Glucosamine for pets is one of the most rapidly developing subfields of veterinary medicine today. It's used as a way to encourage cartilage growth and repair in older animals or those that have joint and musculature degradation problems. It is also rapidly developing into the most popular choice of treatment programs for dogs with osteoarthritis, which is one of the most frequently occurring medical issues in dogs with old age. In order to give your pet glucosamine supplements, you'll need to receive a prescription from your veterinarian; glucosamine is available in human prescription form only, as there is no specific formulation for pets. Read on for some more information about the different types and forms of glucosamine that you can give to your pets.
Formulations of Glucosamine
Glucosamine is typically farmed out from the bodies of crustaceans and fungi in order to create highly dense and concentrated supplements to give to your pet. This is because glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound found in the bodies of nearly every multicellular organism in the world. However, in order to properly administer it to your pet's body in a way in which it can be absorbed and utilized to help stimulate bone and cartilage tissue regrowth, the glucosamine protein must be mixed into a compound with other chemical formulas. The most common chemical mixtures of glucosamine are the following:
- Glucosamine HCl
- Glucosamine 2KCl
- Glucosamine sulfate
Each of these different formulations will provide your pet with a slightly different chemical compound, although the end result and the goals are the same. It's therefore crucial that you be sure about which one of these chemical formulations will be best for your pet.
Ways of Administering Glucosamine
Each of the three types of glucosamine, as listed above, can be delivered to your pet in a variety of means. The exact method that you'll want to choose depends primarily upon how well your pet reacts to the drug and how willing he is to take the dosage of the medicine. There may be certain conditions or situations, however, in which one of these methods is preferable to another. Generally speaking, there are two basic forms of glucosamine for administration to your pet: liquid and chewable tablets.
Liquid glucosamine can be applied directly into your pet's mouth, provided that he is willing. It can also be spread over his food in the proper dose and included in his diet in that way. Chewable tablets, on the other hand, are typically ground up and mixed with food or fed to a dog along with a treat. Either way, it is crucial that you follow the exact dosage requirements that your veterinarian provides you based on your pet's age, size, gender and overall health. Fortunately, both of these modes of administrating glucosamine supplements to your pet provide an easy way to measure out a dosage of the medicine.
For more information about glucosamine and whether it's right for
your pet's condition, speak with your veterinarian and take your pet in
for a check up.