Glucosamine And Pets
Humans are not the only one who can develop joint pains due to old age; it is common in pets as well. Dogs and cats are for instance quite prone to arthritic type conditions. As a large number of pet keepers have realized already, glucosamine and pets may therefore be a match made in heaven. Today, pet keepers all over the world are giving their cats and dogs glucosamine supplements in order for them to stay healthy and pain free.

The best way of preventing joint problems in pets is to keep them on a balanced diet and give them plenty of opportunity for exercise. Even an indoor cat needs to be able to play around in order to stay healthy and flexible, and a dog should never be tied up in yard all day; it needs to be taken for regular walks and play times. In dogs, red meat is suspected to contribute to joint problems, because red meat is very high in uric acid and this substance is known to be a major risk factor for arthritic-type conditions. More research is however necessary because this can be considered a validated fact, because we still do not know exactly how the canine metabolic system works and how uric acid from food is handled.

Unfortunately, even active pets kept on balanced diets can develop joint pains as they age. This is why more and more pet owners have taken an interested in the current research programs regarding glucosamin and pets. Just like their human keepers, pets may be able to benefit from a daily intake of glucosamine supplements.

Glucosamine and pets is still a controversial subject. Some people claim that trying to cure an old dog from its diseases is sellfish, and only serves to prolong the suffering for a dog or cat that should be put to sleep. Others find it irrational to spend time and money on a sick pet; only humans should be given this type of attention. A third group claims that glucosamine supplements have no effect on dogs, and that selling glucosamine to pet owners is just a way for unscrupulous business owners to prey on how strongly pet keepers wish their bellowed ones to be hale and hearty.

What we do know for sure is that glucosamine is a normal constituent of a dog’s glycosaminoglycans. Glucosamin is converted into glycosaminoglycans (commonly known as GAGs), which are really long chains of polysaccharides. In all vertebrates - a group which naturally includes dogs as well as cats - glycosaminoglycans will form an important part of all the connective tissues of the body.

Glucosamine given to pets seems to alleviate joint pain as well as decrease inflammation and restore mobility. You can find several different forms of glucosamine supplements for pets, including glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. A majority of the available supplements are pills or capsules, but it is possible to find liquid glucosamine as well. Liquid glucosamin and pets is naturally a popular combination, since mixing liquid glucosamin into pet food is easier than making an animal swallow a pill or capsule.