Share & Enjoy:

|

Author:
Barbara Allan

With the potential to repair damaged joints and slow the progression of arthritis, glucosamine has become an immensely popular dietary supplement around the world. In 1999, it was the top-selling dietary supplement in the United States, with annual sales of US $288 million.

Since glucosamine works so well for human arthritis, it is natural to ask: “What about cat arthritis?” Is it safe? Is it effective?

The answer: Yes, it appears to be both safe and effective.

The main safety concern comes from animal studies in which large amounts of glucosamine were given to rats and other animals intravenously, for short periods of time. Under these extreme and usual conditions, it tended to decrease insulin levels and/or induce insulin resistance. When researchers tested humans with large amounts of intravenous glucosamine, the same thing happened. Hence a concern arose that it could cause diabetes or make diabetes worse.

Normal therapeutic doses of glucosamine given orally have never been shown to have an adverse effect on insulin levels, insulin resistance or blood sugar levels. Even in diabetic rats and type 2 diabetic humans, normal therapeutic doses taken orally have been shown to have no significant effect on insulin, insulin resistance or blood sugar levels.

Cosequin is the brand name of a glucosamine and chondroitin formulation made to treat dog arthritis, cat arthritis and horse arthritis. It is taken orally and appears to have an excellent safety record.

Cosequin has been seen to have an excellent safety profile. In safety studies, Cosequin given at twice label recommended levels for 30 days in healthy cats had no adverse effects on blood sugar levels. No clinically significant effects were seen on any biochemical parameter in these studies.

Although no change in blood sugar control would be expected for a diabetic cat, as with the addition of anything new to a diabetic’s regimen, it is advisable to monitor closely.

Barbara Allan is publisher of the website ArthritisArticles.org where expert authors provide info on arthritis treatment and more. Click here for more information on glucosamine.

Share & Enjoy: |     Article Keywords: Dog Arthritis

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Dog Arthritis... What Your Vet May Not Tell You About Rimadyl Thousands of dogs are being prescribed Rimadyl by their veterinarians to treat pain, inflammation, and canine arthritis. Many of these prescriptions are written without any blood work done to ensure the dog can tolerate the drug. Learn the facts about Rimadyl and what you should know before administering this drug to your dog. What is Rimadyl? Rimadyl was introduced by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in January 1997 to help treat dogs with inflammation and pain associated with surgery or canine arthritis. Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) available as a prescription drug for dogs. The primary ingredient in Rimadyl is Carprofen. It is available as a caplet and chewable tablet and is given to dogs by mouth, or by injection administered by veterinarians. It has proven to be a successful means of relieving arthritis symptoms in dogs. Is Rimadyl effective and safe? There is no doubt as to Rimadyl's effectiveness in treating dog arthritis,...