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Best Joint Supplements For Great Danes

By: Justin Palmer
Justin Palmer is a Certified Pet Food Nutrition Specialist and co-founder of iHeartDogs.com. Inspired by his rescued husky, Splash, he dedicated himself to learning about extending both the length and quality of her life. Splash lived and thrived until 18 years old, and now Justin is on a mission to share what he learned with other dog owners.Read more
| January 2, 2018

Are Supplements Like Glucosamine For Great Danes Good?

Should my Great Dane be on supplements?

There is a common misconception that dry dog food alone provides all the nutrients your dog needs to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. However, during the manufacturing process of dry dog food, most of the vitamins and nutrients are extracted. Great Danes, as well as any breed, would greatly benefit from taking supplements especially ones for joint health. Great Danes can start taking supplements when puppies as early as one year old. It is always suggested to start supplements while your dog is young to avoid health issues later on in life. Great Danes are prone to hip and joint issues as well as anxiety and allergies. Prevention is key to helping your pup stay healthy.

Do Great Danes need vitamins?

Great Danes are more prone to health issues than some other larger breeds. Scientifically, it is unknown as to exactly what the reason or cause is. So, it is very important that your Great Dane takes vitamins every day. Great Danes are more prone to developing these health issues below.

  • Bloat, which is the result of the stomach losing blood supply due to twisting of the stomach.
  • Joint and bone issues such as hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis.
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Knuckling of joints

What is a good joint supplement for Great Danes?

Not knowing which hip and joint supplement is best for your Great Dane might leave you feeling anxious and stressed. Fortunately, there are quite a few great options to help your dog build cartilage and reduce inflammation.

Related: 9 Best Glucosamine Chews for Dogs

iHeartDogs Advanced 8-in-1 Hip and joint chews are rich in Glucosamine and Chondroitin. These two ingredients are important as they foster joint health by repairing cartilage and slow down the rate of cartilage breakdown between the joints. Another ingredient these chews contain are organic turmeric. Turmeric is a natural root that is known to reduce painful inflammation while acting as an antioxidant also. Not only are iHeartDogs chews veterinarian recommended, but they can be started as early as twelve months old for Great Danes.

Hemp Oil has become increasingly popular as a form of medicine used to treat many different illnesses in humans and pets alike. Hemp Oil works the same way in animals as it does in humans. iHeartDogs Ultra Premium Broad Spectrum Hemp Oil was created with your pets mobility health in mind. Hemp Oil will help increase your pets mobility while decreasing the pain. Hemp Oil is also all natural and free of steroids or NSAID’s. It is suggested and safe to use Hemp Oil every day as a daily supplement. Using Hemp Oil every day will provide the maximum benefit for your Great Dane.

How do I keep my Great Dane healthy?

Great Danes are often referred to as a “gentle giant” because of the size of the dog, but also because they are often gentle and caring towards their owners. Great Danes are sweet hearted, love to play, and generally gentle around children because of their patient personality. Ensuring your Great Dane has a healthy lifestyle is important to these pups living their life to their full potential.

Giving your Great Dane multiple smaller meals is better than one or two large meals a day because Great Danes are more likely to develop bloat. Veterinarians suggest that feeding them smaller meals will help reduce the possibility of onset of bloat. Be mindful not to exercise up to an hour after your dog eats to allow your dogs food to digest. Not allowing your dogs food to digest prior to exercise could increase your dogs ability to develop bloat.

Great Danes as a breed love to exercise and play but, they also are more prone to joint issues as well. Creating an exercise routine with your veterinarian is beneficial to slow the process of knuckling and joint pain. Generally, exercising your Great Dane two hours a day which would include a long walk and play time in the yard with their owner and family.

Keeping your Great Dane healthy goes beyond just an active and healthy diet. When we talk about health, we have to consider their mental health as well. Great Danes are sweet and loving dogs. They are also great with children. Because of their loyal personality, Great Danes need a lot of love and attention. Taking time out of your day to spend time with your pup will greatly benefit your pups over all well being. Great Danes love tug-a-war, fetch hide and seek and dog toys.

Lastly, Great Danes benefit greatly from a supplement or vitamin. Because this breed is more prone to joint issues, it is important to start a supplement as early as age one. This will help slow the process of knuckling or bowing of their paws. Great Danes should take supplements that are rich in Vitamin- C, Glucosamine and Chondroitin. They can also benefit from taking Hemp Oil to reduce or prevent inflammation between their joints and cartilage.

How can I help my Great Danes hips?

Great Danes are more prone to hip and joint issues such as knuckling and bowing of their paws. With this in mind, there are things you can do to help your pup have healthier joints and slow down the break down of cartilage and inflammation.

Supplements that are tailored to hip and joint health are important for Great Danes. Glucosamine ad Chondroitin are two important vitamins that are good for your dogs joints. Glucosamine and Chondroitin are the perfect couple to reduce inflammation of the joints and slow cartilage break down. When reducing inflammation, you also reduce pain. There have been studies that show that supplements tailored to joint health have even rebuilt cartilage. Giving your dog a joint supplement as early as age one would help slow the possibility of knuckling.

