How to help prevent and treat arthritis and other issues that can affect your dog's joints is a common theme in questions I get as a nutritionist and wellness advocate.

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to support dogs - whether they're older dogs, puppies, or all life stages in between - with essential vitamins and nutrients and smart exercise to keep your dog feeling and moving well to fully enjoy his/her best life.

I'm devoting this guide to sharing recommendations for all the dogs with torn muscles, torn ACL or CCL, arthritis, hip dysplasia, joint pain, or any other hip, joint, or ligament problems - and the dog parents who love them and want to know how to help. Let's talk about what you can do to treat and prevent these issues in your dog...

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Weight management & regular exercise

At the root of a majority of health issues for many dogs is excessive weight. Arthritic conditions are certainly no exception to that unfortunate relationship with weight. Almost 60% of all dogs in the US are overweight, one of the leading risk factors for arthritis and other joint issues with the extra weight putting constant pressure on vulnerable joints and ligaments during even routine everyday activities.

In addition to hips and legs, extra weight puts pressure on dogs' backs - particularly with long-backed dogs like dachshunds whose backs are at risk of being weighed down with even a couple of extra pounds, contributing to their high propensity for spinal disc problems and surgeries.

Whole food nutrition

As a dog ages, metabolism tends to slow down so it becomes even more important to make sure your senior dog isn't adding weight and losing muscle. But for dogs of all ages, the best way to stay at their ideal healthy weight is to make whole food nutrition as much of your dog's diet as possible since many commercial kibbles tend to be carb-heavy and delivering more calories with less nutrition.

Even enhancing your dog's kibble with added nutrition-packed fresh foods (like blueberries from your fridge or meat or fish from your dinner) can make an enormous difference.

Pro tip: treats are food (& calories) too - use to your dog's advantage!

Make sure your dog's treats are limited-ingredient, whole food nutrition rather than empty calories that add up and don't help fuel your dog's health. There are so many treat options available now that pack real nutrition in small bites, with some even designated for specific functions to benefit your dog's needs.

Regular exercise for a fit dog

Getting good, regular exercise is critical to your dog's well-being on every level, giving your dog both mental and physical stimulation while keeping your dog fit, his/her joints lubricated and fluid, and muscles stretched and strengthened.

And good walks together are one of the best ways to enjoy life with your dog while you both relieve stress!

Braces, harnesses, & other helpful equipment

Whether your dog is exercising or relaxing around the house, the right equipment can help make things easier and safer.

• Braces help take the weight off an injured leg, for example, in order to rehabilitate and keep the lower back, hips and knees stable. I recently got one for my Shepherd and it's been a significant help in keeping the stress off his leg while he eases back into normal physical activities. 

• Harnesses should be used on walks for dogs of all ages. A harness protects your dog's neck and back by distributing weight evenly vs a collar which can put tremendous strain on your dog with serious consequences in the moment or over time. (Harnesses are also recommended by certified trainers as essential to being happily in sync with your dog and mastering relaxed, loose-leash walking.)

• Ramps, easy steps, etc. can be enormously helpful for dogs who can't or shouldn't be jumping up or down from things but can't resist doing it anyway.

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Vitamin C - an essential vitamin against arthritis in dogs

Due to its important role in maintaining the health of collagen, Vitamin C is especially helpful for slowing – and some say, reversing – degenerative joint disease, hip dysplasia, and spinal disorders. As dogs age, they are less productive in synthesizing vitamin C which maintains collagen, so supplementing is needed when dogs have hip dysplasia or arthritis pain. 

Try this

Give approximately 18 milligrams of vitamin C per pound of body weight per day – specifically, Sodium Ascorbate, which is the most bioavailable form. For arthritis pain – you can give more as tolerated.

Also note: you will want to take into account that some joint supplements (for example, the Happy Bond collagen supplement recommended below) also contain an amount of vitamin C.

