Buyer’s Guide For Dog Supplements (updated November 2024)

How To Find A High Quality Effective Hip & Joint Supplement For Your Dog

Sally Harper

Senior Editor

Health & Wellness Advice

When we become a dog owner, our pup naturally becomes another member of our family and their health is as important as any other member of our tribe. This means we are careful about the food we give them, their exercise regimen and the quality of any of the nutritional supplements they consume. Nowadays, many dog owners adopt a natural approach to complete family wellness, even those with four paws!

As our pups age, their joints and hips can fall prey to ill health and they can suffer all sorts of challenges. As they get older they are likely to gain weight more easily which will affect their joints and bones. Certain breeds of dogs are more susceptible but in truth, any breed is prone to joint and hip problems.

All pup parents will agree, we love our pooches. We appreciate their unique personalities, their unconditional love, their ability to sense and respond to our moods, and the positive energy they bring into the family home. From the moment our dogs join our families we only want the best for them, and their health, comfort and wellbeing becomes paramount to us.

There is nothing that can make you smile with joy like watching your dog bounding across the lawn or flocking on the beach. They enjoy being agile and mobile (as we do) but for this, they require a strong musculoskeletal system to be able to completely live life to the fullest.

In order to help manage our dogs’ health properly, by preventing and maintaining the integrity of the joints, bones and hips, there are a number of supplements that can benefit dogs. A top quality hip and joint supplement can make a world of difference targeting joint health from multiple angles.

However, it can be beyond confusing for consumers, not knowing which products are worth buying and which are worthless fakes. We carefully examined which products are backed up with scientific support and real explanations as to why they have formulated their version of a dog hip & joint supplement in the way that they have or how exactly they work to help support optimal joint health to help your dog live stronger, longer and healthier.

What Is The Science Behind Hip & Joint Supplements For Dogs?

Clinical research has shown that there are key ingredients that can provide positive health benefits for your dog. A quality supplement can support their health and wellbeing in several ways…

Support healthy joints & bones
Build healthy cartilage & strengthen connective tissue
Enhance joint lubrication
Increase joint mobility and flexibility
Reduce inflammation and painful joints
Prevent arthritis
Provide antioxidants to slow down cellular damage

Joint inflammation, pain and weakening are the most common ailments that affect our dogs as they age. Key ingredients can help navigate your dogs golden years to ensure optimal joint health and keep your pups agile, mobile and, of course – happy!

Our Research On Dog Hip & Joint Products

When looking for an effective dog hip and joint supplement to help protect your pet pooch through its aging years, you should read product labels to understand exactly what you are giving your dog in order to achieve optimal health benefits. We were able to immediately spot manufacturers that were simply out to make a quick return and cash in on the latest trends versus the products that we consider to be high quality and effective supplements that will bring positive results.

Our research identified key clinically-proven ingredients which should be included in a dog joint and hip supplement for optimal effects. These ingredients include:

Glucosamine HCI
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
Chondroitin Sulfate
Yucca schidigera
Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids
Vitamin E
Vitamin C

Thorough research takes time and money, which most people don’t have an endless supply of. So, we did the work for you, saving you both. We researched numerous dog hip and joint supplements to ascertain an in-depth analysis of what is out there on the market.

To determine those products that we could rate as beneficial, we looked to see if they contained the correct concentration and ingredients, how potent they were and their grade of purity. We eliminated products that we found to contain synthetic fillers, unnecessary ingredients and those that each product showed inconsistency with each other.

However, that was not all, we didn’t stop there. We understand that facts and figures don’t always tell the whole story. So, we looked for real consumers who had purchased and used the products for their dogs and asked them for their feedback. Their testimonials helped us to establish a list of the best possible products currently available based on the experience of real consumers.

How To Find High-Quality Dog Hip & Joint Supplement Manufacturers

OK, so….there are several key elements to look out for that can pretty much guarantee the product’s authenticity.

Optimal Dosage and Purity: We eliminated any products with synthetic fillers, unnecessary ingredients, additives or preservatives.
Verified Customer Reviews: We reviewed testimonials of real consumers who had purchased, used the products and given feedback.
Monitoring by a Third Party: Using third-party organizations to independently monitor and track the reputation of a manufacturer and assess their customer satisfaction levels is crucial.
100% Money Back Guarantee: A strong guarantee demonstrates the confidence that manufacturers have in their products.
External Testing: Third-party testing substantiates and verifies the quality of the manufacturer’s product. It can be very expensive for manufacturers to undertake and even disqualify entire shipments of products that don’t reach the correct standards.

We are very confident in the brands that we did pick. Given our stringent parameters and reasons for choosing our recommendations, we are sure our suggestions will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Our Hip & Joint Product For Dogs Recommendations

Our product recommendation stands tall against its competition, we think you will agree and your four legged friend will be super happy! The company’s excellent reputation, quality product, external independent monitoring, and testing, coupled with an incredible money back guarantee policy, makes this a good product to consider if you are looking for a quality hip & joint supplement for your dog.

Pet Report

APPROVED

Rating: Excellent

✓ Effectiveness

✓ Potency

✓ Money Back Guarantee

✓ Value

✓ Consumer Feedback

✓ Company Reputation

Approved Science Pets Hip & Joint Chews For Dogs

If you are lucky enough to be a dog owner, then you are going to want to do everything you can to keep them mobile and agile for many years to come. Approved Science Pet Hip & Joint Chews For Dogs is something that deserves your undivided attention. Of all the pet supplements currently available on the market, this is the one that deserves a closer look and very likely, the one that will change your dog’s life!

