Pet Naturals Hip + Joint chews offer, according to the manufacturers’ website, a ‘high-quality nutritional joint support for dogs of all sizes, breeds and ages’. Pet Naturals Hip+Joint is formulated using 6 selectively sourced beneficial ingredients and contains no harmful chemical preservatives such as BHA or BHT.
The positive aspects about these chews are the fact that they include Glucosamine HCI (sourced from shrimp and crab), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Chondroitin Sulfate (Porcine sourced), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) plus Manganese and Perna Canaliculus (Green lipped mussels) – the first 4 ingredients being exactly what we would expect in a top notch pet supplement for optimizing joint health. However, the latter 2, were not so convincing given that they have no real scientific evidence for being included. However, this is a relatively good company so we decided to push on past this slight niggle.
While we were happy to see the inclusion of our top 4 much desired ingredients we would like to find in a quality supplement, we were definitely disappointed with the amount of Glucosamine – with only 200mg, this falls way short of the 500mg found in our top product. This means that you would have to feed your dog double the dosage to get the same benefits as taking just 2 of our top choice. This was not what we expected to see.
Moreover, we were disappointed to see that they hadn’t included any omega oils which are well known to help lubricate joints as well as help promote a shiny coat. It wouldn’t have taken a lot to include these fatty oils, so we are not sure why they haven’t included them in their formula.
What really caught our attention and raised a red flag was the amount of inactive ingredients that these chews contain. They include – Arabic gum, brewers yeast, calcium sulfate, canola oil, citric acid, citrus pectin, glycerin, maltodextrin, mixed tocopherols, natural duck flavor, oat flour, propionic acid, rosemary extract, rye flour, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sorbic acid, soy lecithin, vegetable oil. Wow, a long list of ingredients that actually don’t provide any positive health benefits. Why would they add such a long list? That’s what we can’t figure out!
The combination of the 4 top ingredients that we look for is a great start for a good formula, however, we definitely feel that it could be much better if it included other key ingredients that have been clinically shown to support healthy joints in dogs – such as Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. One small issue we did have with this product was that we couldn’t find a clear indication that it is manufactured in an FDA registered lab and we are not sure it is made in the US. If this is something that doesn’t bother you, then keep reading to find out more.
We appreciated the fact this manufacturer provides a range of supplements and that they are veterinarian formulated so we were looking forward to seeing proof of how well these chews went down with those that gave these to their dogs. One of the best indicators of how well this will work is the feedback from people who have given them to their dogs, so we turned to actual customer reviews to see what people really think about it and how well (or not) it worked for them and whether they would recommend it. Unfortunately, this is where we hit a roadblock because we found many testimonials on their website, mostly positive however, we saw that most were “Submitted as part of a free sample program”. Generally, such reviewers are biased in favor of writing something positive due to the fact that they were given the product for free. We would like to have seen some more realistic reviews from customers who had actually bought the product. These we were unable to find, which is a real shame and we were definitely disappointed by it.
In general, this product is marketed as natural and safe. However, we would definitely advise consulting with your veterinarian prior to giving your dog any new health supplement, especially one with high levels of seafood ingredients (Shrimp, Crab and Green-Lipped Mussels) in them due to the fact that some dogs could be allergic to such high doses.
Pet Naturals Hip + Joint had the right start for a quality hip and joint supplement for your pet pooch. By including the four main ingredients that make a quality product, we knew that this product was worth a further look. Adding clinically-proven ingredients such as Glucosamine, MSM, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) and Chondroitin is essential as a baseline for a fantastic joint support product. We like to have seen a healthier dose of Glucosamine than the 200 mg they added….our #1 product contains 500 mg and we know that this ingredient is essential for optimal join health and prevention of decline due to age.
Additionally, there are some ingredients which are missing from this product. One of the main ones being any Omega fatty acids. These are well known to reduce inflammation and aid lubrication in the joints that we were surprised to not find any in this formula. Our main concern about this product was the high level of inactive ingredients that it contains. There were many and truth is, no-one really knows how your dog will react to something that has not been clinically tested and for this reason, we could not elevate this any higher.
We liked that these dog treats are easily available from iHerb, Walmart and Amazon making it super easy to stock up on this product. The price tag is relatively cheap which on the surface seems great but for us in the know, screams low quality, and given the low level of Glucosamine this is probably the case. However, if this doesn’t bother you this could be an affordable option for those looking for long-term joint support for smaller dogs. We would also say cats however, another slight niggle is that this product is only suitable for dogs so that rules out your feline friends which is a shame.
We were a little disappointed when we couldn’t find a comprehensive return policy which is always a sign of how confident a supplier is in the results you are likely to experience from the product they are selling. We can only assume that they don’t have a return policy otherwise we would be able to find it. This is a huge negative point for us when we find so many products out there that do offer a money-back guarantee that to find one that doesn’t offer any kind of guarantee is alarming. Does that mean they don’t expect you to experience good results? Are they not confident in the products’ ability? Who knows, we can only guess the answer to this question.
The final point we noticed is, while we were impressed that this company follows the international Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), it is not manufactured in the USA. That aside, we know that his company has a good reputation and they manufacture many quality products which we find to be a redeeming feature. We feel that this product was almost there but would need a few tweaks to reach our prime position.
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