jackrabbit
Active member
I have read mixed reviews on this, however I am going to post a real life experience for anyone interested. I have a Male Lab, 8 years old, I have hunted him fairly hard from about 6 months on. 75-80lbs, big but muscular and lean, back ribs show a bit. For the most part in decent shape year round.
Fall 2017 - (6 years old) Started noticing a slight limp in the morning following long days of hunting on South Dakota trips. After a few minutes of walking and stretching the following morning, good as new. Nothing too concerning for me though, certainly didn't slow him down at all. Didn't think much of it.
Fall 2018 - (7 years old) Could barely walk the morning following all day hunts in South Dakota. Take a long walk in the morning, let him get loose and warm up, and he was for the most part fine the rest of the day. Following 3 day trips of almost non stop hunting, it would take him several days to recover. A vet was a part of our group on one specific trip, and he checked him out during the trip and diagnosed it as arthritis. Dog was in some pain each morning, but it always went away as he started moving. For the first time ever, I did kennel him up for a few fields to let him rest. Concerned me, but he always recovered.
August 2019 - (8 years old) Started really running him again working for fall (I keep him in pretty good shape year round, but ramp up the training, running, swimming, etc a bit in the months leading up to the hunting season). The limp was back after our training and exercising days. At the advice of a vet and a good friend that is a trainer, I put him on the cheapest Glucosamine Chondroitin pills that Amazon sold.
Fall 2019 (present day) - (8 years old) - During our local 1-3 hour weekly hunts, there was no limp, no next day limp or pain or discomfort - Good sign. I was waiting for my real test though, which was all day hunting for multiple days in South Dakota. Well - it was like I had a 4 year old dog again in the prime of his life. Not a single limp during a hunt or morning following the hunt. No pain. No discomfort. Nothing. Hunted HARD all day every day, never took a break, never slowed down, off the chart energy levels.
From what I have researched and been told, they are hit or miss if they work but they are worth trying. They won't prevent arthritis if given to a dog at a young age, but they can help in cases like mine where arthritis is already present. For the cheap cost, it is at least worth looking into.
In the 3.5 months my 8 year old lab has been on them, I have noticed extreme differences in him. Energy level almost back to annoying puppy stage. All day hunting. No pain. No limping. If anybody else has an aging dog, I would at the very least just recommend trying it for a month or 2 and seeing how they respond. Right now, I am optimistic that I may gain another year or 2 of hunting out of my best friend.
Fall 2017 - (6 years old) Started noticing a slight limp in the morning following long days of hunting on South Dakota trips. After a few minutes of walking and stretching the following morning, good as new. Nothing too concerning for me though, certainly didn't slow him down at all. Didn't think much of it.
Fall 2018 - (7 years old) Could barely walk the morning following all day hunts in South Dakota. Take a long walk in the morning, let him get loose and warm up, and he was for the most part fine the rest of the day. Following 3 day trips of almost non stop hunting, it would take him several days to recover. A vet was a part of our group on one specific trip, and he checked him out during the trip and diagnosed it as arthritis. Dog was in some pain each morning, but it always went away as he started moving. For the first time ever, I did kennel him up for a few fields to let him rest. Concerned me, but he always recovered.
August 2019 - (8 years old) Started really running him again working for fall (I keep him in pretty good shape year round, but ramp up the training, running, swimming, etc a bit in the months leading up to the hunting season). The limp was back after our training and exercising days. At the advice of a vet and a good friend that is a trainer, I put him on the cheapest Glucosamine Chondroitin pills that Amazon sold.
Fall 2019 (present day) - (8 years old) - During our local 1-3 hour weekly hunts, there was no limp, no next day limp or pain or discomfort - Good sign. I was waiting for my real test though, which was all day hunting for multiple days in South Dakota. Well - it was like I had a 4 year old dog again in the prime of his life. Not a single limp during a hunt or morning following the hunt. No pain. No discomfort. Nothing. Hunted HARD all day every day, never took a break, never slowed down, off the chart energy levels.
From what I have researched and been told, they are hit or miss if they work but they are worth trying. They won't prevent arthritis if given to a dog at a young age, but they can help in cases like mine where arthritis is already present. For the cheap cost, it is at least worth looking into.
In the 3.5 months my 8 year old lab has been on them, I have noticed extreme differences in him. Energy level almost back to annoying puppy stage. All day hunting. No pain. No limping. If anybody else has an aging dog, I would at the very least just recommend trying it for a month or 2 and seeing how they respond. Right now, I am optimistic that I may gain another year or 2 of hunting out of my best friend.
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