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)

Elk velvet antler (n= 1 RCT)

In one RCT in dogs administration of elk velvet  (n=25) resulted in improvements in gait as determined by vertical peak, craniocaudal peak ground reaction force (GRF) on force plate analysis, and improvements in daily activity and “vitality” on owner assessment compared to placebo (n=13) (Moreau 2004). However, there were no observed improvements on physical examination by a veterinarian. In this study, dogs with stifle OA showed less improvement in GRF and activity than those with OA in other joints.

Evidence : WEAK – Positive effect

References

Moreau M, Dupuis J, Bonneau NH and Lecuyer M. (2004) Clinical evaluation of a powder of quality elk velvet antler for the treatment of osteoarthrosis in dogs. Canadian Veterinary Journal 45:133-139

Updated September 2015