“All dogs will experience this at some point… it’s a matter of when and how bad”

- Brian Johnson, vet at Columbus Animal Hospital

We took Lola to our vet here in Columbus, and it turned out that slipped disks and joint issues, which are common for Golden Retrievers. Lola had both. Her joints were in awful shape from years of wear and tear, which is common for all dogs over 5.

The vet said her bones are rubbing together like sandpaper, preventing her from doing daily activities. And her joints slip in and out of place which makes it nearly impossible to walk. 

Our vet told us the best thing to do at this point is surgery if we wanted her to walk without pain and be as active as she once was. The surgery cost 2,891 dollars and there was no guarantee she would fully recover. 

There has to be another option: Scientifically-proven, non-invasive?

Turmeric

I’ve heard of Turmeric being used in cooking before but didn’t know about its joint health properties. It’s been used in medicine for thousands of years across the world. Turmeric has the ability to eliminate inflammation and ease discomfort. And it’s safe for long-term use too which is what I was most worried about. 

Glucosamine

I’ve also heard of Glucosamine personally because of my joint issues. Glucosamine is naturally found in the body and works as padding in joints to make it easier to move with less pain. I didn’t really know dogs could take it too. To my delight, they can and it works the same way.

Chondroitin

I’ve never heard of Chondroitin and MSM, so rather just read about it online, I called my vet. 

He shared that Chondroitin is one of the most sought after joint-supporting supplements available on the market today. It would rebuild cartilage naturally and pulls water into dry, worn- down tissue adding lubrication and flexibility to Lola’s joints. 

MSM

MSM is a compound often referred to as a “miracle supplement” because it’s the 4th most plentiful mineral in the body and is essential to many bodily processes, most of all the repair of injured tissue. MSM is a key ingredient in reducing joint pain, reducing stiffness, and allowing to move with ease again, which would be perfect for Lola.

Each ingredient has a needed part in rebuilding joint health, and when all the ingredients are combined together that’s when they are the most effective especially for old dogs like Lola. I struggled to find one place that sold a combination of these ingredients. And I didn’t want to give Lola 4 different pills. She hardly eats as it is.

But luckily, I saw a post from Donna Hall from the Grateful Hearts Senior Dog Rescue & Sanctuary. She works with elderly dogs every day and uses supplements from Infinite Pet Life. The supplements combine all four joint repairing ingredients which Lola needs.