7 options to enhance your dog's meals for joint health

1) Feed a fresh food diet

• Sending the nutrition right to the cellular level to promote optimal health and setting your dog up for wellness with a strong immune system and essential nutrients for healthy joints.
• At a minimum, if you're feeding kibble, replace 20% of the kibble with fresh food daily. (You can check out the Basic Nutrition Channel for great options to add simple, fresh super foods to your dog's bowl.)

2) Feed bone broth

• For natural glucosamine and chondroitin and to support connective tissues, such as joints, tendons, cartilage and ligaments. Bone broth supports overall bone and joint health and can help protect against seizures and brain damage; it’s also anti-inflammatory and promotes gut health.
• (A related and helpful option in a totally different form that also delivers glucosamine and vitamin C plus hemp seed oil for inflammation and controlling pain: hip and joint soft chews.)

3) Increase omega 3s

• To reduce inflammation: feed 1 ounce of fish per 35 lbs of body weight daily (such as canned oysters or sardines in water), or feed a quality fish oil or joint supplement with green-lipped mussel (loaded with omega 3s).
• Two good options: Hip & joint care with green-lipped mussel; fish oil (+ probiotic included in a healthful bundle).

4) Give a quality probiotic (you can sprinkle on food)

• To balance the digestive system and boost the immune system since 80% of the immune system sits in the digestive tract.
• Two recommended options: one an all natural probiotic powder, the other a probiotic in soft treat shape.

5) Feed Golden Paste (turmeric, coconut oil, black pepper)

• To reduce overall inflammation in the body and reduce your dog's arthritis pain. You can learn more about the many benefits of turmeric and find the recipe for Golden Paste in the step-by-step guide here on Dogly.
• Or to add turmeric to your dog's diet without the prep, try this: organic liquid turmeric.

6) Add collagen hip/bone/joint support supplementation

• Since most dogs begin to produce less collagen around 2 years of age, it's great to start early with collagen joint supplements as a preventive to strengthen the foundation before canine arthritis develops. But it's also never too late to begin using it therapeutically for senior dogs or dogs of any age showing hip and joint issues to improve cartilage health, bone strength, joint mobility, and help manage arthritis pain.
• This recommended collagen support supplement comes in three formulas (for puppies, dogs 3-7 years old, and senior dogs) to sprinkle on your dog's food.

7) Add grass-fed gelatin powder

• To support connective tissues, such as joints, tendons, cartilage and ligaments; this also supports bone and joint health and can help protect against seizures and brain issues.
• Gelatin powder is another form of collagen similar to collagen powder, just a slightly different option in chemical structure, with the major difference being gelatin powder is only soluble in hot water (and can be used to create solid gel-like forms) while collagen powder is soluble in both cold and hot water.

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Herbs to support treating arthritis & joint health

Herbs can be powerful healers and preventives when we understand how to use their individual and combined strengths to provide systemic support for specific purposes like chronic arthritis.

For a well-rounded, targeted herbal combination for prevention for all dogs & support for an arthritic dog:

• 2x Alfalfa (known for its anti-inflammatory effects)
• 1x Dandelion root or burdock root (liver and detoxifying support)
• 1x Parsley root or nettle (kidney support, vitamins and minerals)
• 1x Calendula (lymphatic herb that aids in circulation and healing)
• 1x Yarrow (vascular tonic to increase blood flow in tissues surrounding joints)

Dosage: Combine all – give 1 tbsp per 30 pounds of your dog's weight daily.

For more on herbs to help your dog with various issues, jump over to the Herbs Channel on Dogly.

Note: For any hip and joint issues, whether your dog has an injury or arthritic-like pain and stiffness, you'll want to get veterinary guidance after a physical examination to determine specifics of the cause. Then you can decide if your course of action should also include options like pain medications for pain relief or physical therapy for mobility in addition to the natural and lifestyle recommendations above.

Next up in the Joint Support Channel on Dogly

Now that you have my recommendations for things you can do to support your dog's lifelong joint health, let's continue to the next step-by-step guide on why learning how to massage your dog is important for your dog's health.

Or hop over to the Joint Support Channel if you'd like to ask a question in the Community discussion and start any of the other step-by-step guides.

If you ever need more personalized nutrition guidance, please reach out!