(Hopefully) quick joint supplement question

[Kat_Bath]

H is 7 and a half and has been on a joint supplement now for a while and it has helped (he was stiff after big walks, but doesn't show these signs currently). Bud is 8 next month and so I'd like to support him too.

Currently, H is on YuMove Plus (https://yumove.co.uk/products/yumove-plus-for-dogs?variant=30288899309623), at a cost of just over £30 for 4 weeks of tablets. Whilst I would love to be able to afford that for both, I have to be realistic, especially with so many costs rising (have to fill up my car later - dreading it), so I have been looking alternatives.

I have used Vet UK a couple of times and find them very good and so had a look and their own brand and they make their own (https://www.vetuk.co.uk/vetuk-own-b...92_1396/vetuk-joint-supplement-tablets-p-9347). To give this to both dogs would be under £10 a month. Surely this is too good to be true...? What am I missing? The list of ingredients is very similar (double the quantity of most in the Vet UK tablets, hence only giving 1.5 per day, instead of 3 YuMove)...

Any insights? Or have I actually missed something...?!

 

[PapaverFollis]

I suspect YuMove is popular because its popular to be honest...

 

[Clodagh]

Yumove is crap. IMO! I don’t know if the vet strength one is better.
Riaflex is much better but is a powder with an awful little scoop and is a pain to use.
Brandy is on synoquin from the vet. I don’t know how good it is as she’s also on lots of other potions.
I give mine linseed oil. I ran out of it at the end of shooting and with dog food being so expensive thought I’d save some money in the downtime. Tawny is noticeably stiffer and short in front. I have just restarted her today so will repot back if it is any good.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Oscar is getting Riaflex plus, just started about a week ago. I don't mind the scoop. I do so much powder scooping for the horses I don't think I noticed!

I'm pretty sure the Riaflex has had a massive positive effect already but he has had some days on Loxicom too so hard to say really.

 

[Kat_Bath]

I suspect your suspects are right PF...!

Thanks Clodagh - interesting to see if Tawny feels better... I'll look up Riaflex. The plague-related supplement we have for Buddy has a TERRIBLE teeny weeny scoop and it's such a fiddle!

 

[Annette4]

Mine are on Aviform which is the same ingredients as Yumove but more green lipped muscles. Fizz is 8 this year and getting faster rather than slowing down. The scoop/powder doesn't bother me but the other supplements they have between them are all the same. I'm pretty sure they do it in tablet form too.

 

[Andie02]

Both of our JRT's are on Riaflex supplements, little scoops don't bother me. One of them has arthritis in both back legs, one leg is worse than the other. We have found that Riaflex boswellia helps her enormously, in a week she has gone from mainly hopping on 3 legs to using all 4 comfortably, since having the boswellia. My vet told me that Green Lipped Mussel is an excellent supplement.

 

[Clodagh]

It’s the scoop vanishing in the pot that gets me. ?. I’m obviously intolerant ?

 

[AmyMay]

Following as both mine have Yumove as a support. But it’s getting expensive each month for them.

 

[Clodagh]

Following as both mine have Yumove as a support. But it’s getting expensive each month for them.

Yumove is the cheapest I’ve found.

 

[Andie02]

Yumove is the cheapest I’ve found.

I haven't used Yumove, I saw that Riaflex was recommended on here, looked it up and got some to try. I stocked up with a lot when a good offer was on.

 

[Kat_Bath]

I did a rough comparison of Yumove plus, the Vet UK one and Riaflex. The bit of paper is upstairs but the Vet UK one is by far the cheapest but one or two things don't feature (not sure what difference that makes as not looked into it yet). Riaflex looks to be cost effective if you buy in a big quantity. Yumove has the most ingredients in of the 3, but then I wonder if it just had a few extras to be more impressive, but it seems expensive... I also had to unsubscribe from Yumove emails as they send you sooooo much junk.

 

[druid]

Look at powdered equine versions and comapre the cost. I only buy one tub a year and usually have 5 or so dogs on whatever I'm using. Currently Cortavet.

 

[spacefaer]

We use bettalife Pharmaquin on the horses so i thought I'd try it on the dogs as it definitely produces an improvement in the gelding with arthritic hocks.
The 7 yr old cocker dog started flying around at twice the speed as it kicked in on the loading dose and he's done a full season picking up without a stiff moment, despite going out up to three days a week towards the end of the season.

 

[scats]

We give Jointsure to our nearly 13 year old Great Dane x. It does seem to have made a difference to her and she is running more freely.

 

[Chiffy]

Riaflex is the best on the market. I am quite happy with it in powder form. Keep the scoop on top of the pot Clodagh! And keep old scoops when buying replacement pots. Yumove is only more popular because of the amount they spend on advertising.
Riaflex have wonderful customer support and answer emailed questions promptly.
I have had great success with it helping older dogs.

 

[Clodagh]

Look at powdered equine versions and comapre the cost. I only buy one tub a year and usually have 5 or so dogs on whatever I'm using. Currently Cortavet.

