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Dogs are prone to developing joint diseases, or known as osteoarthritis in the medical world. It is a condition where damage to joint surfaces over time causes inflammation and pain.
There are many reasons as to why dogs may develop joint disease: longer life expectancy, genetics, obesity, or high activity levels.
Having a diet that includes supplements that help rebuild joint components and reduce inflammatory response is important for any dogs at risk of arthritis. And the best thing is, there's no risk to using joint support food as joint support supplements are not medications and don’t have side effects.
Here are the top 5 dog foods for joint support:
Royal Canin Maxi Adult Joint Care: This is Royal Canin’s specific large breed formula to help with joint support. The ingredients in the formula contain green tea polyphenols as anti-inflammatories, hydrolysed collagen and chondroitin for rebuilding joints, and fish oil with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids as a natural anti-inflammatory.
Hills Science Diet Adult Healthy Mobility: This formula comes in large, medium, and small breed-specific. Although there are fewer joint support ingredients, it still contains omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin in therapeutic amounts. Beware of “joint health” diets that are cheaper but may not contain enough beneficial ingredients to be effective.
Royal Canin Veterinary Mobility C2P+: This prescription diet is more effective than over the counter but requires clearance from your vet. There are more joint support ingredients for dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, and is an updated formula that replaces both the old Royal Canin Mobility Support and Mobility Support Large Breed diets. It is similar to the Maxi Adult formula but contains additional turmeric extract as a natural anti inflammatory.
Hill's Prescription Diet Mobility j/d: Similar to Royal Canin's formula above but contains higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin. It also activates the pet's metabolism for effective weight loss and stimulates their ability to burn fat, reducing excess strain on joints.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets JM Joint Mobility: Very similar to Hill's Prescription Diet Mobility j/d, its formula contains rich levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine to help support joint health. It also contains a high protein-to-calorie ratio to help support lean muscle mass.
Any dogs at risk (large breeds, active breeds) should start on joint support ASAP, even if they are young as it helps to delay the onset of disease and reduces severity of joint disease.
If you want to compare dog food options with joint support, check out Pawsitive Plan to compare across 28 different dog food brands and personalise a meal plan for your fur babies.