Remember in choosing a basic supplement, I am most interested in how they help to build joints. This forms the cornerstone of my treatment plans and is the necessary first step in arthritis treatment.
But of course it is not that simple. Most of the doggy supplements will have some added extras that can really help – their special ingredients.
This is a good thing. More benefits, less pills. Though it muddies the waters as they say.
To keep it simple I will talk about what I consider to be the three best supplements on the market.
…Glycoflex III
…Cosequin / Dasuquin
…Glycanaid HA
So let’s take a look at them – let’s see what is in them and why they work.
Remember that to fit into my plan we really need to compare them in terms of their ability to provide joint building blocks. Don’t get too caught up in the ‘added extras’
Note these are all based on calculations for a 40lb dog at the dose suggested by each manufacturer and prices are from Amazon.com. The comparisons are NOT per tablet but per dog.
COMMON BUILDING BLOCKS
All of the supplements contain adequate amounts of the basic building blocks – glucosamine and chondroitin.
Glucosamine HCl (the HCl means hydrochloride, the preferred form of glucosamine) provides a basic building block of cartilage. Dasuquin has slightly more glucosamine than the other brands.
Chondroitin sulfate is another building block. Dasuquin had substantially more (about twice the amount) as the other two.
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a source of sulfur to build the joints and has an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant role. Glycanaid and Glycoflex contain more than Dasuquin.
Green lipped mussel is a source of the above glucosamine and chondroitin. It is also a source of Omega 3. It is strong ingredient of Glycoflex III. Dasuquin and Glycanaid do not contain green lipped mussel but they provide Omega 3′s through other high quality products.
Hyaluronic Acid. This is the HA in Glycanaid HA and is a potent molecule for healing that has been enormously successful in human eye surgery. It is also a part of the cartilage matrix. Glycanaid HA is the only supplement of the three that contains HA.
THE ADDED EXTRAS
Cetyl-M is an anti-inflammatory agent in Glycanaid/HA. It seems to work pretty well though the results have not been proven yet.
Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant. The dose in Glycanaid is therapeutic, the dose in Glycoflex III is well below worthwhile.
Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU). This is the ‘killer’ ingredient in Dasuquin and has roles as an anti-inflammatory, a pain killer and in helping cartilage cell metabolism. It is only found in Dasuquin.
Others. Glycoflex III contains a host of smaller ingredients like Vitamin E, manganese, grape seed extract. Doses seem quite low (below the therapeutic dose) however so I have not discussed them in detail.
WHAT DR CHRIS HAS TO SAY ABOUT….
…DASUQUIN
This is a fantastic supplement. One of the very best. With high or higher doses of most of the building blocks, it has a lot to offer. There is no doubting the quality of the ingredients or of the company.
Dasuquin really shines because of the ASU – that is the super-ingredient. It is a breakthrough ingredient and is raved about by vets and pets alike.
However let’s just refocus here. Remember our first step is to provide the building blocks of cartilage right?
OK, if that is what we are trying to do then Dasuquin is missing the hyaluronic acid (HA).
That is NOT to say it is not effective, just that it does not do as much (as say Glycanaid HA) to build cartilage. And building cartilage is our first aim.
I do suggest Dasuquin (or the ASU you can now buy separate) later in my plan.
…GLYCOFLEX III
Glycoflex III is a great product if you are looking for an ‘all-in-one’. It is one of the best on the market for this with its suite of extra ingredients that are there to provide anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and other roles.
BUT but the doses of the ‘added extras’ are seem too low to be super helpful. In short I think it tries to offer a little too much for the price point.
It would be WAY more expensive than the others if it added hard-hitting doses of these added extras.
Dasuquin and Glycanaid HA keep it relatively simple and will mostly use separate products for these extras.
…GLYCANAID HA
So let’s take a good hard look at this one. Glycanaid HA is the most complete of the products as a joint builder… as a provider of the raw materials for joint health.
This it does exceptionally well because it contains good quality ingredients and especially the HA.
There are many claimed benefits to HA in people – improvements in arthritis, virulence, skin problems and even eyes.
HA has only recently been given orally and there is still a small question mark over how effective it is as a tablet, since it is normally given as joint injections.
It should also be noted that HA is not something you stay on forever. You use it to start with or during the hard times like after surgery. Typically 4-6 weeks is enough.
Glycanaid (not Glycanaid HA) is then used as a maintenance supplement.
SO THE WINNER IS??
Three GREAT supplements and you would not go wrong with any of them.
However for our purpose of joint building, I rank them as follows
…..3rd place. Glycoflex III
….2nd place. Dasuquin
…1st place GlycanAid HA-Factor / GlycanAid Maintenance Formula
You can pick all these up at my Amazon store, though keep reading about my special bonus offer with Glycanaid HA.
WHAT ABOUT PRICE?
No big surprises but the prices go up same as I have ranked them. As of July 2011 (for a 40lb dog and using Amazon as the supplier), the prices are…
…Glycoflex III is $0.37 per day
…Dasuquin is $0.80 per day
…Glycanaid HA is $1.18 per day (down to $0.88 on the Glycanaid)
Note that with all of these the cost is usually halved as the dog goes to a maintenance dose. With Dasuquin the manufacturers will even claim some dogs can go to every second day.
So if you are looking to start a supplement, Glycanaid HA my suggestion. Pay for the quality and you should see some results.
WHAT ABOUT BEEFY?
Beefcake was given Glycanaid HA for 6 weeks. Want to see how he went?
You will get a special video next email :)
In the meanwhile here are some Glycanaid Customer Reviews
A SPECIAL BONUS
Dr J and I have had a chat. I think you will like what we have been chatting about, so let’s talk about that in the next email as well.
Thanks again for reading.
Christopher