You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

The scientific evidence to support the administration of nutritional supplements to pets is often very weak. Best evidence are randomised controlled trials (RCTs)

Body weight control

Five studies showed that weight loss in obese dogs improved clinical signs of OA. In a non-blinded study lameness significantly improved after weight loss in overweight dogs (n=9) with radiographic and clinical signs of OA  (Impellizeri 2000) ;  in another (Burkholder 2000) overweight dogs (n=16; 13-29% above optimum) with lameness due to hip dysplasia increased weight bearing as evaluated by force plate analysis following weight loss. In a third non-blinded randomized clinical trial (Mlacnick 2006) overweight dogs (n=29) that were subject to energy restriction with physical therapy lost a significant amount of body weight resulting in improvement in objective evaluation of mobility by kinetic gait analysis.  A study by Marshall (2010) measured both subjective and objective outcomes and found significant improvement in lameness with 6-8% weight loss in obese dogs with OA (n=14). In a prospective study of lame dogs (n=26) weight changes altered locomotor function and peak vertical force measurements (Moreau 2010).

Evidence : GOOD – Positive effects for weight reduction

References

Burkholder WJ, Taylor L, Hulse DA. Weight loss to optimal body condition increases ground reactiveforce in dogs with osteoarthritis. Proceedings, 2000 Purina Nutrition Forum. 2001;23:74.

Impellizeri JA, Tetrick MA, Muir P (2000) Effect of weight reduction on clinical signs of lameness in dogs with hip OA. J Am VetMed Assoc 216:1089–1091

Marshall WG, Hazewinkle HA, Mullen D et al (2010) The effect of weight loss on lameness in obese dogs with OA. Veterinary Research Communications 34:241-253

Mlacnik E, Bockstahler BA, Muller M, Nap RC and Zentek J (2006) Effects of caloric restriction and a moderate or intense physiotherapy program for the treatment of lameness in overweight dogs with OA. JAVMA 11(229): 1756- 1760

Moreau M, Troncy E, Bichot S, Lussier B (2010) Influence of changes in body weight on peak vertical force in osteoarthritic dogs: a possible bias in study outcome. Veterinary Surgery 39(1):43-47

Updated September 2015