NuVet Plus for Arthritis in Dogs

NuVet Plus from NuVet Labs is a proprietary blend of herbs, enzymes, minerals and vitamins formulated to work synergistically. It's marketed as antioxidant protection from disease, including arthritis, intended to help dogs live longer and in better health. NuVet Plus, according to its manufacturers, also contains ingredients that help dogs recover from the effects of dietary pollutants. NuVet Labs sells NuVet Plus through their online store.

  1. Ingredients

    • A single wafer of Nuvet Plus for Dogs contains 35 separate ingredients. Of these, only five are listed in the company's product description as being useful arthritis treatments. NuVet says that one Nuvet Plus wafer is the correct dosage for a dog weighing over 5 lbs., with half a wafer being appropriate for smaller pets, but doesn't specify how much of each ingredient a wafer contains. The arthritis-alleviating substances are alfalfa, cat's claw, evening primrose oil, pine bark and zinc.

    Alfalfa

    • Holistic veterinarian Shawn Messonnier says that alfalfa is rich in minerals, vitamins, protein and the antioxidant chlorophyll, and is a superior herbal therapy for arthritis.
      His view gets support from Dr. Pitcairn's "Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats," which advises giving an arthritic dog from 1 tsp. to 3 tbsp. of ground alfalfa in its food each day. That dose is weight-dependent.

    Cat's Claw

    • Although according to the University of Maryland Medical Center there has been little research to verify its effectiveness, the Amazonian vine cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) has been used to treat arthritis since the time of the Incas.
      A 2002 study at Peru's Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos found that within a week after being given cat's claw, men suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee reported less pain than men given a placebo. However, no studies were conducted to measure its effectiveness in dogs.

    Evening Primrose Oil

    • Researchers in a 1991 study at Glasgow's Center for Rheumatic Diseases gave 19 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers enough evening primrose oil each day to supply 540 mg of gamma linolenic acid (GLA). At the end of three months, they reported a noticeable decrease in morning joint stiffness. Three of them also lowered their use of NSAID pain relievers.
      University of Florida veterinarian R.M. Clemmons recommends that small dogs receive enough evening primrose oil to give them 500 mg of GLA each day, with large dogs getting 500 mg of GLA twice daily. He mentions borage and black currant oil as alternative GLA sources.

    Pine Bark

    • Patented Pycnogenol, produced from French Maritime Pine Bark, contains bioflavonoids to fight the inflammation associated with arthritis. There's no indication on the NuVet site that the pine bark in Nuvet Plus is produced from the same pine.

    Zinc

    • A 1976 study at the University of Washington Department of Rheumatology found that rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who took 220 mg of zinc sulphate three times daily for three months had decreased joint swelling and stiffness. The study, however, involved only 24 people, and no studies were conducted on dogs.
      NuVet Labs doesn't indicate what form of zinc is in Nuvet Plus.