If your Great Dane is experiencing pain, it would be beneficial to get a supplement that also contains Hemp Oil. Hemp Oil works great for pain. It is a natural antioxidant, anti inflammatory, and natural pain reliever. Hemp Oil is safe to use as a daily supplement. Be sure to check with your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.

Is fish oil good for Great Danes?

Fish oil which contains Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most beneficial supplements you could give to your Great Dane. Fish oil helps dogs’ heart, skin, joints and immune system.

Do Great Danes need vitamin C?

Vitamin C is one of the most important supplements you could give your Great Dane because it helps prevent and also treat a common condition called knuckling. Knuckling is bowing of the dogs legs as well as crooked paws. Vitamin C isn’t just helpful for knuckling, it provides an all over benefit for the heart, skin and immunity.

What can you give a Great Dane for joint pain?

For pet owners, seeing your Great Dane in pain can leave you feeling helpless and defeated. After all, no one wants to see their pup in pain. Fortunately there are many things you can do to help your pup who is experiencing joint pain.

Hip and Joint supplements help strengthen and slow the breakdown of your dogs’ cartilage. Supplements also reduce inflammation and lubricate their joints. Hip and joint supplements are rich in vitamin C, Glucosamine and Chondroitin. All of these are essential to helping your dog feel relief and have a healthier well being. Veterinarians suggest giving your dog hip and joint supplements as early as age one for Great Danes. Prevention is key to having a healthy pup long into their senior dog years.

Hemp or Hemp Oil can help your pup get relief from hip and joint pain. Hemp oil comes in a variety of options to tailor to your dogs’ taste preference. Hemp oil can come in the form of a chew, oil dropper, or even meatballs! Hemp oil interacts with the endocannabinoid system which is made up of receptors located throughout your dogs’ body. These endocannabinoids create balance and regulation. The endocannabinoids help decrease inflammation, provide pain relief, and act as an antianxiety.

#1: For Maximum Efficacy, Choose a Supplement for Your Great Dane with Multiple Active Ingredients

When most people think of a joint supplement for their great dane, glucosamine comes to mind. And while glucosamine is the most popular active ingredient, other powerful nutraceuticals include MSM, chondroitin, and turmeric (curcumin). If your supplement contains only one or two of these, you may be missing potential benefits. Different dogs respond to different treatments, so when in doubt, offer a broad spectrum of nutrients.

#2: Always Check The Amount of Active Ingredients

If the quantity of active ingredients (in milligrams) is not made available, the product likely contains low levels that are unlikely to have a therapeutic effect on your great dane’s joints. As a rule of thumb, your dog should receive 20 mg of glucosamine daily for each pound they weigh. Budget oriented joint supplements (often in the $15-20 a bottle range) often contain levels too low to make any serious impact on your dog’s joint health. In addition, dry dog food manufacturers have begun including trivial amounts of glucosamine in their products in an attempt to woo consumers. Make sure your dog receives enough to matter!

#3: Always Buy Made In USA

While you’d expect that most pet stores would have transitioned to only carrying consumable products that are made in the USA, this is simply not the case. Many budget oriented pet stores, online retailers, and grocery stores still carry inferior supplements made in factories outside the USA with far lower production standards.

#4: Decide If You Want An Arthritis Supplement with or Without Hemp for Your Great Dane

The last few years has brought about exciting advancements in the use of Hemp for dogs. Several clinical trials have shown Hemp can improve the mobility of arthritic dogs. Some brands have begun to offer their Hip & Joint supplements with Hemp or without Hemp.

#5: Results Will Vary Based on Your Great Dane’s Age and Condition

Ideally, a joint supplement regimen should begin before signs of pain are present in your great dane. (ideally around 5 years of age, although large breeds may need earlier) In reality, however, we often don’t consider the need until signs of pain are apparent. If your dog is already showing signs of distress, a joint supplement can still offer substantial relief. However, it may take 1-2 months to show signs of improvement.

#6: Taste and Format Matters

The best joint supplement in the world is worthless if your dog refuses to eat it. The most popular formats of delivery for joint supplements are liquid, tablet chews, and soft chews, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. When it comes to palatability, soft chews and liquids tend to please the most canine palates. Because a soft chew can contain a wider variety of nutraceuticals (see item #1) it’s our preferred method.

Where Our Research Led Us (Our Preferred Joint & Joint Supplement for Great Danes)

Our research in hip & joint supplements for dogs led us to develop & recommend natural dog hip & joint supplements as well as hemp oil for dogs and anxiety supplements for dogs. An added bonus of this brand is that each purchase goes towards helping provide food for animal shelters in need.

Thank you for reading this guide. Remember to always consult your veterinarian when making changes to your dog’s diet and routine. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional. 

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