month old already has arthritis?? That's so sad 

I believe red meat is inflammatory, so I would stick to fish and chicken based foods for now. Food that is marketed as being better for joint health has actually been shown to not have enough glucosamine, etc. in it to actually make a difference. I would just stick with a good joint supplement and be vigilant about it. I use green lipped mussel powder for my dog (he has a luxating patella) and it helps him a lot. You can also look into velvet elk antlers and NaturVet Arthritis Relief (a lot of the customers at the store I worked at saw really good results with this supplement).

I don't know if grains make a difference in joint health. I personally just stay away from grains because I feel like many dogs don't tolerate it very well, but I haven't heard of it causing more joint stress.


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## Faux (Aug 5, 2013)

I know  I feel badly for him.

I didn't know red meat was an inflammatory! That is definitely good to know, so I can watch what I get him for treats. His food is chicken based, although I would prefer to find him salmon. I will definitely look into those products you mentioned!

I don't know how true it is, but I want to stay away from them as much as possible as well.

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it!


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## Tuco (Jun 16, 2013)

I would recommend a raw diet, with a base of some sort of lean poultry or pork if you dog is very active. Supplement with glycoflex 2 and turmeric. 


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## Faux (Aug 5, 2013)

I wouldn't say he's terribly active right now, prior surgery he was...but post surgery he just hasn't had the energy. His muscles are super weak since he hasn't done much of anything since February. His first surgery required 2 months kennel rest, and another 2 months of taking it easy. I'm afraid of doing too much protein for him, since putting on too much weight with him can be bad for the arthritis as well. We're starting to get more active though, he goes to daycare once or twice a week, and I'm trying to start running with him more. He's probably the most relax/chill herding breed dog I've ever seen for as young as he is. He's always been super chill.

How much does the average raw diet cost? I'm not opposed to it, but cost is a huge factor since he's become an expensive dog.

I'll look into glycoflex 2 and tumeric! Thanks for the input!


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Depends on how big your pup is. Usually you feed 2-3% of their body weight when adults, depending on how active they are.

With my 7.5 lbs dog, it costs me approximately $20 a month 

Here's a good guide to Prey Model Raw:
http://www.chanceslittlewebsite.com...88/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.6.pdf


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Raw can be extremely inexpensive if you've got room to store large quantities so you can place bulk orders, or take on freebies.

I really like Green Lipped Mussel for arthritis/joint pain. I take it myself, and give it to my dogs.


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## KuroSaya (Jun 3, 2011)

I use this velvet elk antler supplement for Saya I think it helps some. 
http://www.natraflex.com/superflex.html 

She used to take green lipped mussel supplement, but I ran out. I'd rotate it one day elk supplement other lipped mussel now just elk stuff. I plan order more once I'm done painting my room and stuff kinda busy and don't need bunch of things coming by mail.. hehe 

I stick to those two and also give salmon oil one day and coconut oil the other.


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## TinyTails (May 16, 2011)

Which Green Lipped Mussell supplement would you recommend? I'd like to get it for my pups. Thank you.


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## Bumper1 (Jul 14, 2013)

Faux said:


> Long story short, my 11 month old English Shepherd puppy has arthritis due to some surgeries he went through in February and July. The surgeries were on his hind legs. If you have questions on that fiasco, you can privately message me.
> 
> The arthritis isn't bad as of currently, and I want to help slow it down as much as possible.
> 
> ...


The important things are weight control, avoiding injury and consistent low impact exercise. Use a supplement with Perna (green lipped mussel) because that is the only supplement that has been shown to work. Annamaet Endure is excellent and it is from a company you can trust. 

Also, I highly recommend that when the dog is obviously sore you confine the dog and give a baby aspirin, maybe two. There is nothing worse than inflammation for a dog in this situation.

Don't believe anything you read about grains or nightshades. This is injury related arthritis.


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## Bumper1 (Jul 14, 2013)

TinyTails said:


> Which Green Lipped Mussell supplement would you recommend? I'd like to get it for my pups. Thank you.


Annamaet Endure is the best out there. The problem with many supplements is that they come from companies that just package bulk commodities. Annamaet is one of the best food companies out there and its three supplements are some of the best, if not the best, on the market.

http://annamaet.com/supplements/54-endure-supplement-for-dogs

Don't bother with Glycoflex. That comes from a bulk packager in Vermont that sells the same things under 3 or 4 different names. It is junk. Scam.


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## Bumper1 (Jul 14, 2013)

Red meat is not inflammatory. What could be is red meat fat if that is all the fat the dog gets. Where this person comes up with this stuff is beyond me.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Bumper1 said:


> Red meat is not inflammatory. What could be is red meat fat if that is all the fat the dog gets. Where this person comes up with this stuff is beyond me.


Dude, I said I "believe". Doesn't mean it's 100% conclusive. I've read several articles/studies online that have indicated this, but of course, there are just as many articles proving otherwise. So why bother taking the risk? Here's a link to an article from CNN:


> Beyond the concern of sodium or nitrates, red meat contains high amounts of arachidonic acid that can promote inflammation. Other food sources to consider include eggs and dairy products.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/health/food-cause-pain-daniluk

And another:
http://holistichealthservices.com/research/chronic_pain.html


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

TinyTails said:


> Which Green Lipped Mussell supplement would you recommend? I'd like to get it for my pups. Thank you.


I use the GLM from X-Tend Life - http://www.xtend-life.com/product/Green_Lipped_Mussel_Powder.aspx
It's pure (no unnecessary additives), and affordable and since I take it myself, I know it works.


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## GLiO (Aug 12, 2013)

*From: Canine Arthritis Treatment - The Whole Dog Journal*


> *Diet*
> Certain foods may increase inflammation and aggravate arthritis. Some people have found that eliminating grains from the diet improves their dogs’ symptoms, sometimes to the point that no other treatment is needed. In addition, plants from the nightshade family, including potatoes (not sweet potatoes), tomatoes, peppers (all kinds), and eggplant may aggravate arthritis.
> 
> Unfortunately, it’s not easy to avoid these foods unless you feed a homemade diet, where you control all the ingredients. The vast majority of dry foods contain grains, and those that do not often contain potatoes instead. There are a few brands that use only sweet potatoes or tapioca that would be worth trying for a dog with arthritis, to see if your dog improves. Canned foods usually have fewer carbohydrates than dry foods, so that might be another option to try, especially for smaller dogs where the higher cost of canned food is not such an obstacle.
> ...


*From: Arthritis - Pet Care - ASPCA*


> *How Can Canine Arthritis Be Treated?*
> 
> Once symptoms of arthritis set in, there is no cure. It’s important for you to work with your veterinarian to create a program to minimize your dog’s pain while keeping him healthy. Some general treatment options may include:
> 
> ...


Be sure to read both articles for a lot more information on how to help the arthritis.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

A food with a TON of joint supplements added would be Orijen Senior. But it is more expensive than blue.... Way better quality though... :/


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## Tuco (Jun 16, 2013)

Ignore bumpers attempts to discredit any recommendation people make, he's been banned like 6 times on both this forum and a couple other dog forums and comes back with fake usernames trolling the forum. I've seen glycoflex help tons of dogs at the clinic, far more than any other join supplement, especially I've seen it help big dogs with very very mild displasia be able to jump and run and play without issues, I will continue recommending the product, especially since the worst I've heard about it was today with an Internet troll calling it junk with no backup reasoning to discredit the quality of the product itself


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