We all know that dietary supplements can help us, humans, stay in shape, and improve our performance. After all, they provide us with the essential vitamins and minerals that some of us may lack. But have you ever thought that supplements can also help your four-legged friend?
Let’s talk about collagen, for example. It’s a widely known supplement that keeps our skin healthy, relieves joint pains, prevents bone loss and can also increase muscle mass. However, have you ever known that collagen for dogs is just as helpful? If not, even more, especially when talking about joint pains.
Arthritis is a condition that many dogs will eventually suffer from at one point in their lives. In fact, over 20% of the dogs above the age of one, and roughly around 65% for those aged 7 or older will suffer from this condition. As arthritis causes the cartilages within the joints to thin, the bones will eventually rub against each other without proper lubrication, leading up to the inflammation of the joints, and movement that’s painful and difficult.
As dogs love to run around and jump all over the place, keeping their joints healthy is a priority. That’s why collagen is so important.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is one of the most widely spread proteins in our bodies. As we’ve mentioned before, this protein holds responsibility for many things, such as the health of our skin, the strength of our muscles, and the condition of our joints. As for dogs, collagen amasses over 30% of the total proteins in their bodies.
How Does It Work?
When it comes to keeping your dog’s joints in shape, collagen is essentially the body’s definition of glue, as it helps in keeping the joints and tendons together.
This substance depletes as a dog is advancing in age, meaning that the glue is not as strong as it once was. The muscles and connective tissues loosen up, making your dog more prone to injures such as torn ligaments, or dysplasias.
With that being said, collagen supplements are great for keeping these unfortunate events away from happening.
However, collagen supplements are more than just a means of prevention. As we’ve previously mentioned, dogs are very likely to suffer from joint-related issues as they age.
Protein levels start to lower when they’re growing old and conditions such as arthritis become commonplace. Luckily, collagen serves as a great pain reliever, making your dog’s movement less difficult and generally improving their quality of life.
Not only that, but collagen is shown to work well along with other substances such as glucosamine. It actually stimulates the production of collagen and also provides some anti-inflammatory effects.
Conclusion
Collagen supplements prove to be very effective at preventing any joint-related issues from happening. In addition, this protein also comes in useful in older dogs that already suffer from conditions such as arthritis, by easing the pain and also improving mobility.
As a supplement, collagen is a great all-rounder. Besides being useful in joint problems, it also aids your dog’s digestion, keeps the nails strong, and improves the quality of their coat and skin. In other words, collagen is definitely worth a try.
