Most dog parents have heard about the importance of glucosamine for hip and joint health. But what exactly is glucosamine? How can glucosamine benefit your dog? And in what form should you be giving your dog glucosamine?
What is glucosamine?
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring amino sugar that forms the building blocks of cartilage in both dogs and humans. As dogs age (and humans), their bodies produce less glucosamine, which means that they are less able to rebuild cartilage, leading to joint issues or discomfort. This is why you commonly hear about glucosamine supplements for older dogs, for larger breeds, or for those prone to joint diseases.
However, any dogs 12 weeks and older can actually benefit from glucosamine supplements, especially if they are large-breed dogs.
Liquid Glucosamine vs Tablet Glucosamine vs Powdered Glucosamine
Glucosamine supplements come in various forms: liquid, tablet, and powder. While any form of glucosamine supplement can be beneficial for your dog, glucosamine that comes in the liquid form is more bioavailable for your dog, meaning that it is more easily absorbed into their bodies.
Liquid Glucosamine:
- Higher absorption rate: Liquid glucosamine is more easily absorbed by your dog’s body, making its benefits more bioavailable and effective.
- Higher concentration; Because liquid glucosamine is more bioavailable, yor dog gets more out of a serving in every dose.
- Lower dosage required: Similarly, because liquid glucosamine is more bioavailable, you can give your dog a smaller dose than other formats to achieve the same effect.
- Better taste: Since liquid glucosamine can be mixed into more palatable formulations (like our various Brutus Bone Broth flavors), it can be easier to incorporate into your dog’s diet.
Glucosamine Tablets or Powder:
- Lower absorption rate: Since the body needs an extra step to break down tablets or powders, less glucosamine is absorbed when giving your dog a tablet or powdered supplement.
- Lower concentration: Typically, these forms require larger doses to achieve the same effect since they are less bioavailable.
- Unnecessary fillers: To keep tablets bound together, they often require additional fillers that offer no added benefits.
- Higher dosage required: Since tablets are less bioavailable, a higher dose may be required to provide the same level of joint support.
The Bottom Line About Liquid Glucosamine
While most pet parents know that incorporating glucosamine into their dog’s diet is a great way to support joint health, especially for bigger or older breeds, what many don’t realize is that liquid glucosamine is more bioavailable than tablets or powders. However, liquid glucosamine on its own can taste unappealing, making it harder to give your dog.
At Brutus Bone Broth, we’ve been able to fortify our Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, and Pork Broth (both in liquid and powder form) with glucosamine and chondroitin. So when you rehydrate our bone broth powder with water or serve our bone broth as is, the glucosamine is in liquid form, making it more bioavailable for your dog. Plus, our picky-eater-approved flavors make it far more likely for your dog to consume their supplements!
Important tip: Especially if your dog is on a special diet, always consult your vet on the appropriate amount of glucosamine dosage for your dog. If you’re already feeding your dog Brutus Bone Broth, there may be no need to add an additional glucosamine supplement.
By choosing Brutus Bone Broth, you’re not only supporting your dog’s hip and joint health, but you’re also giving them a delicious way to consume it!