It contains the highest quality, clinically-proven ingredients for supporting healthy joints and prevents deterioration as they age. If your dog is already suffering this can also help address symptoms by reducing inflammation and strengthening cartilage and bones. Each ingredient was handpicked and this was the only product we found that contains at least 500 mg Glucosamine which is clinically proven to promote mobility. Moreover, it contains other key ingredients such as MSM, Chondroitin Sulfate, and Omega-3 and 6, vitamins, and antioxidants for targeting joint health at its source. It does not contain any additives or preservatives and is totally 100% safe to use with no long-term side effects.

Quality: Approved Science Pets Hip & Joint Chews For Dogs contains high-grade, natural, clinically-verified ingredients that are GMP certified.

Reputation: Their reputation is top quality. This manufacturer has several third-party monitoring services, including buySAFE, Norton, and Trustee, as well as an A+ rating from the quality monitoring company QualityTrusted.

Money Back Guarantee: Every item sold, is supported by a 60-Day 100% Money Back Guarantee. Such guarantees from manufacturers show strong confidence in their products’ ability to deliver results. Great news for consumers.

What’s more, they are well known in the industry and an established company that provides great customer support service, secure and easy checkout as well as prompt, efficient delivery.

Their commitment to the health industry and consumer is excellent, providing further qualification of efficacy by producing their products in an FDA registered laboratory.

If you are looking for a product that ticks all the boxes for an effective dog hip and joint product, from an established reputable company with an excellent money-back guarantee, this is the supplement for you.

It would be good to note that, due to high demand, Approved Science Pets Hip & Joint Chews For Dogs is often sold out. To avoid having to back order, don’t hesitate to make that purchase when you see it in stock.

See The Full Review

Rating: Good

Pet Naturals Hip + Joint Chews

Pet Naturals Hip + Joint chews are a relatively close contender for the top slot because they contain 4 of the top ingredients that we look for in a top quality supplement. These include Glucosamine HCI (sourced from shrimp and crab), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Chondroitin Sulfate (Porcine sourced), and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). This was a great start but the small amount of Glucosamine was definitely disappointing. Additionally, while we were pleased to see that they added other ingredients – Manganese and Perna Canaliculus (Green lipped mussels) – we were left wondering why? There is not real evidence to back up the benefits for optimizing joint health in animals. Overall though, we like this manufacturer and feel that they formulated a decent option.

When reviewing this product’s ingredients, we were dismayed that they had chosen to include a huge laundry list of ‘inactive’ ingredients. This always fills us with dread because you never quite know how your dog will react to the product with untested ingredients plus, what kind of results you will get by the watering done of the active ingredients. The price tag is definitely on the low end which would suggest a cheaper quality; that said, it is definitely affordable. Unfortunately, we felt that they were simply lacking some key ingredients such as Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which are known to provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and their formula did not have many positive reviews that we were able to find. They could also have definitely improved the kind of guarantee they provide but we realize that a good guarantee usually comes with a manufacturer’s confidence in the results you will experience so that could explain why.

We appreciated the fact that this supplement offers a full month’s supply (60 chews) and that the price is relatively affordable. It isn’t the cheapest we found but cheap doesn’t always mean quality so when it comes to good quality supplements, most of the time, you get what you pay for. Unlike our top choice, these chews were not engineered specifically for dogs, but rather are more generic. Further, we were shocked to see that there is no clear return policy or exact details of where their product is manufactured. We appreciate total transparency on such matters and would have appreciated this information being clearly displayed on their website.

Click here to read the full review

Rating: OK

VetriScience GlycoFlex Everyday Chews

GlycoFlex by VetriScience sounds like it could well be a fabulous product – the name is great! Well, at least we thought so! It claims to be beneficial for providing joint supporting nutrients in a delicious chicken liver flavored chew for dogs of all ages and size. We were happy to see that this product does contain 500 mg Glucosamine which is key to supporting optimal joint health. However, the amount of active ingredients totals 3 which for sure was surprising, or more to the point, disappointing.

We liked the fact that this product contains large servings of active ingredients plus that they used a trademarked, patented version of them which is indicative of quality however, only 3? We really wondered why. Perhaps there is a cost issue associated with this decision? We were very glad to see they had flavored their chews but remain unsure that chicken liver was the right way to go given that many reviews said that their dogs didn’t like the product. Our biggest red flag was the amount of inactive ingredients they added. A similar laundry list as our #2 choice which makes for startling reading. Such a list has the potential to be dangerous for your pet’s health and is not something to be taken lightly given that these are not clinically tested.

The price is pretty much reflective of what we would expect from a top quality product but we felt that they should and could have added some other key ingredients known to help joints such as Omega-3 or Vitamin E for example. Such ingredients can be the difference between a good product versus an incredibly effective product. While a great many reviews were positive, the negative reviews suggest some dogs just didn’t take to these – we wonder why? Overall, this is a good company and it looks like they have invested in patented blends so we think that their heart is in the right place. Just a few tweaks and it could have reached a higher spot.

Click here to read the full review

What You’ll Discover:

✓Which Hip + Joint supplement for dogs is the BEST BUY and comes with a great GUARANTEE!

✓Which formula and ingredients are the most EFFECTIVE and work the fastest?

✓How NOT to get ripped off! BE AWARE of poor quality and cheap products.

Top 6 Items to Consider:

Ingredients
Cost Per Serving
Product’s Testing Results
Company’s Reputation
Consumer Reviews
Return Policy & Satisfaction Guarantee

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