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)

Chondroitin sulphate (n=1 RCT; n=4 non-RCT)

In dogs (n=10) with surgically sectioned cruciate ligaments, chondroitin given with hyaluronic acid reduced muscle atrophy and improved lameness (Serrato 2007) however any observed effects cannot be attributed to the chondroitin. In other studies chondroitin decreased progression of radiographic signs of OA in dogs (n=10) after 30 and 60 days (Biasi 2004), reduced proteoglycan loss (n=5) (Vieira 2010), and reduced progression of OA and improved limb function faster following cruciate reconstruction (n=20) (Biasi 2005). However, in an RCT using subjective questionnaire assessment by veterinarians and owners there was no significant difference between chondroitin supplementation (n=21)  and placebo (n=19) (Dobenecker 2002)

Evidence : WEAK – Conflicting results

References

Biasi F, de Rahal SC, Volpi R doss et al (2004) Use of chondroitin sulphate for the treatment of osteoarthritis experimentally induced in the dog knee (Portuguese) Ars Veterinaria 20(2):21 9-227

Biasi F, Rahal SC, Volpi RS, Sequeira JL (2005) Cranial cruciate ligament reconstruction in dogs with or without chondroitin sulphate (Portuguese) Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia 2005. 57(4):442-447

Dobenecker B, Beetz Y, Kienzle E. (2002) A placebo-controlled double-blind study on the effect of nutraceuticals (Chondroitin sulfate and Mussel extract) in dogs with joint disease as perceived by their owners. J Nutr 132: 1690S-1691S.

Serrato A, Rezende SAF, Melo CMdeG et al (2007) Clinical performance of dogs with knee degenerative joint disease treated with hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate. Veterinaria Mexico 38(3):331-345

Vieira N, Melo E, Rezende CMF et al (2010) Glycvosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulphate “A” effects on normal and osteoarthritic articular cartilage in dogs (Portuguese) Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia 2010 62(5): 1117-1127

Updated September 2015