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)

GLUCOSAMINE

In humans POSITIVE evidence for the Rotta preparation of glucosamine

Glucosamine (+/- Chondroitin) (n= 2 RCT; n= 1 non-RCT; 2 abstracts)

In one study (Gupta 2012 (n=7) ) glucosamine/chondroitin supplements were shown to have a positive clinical effect on subjective pain scores, but  in an  RCT in dogs (n=23)  in which outcome measures included objective GRF, and subjective owner and veterinarian assessments, glucosamine/chondroitin supplementation failed to result in any improvement compared to placebo in dogs with confirmed OA (Moreau 2003).In another RCT (McCarthy 2007 (n=35)) there was a positive effect on pain scores, weight bearing and severity of condition although in this study true randomisation was not done.

Abstracts only are available for Vaaben (2004) who reported an improvement in signs in dogs (n=NA)  with OA given glucosamine/chondroitin supplementation and Hulse (1998) who also reported improved joint movement and locomotion compared to untreated controls (n=NA) based on subjective assessment.

Evidence : WEAK – Conflicting results

References

Gupta RC, Canerdy TD, Lindley J et al (2012) Comparative therapeutic efficacy and safety of type-II collagen (UC-II), glucosamine and chondroitin in arthritic dogs : pain evaluated by ground force plate. Journal of Animal Physiology & Animal Nutrition 96(5):770-777

Hulse D.(1998) Treatment methods for pain in the osteoarthritic patient. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 28(2):361-375

McCarthy G, O’Donovan J, Jones B, McAkkister H, Seed M, Mooney C (2007) Randomised double-blind, positive-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of dogs with OA. Veterinary Journal 174(1)54-6 1

Moreau M, Dupuis J, Bonneau NH, Desnovers M. (2003) Clinical evaluation of a nutraceutical, carprofen and meloxicam for the treatment of dogs with OA. Veterinary Record 152(1 1):323-9

Updated September 2015