There's no denying it - we love our dogs! According to a survey posted on the Website of The Humane Society of the United States, thirty-nine percent of U.
S.
households own at least one dog, accounting for nearly 75 million dogs total.
Approximately sixty percent of those dogs are pure breed animals - animals with specific, predictable traits.
The predictable characteristics of purebred animals include a predictable pattern of health problems, ranging from immune system and neurological diseases to cancers and tumors.
One of the most common health issues, particularly among medium to large dogs, is bone and joint disorders that can lead to lameness.
Great Danes, for example, are large, friendly dogs that are easy-going and mild-mannered.
They are among the tallest and heaviest of dog breeds and with their size comes serious health problems.
Chief among the problems is the prevalence of joint and bone disorders at an early age, even as a puppy.
Three of these disorders, Hip Dysplasia, Hypertrophic Ostodystrophy (HOD) and Panosteitis (Pano) can cause pain that ranges from crippling lameness and painful arthritis to death.
As with bone and joint disorders in humans, there is no cure.
A quick search of the Internet yields advice ranging from diet modification and supplementation to prescription NSAIDS.
There are many options, but which course of treatment is right for your dog? For many, the first stop is the veterinarian.
The majority of vets in the United States belong to the American Veterinary Medical Association, which represents the allopathic philosophy of medicine.
This philosophy is based on the use of drugs, medications and chemicals to achieve desired results.
Unfortunately, these "treatments" also come with side effects.
In the case of the two most commonly prescribed medications for bone and joint problems in dogs - Deramaxx and Rymadol - the side effects include vomiting, diarrhea and ulcers.
In thousands of cases, use of these drugs has led to an animal dying a painful death or being put down.
What's an owner to do? The evidence continues to show that one treatment that gets to the heart of the matter without dangerous and deadly side effects is regular supplementation with high-quality glucosamine and chondroitin.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are the raw materials joints need to rebuild damaged cartilage.
Oral supplementation, particularly in liquid form, is especially helpful in giving the arthritic joint the power it needs to heal and rebuild.