That’s a great idea. Do you calculate the dosage by body weight?

 

[wren123]

I use the strongest yumove, Advance 360, available only from the vet. It 100% works for her, twice I've taken her off it and she starts getting stiff in the mornings after 4 or 5 days. Back on the yumove the stiffness goes. Plus she has arthritis in her elbow, she has stayed sound with the yumove, apart from last year when she had 4 weeks of galliprant. She is 14.

I have tried the cheaper yumove, didn't work for my dog.

I'm going to look at the ingredients for Supplements that others have recommended.

 

[paisley]

Looked at the Yumove 360, as I had been wondering if it was worth it. Interesting to see in the FAQ, they recommend using the human version iMove for dogs with kidney issues (something about a caking agent for tablets)
The composition of both is similar and wouldn't need a prescription for the iMove ! ?

 

[pistolpete]

I think we get to a point where we darent stop using supplements. I’m there already with Meg and she’s only three!

 

[Kat_Bath]

Thanks everyone - this is so helpful and I'm glad I asked now as it seems like this will help others as well. Using equine supplements hadn't crossed my mind - I'd also be interested to know how you calculate the dosage @druid.

 

[pistolpete]

You can get ‘dog’ boswelia and devils claw.

 

[Kat_Bath]

I'm just having a look at this now, while enjoying the sun (it's LOVELY today! - such a difference from recent weather). For example, BettaLife PharmaQuin: https://bettalife.co.uk/shop/equine/pharmaquin-joint-complete/

If 1kg is 100 days supply for a 500kg horse (10g a day), that means 1kg is 1000 days supply for 50kg dog (1g a day), right? Have I got my maths right...? I'm starting to to doubt myself! If that's the case then the daily dosage for a 30kg dog would be... 0.6g?

I've then worked out that a 400g tub would be 666 scoops, so would last me 333 days for 2 dogs. And a 400g tub is £37.50, which is such a difference compared to YuMove that was costing me nearly £30 a month for one dog! Have I got this right...?!

 

[Clodagh]

I'm just having a look at this now, while enjoying the sun (it's LOVELY today! - such a difference from recent weather). For example, BettaLife PharmaQuin: https://bettalife.co.uk/shop/equine/pharmaquin-joint-complete/

If 1kg is 100 days supply for a 500kg horse (10g a day), that means 1kg is 1000 days supply for 50kg dog (1g a day), right? Have I got my maths right...? I'm starting to to doubt myself! If that's the case then the daily dosage for a 30kg dog would be... 0.6g?

I've then worked out that a 400g tub would be 666 scoops, so would last me 333 days for 2 dogs. And a 400g tub is £37.50, which is such a difference compared to YuMove that was costing me nearly £30 a month for one dog! Have I got this right...?!

With 5 to do I’m waiting with bated breath too! I think you must be right as Druid has lots of dogs and said a tub lasts her ages. Waiting… ?

 

[Kat_Bath]

With 5 to do I’m waiting with bated breath too! I think you must be right as Druid has lots of dogs and said a tub lasts her ages. Waiting… ?

I think I just worked out that if you fed 0.6g a day per dog, a 1kg tub (£67.50) would be just under a year for 5 dogs (1,000g / 0.6g = 1,666 scoops / 5 dogs = 333 days).

I'm now Googling 0.5g measuring spoons! We have a little tiny one in the Plaque Off but the end snapped off so I don't know what the capacity is!

 

[Clodagh]

I should have kept the poxy riaflex ones ?

 

[Kat_Bath]

Maybe, yes, but you could also treat yourself to a nice proper, kitchen one that you know will last and won't be tainted by hatred and loathing?! ?

 

[druid]

Sorry, I've been away training the dogs!
I assume the dose is for a 500kg horse and then extrapolate from there a 20kg dose. Usually it ends up being about 0.5g and I just use the smallest scoop I have and verify with my drug dealer aka jewellry scales at the start of a new tub. I put all dogs on a joint support supplement at 1yo so the equine version makes most sense for us financially.

 

[Kat_Bath]

Sorry, I've been away training the dogs!
I assume the dose is for a 500kg horse and then extrapolate from there a 20kg dose. Usually it ends up being about 0.5g and I just use the smallest scoop I have and verify with my drug dealer aka jewellry scales at the start of a new tub. I put all dogs on a joint support supplement at 1yo so the equine version makes most sense for us financially.

No need to apologise! Thank you so much! I'm off to find a tiny scoop and some drug dealer scales! ?

 

[Kat_Bath]

Just realised there's an actual dog section on the Betta Life website ???‍ It says the dosage based on a 30g dog for their dog products - 3g per day, so the equine version must be more concentrated for giving to bigger animals but 1kg costs the same for dogs as it does horses...

ETA: I've worked out it's the same product, they just say 3g for a 30kg dog, whereas I worked 0.6g per day, based on the 500kg horse dosage. Either way, it's cheaper than Yumove.

I'll stop rabbiting on now - I'm just posting my workings out/findings out in case anyone is following my dodgy maths! ?