Glucosamine for Cats

Glucosamine is a beneficial medicinal supplement that is backed by numerous studies. It can help cats suffering from joint problems.

  1. Significance

    • Cats can suffer from a variety of joint problems, including hip dysplasia. Glucosamine can help relieve the pain and heal some of the symptoms caused by joint problems. It can also be used for cats who have undergone joint surgery.

    Function

    • Cats that suffer from arthritis do not have the necessary cells to build new cartilage and keep up with the breakdown of old cartilage. Glucosamine provides the building blocks to synthesize new cartilage.

    Side Effects

    • There are very few side effects associated with glucosamine. Occasionally, a cat may vomit or get diarrhea, but this can usually be prevented by giving the medicine with food.

    Types

    • Glucosamine comes in capsules or liquid. More research has been done on capsule products, but liquid glucosamine absorbs more quickly into the body, and therefore provides greater relief.

    Brands

    • There are many different brands of glucosamine. The Pet Arthritis Resource Center recommends using Syn-Flex for a liquid glucosamine. It is a fairly inexpensive product that contains 11 additional nutritional ingredients. Arthrix is a popular capsule product made into easy-to-feed chewable tablets, but it lacks several important nutritional ingredients.