Chondroitin is a molecule that occurs naturally in the body. It is a significant component of cartilage, the tough, connective tissue that cushions the joints. Chondroitin for pets usually comes from natural sources, such as shark and bovine cartilage, or synthetic production. Chondroitin helps keep cartilage healthy by absorbing fluid (particularly water) into the connective tissue. Many believe It may also block enzymes that break down cartilage and provide the building blocks for the body to produce new cartilage.
As veterinary medicine advances and dogs and cats are able to live longer, the joint breakdown has become one of the more common problems that vets see every day.
One solution to this problem that is easy and affordable to help in the symptoms of joint problems including arthritis is to supplement chondroitin into your dog’s diet; supplements can be extremely helpful, regardless of the stage of joint breakdown or arthritis your dog or cat is experiencing.
While not guaranteed cures, these joint supplements can provide relief and prevention of the painful inflammation associated with arthritis, and aid in the long-term health of your pet.
Any pet with degenerative joint disease and arthritis may benefit from treatment with chondroitin.
Chondroitin is the major glycosaminoglycan found in cartilage. It helps water retention and flexibility in the cartilage, helping to ensure adequate shock absorption and sufficient nourishment of the tissues that line the joint. Like glucosamine, chondroitin may also inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators that are harmful to the joint.
Given the potential for benefit and the low risk of any unwanted side effects, chondroitin is always recommended for animals with joint pain. Where a benefit is seen, doses of more expensive drugs may be reduced, including the NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin, carprofen, and meloxicam. Because chondroitin protects mucosal barriers, it may not only provide pain relief in animals administered NSAIDS but also help protect their intestinal tracts from ulcerations which are occasionally seen as a side effect of NSAID use.
Many scientific studies suggest that chondroitin may be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a type of arthritis identified by the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage, either due to injury or to normal wear and tear. It commonly occurs as pets age. In some studies, chondroitin supplements have decreased the pain of OA.
Chondroitin and Glucosamine effect on humans has been studied multiple times. The largest study to date, the 2006 Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) looked at 1,600 people with knee OA. The first phase discovered that a small subset of patients with moderate-to-severe arthritis experienced significant pain relief from combined glucosamine and chondroitin. The 2008 phase found that glucosamine and chondroitin, together or alone, did not slow joint damage. And in the two-year-long 2010 phase, glucosamine and chondroitin were found as effective for knee OA as celecoxib (Celebrex).
Most agree the value of a regular supplementation of chondroitin far outweighs the risks. Generally accepted benefits include:
Chondroitin may improve pain slightly in the short-term (less than 6 months);
– Chondroitin improves knee pain by 20% in slightly more people;
– Chondroitin probably improves the quality of life slightly as measured by Lequesne’s index (a combined measure of pain, function, and disability);
– Chondroitin has little or no difference in adverse and serious adverse events versus other agents; and
– Chondroitin slightly slows down the narrowing of joint space on X-rays of the affected joint.