Glucosamine Dosage for Dogs: How Much to Give Your Dog?

Known as a wonder drug for dogs with arthritis troubles, Glucosamine comes in five different forms and the Glucosamine dosage for dogs differs from dog to dog and condition to condition. As a general rule, Glucosamine is considered a life saver by most dog owners; however, there are certain instances when Glucosamine for dogs is not highly respected. In these cases, it is usual because the drug did not work efficiently, which can be traced back to too low of a Glucosamine dosage for dogs. So, with that being said, the question is how much you should actually give your dog so that it works.

The Right Glucosamine Dosage for Dogs

Made from shellfish, Glucosamine is a very safe, natural drug for dogs that are suffering from arthritis and cannot take pain medications. Therefore, it can often be difficult to provide your dog with a dosage that is too high.So it is very important to know two things, first  how much glucosamine for dogs? & second, is this the best glucosamine dosage for dogs ? If you provide your dog with a Glucosamine dosage that is too low then it will not work properly. The actual Glucosamine dosage for dogs is based on the dog’s weight.

As a general rule, a typical Glucosamine dosage for dogs – and the standard starting dosage – is about 10 mg per pound per day and can be taken all at once daily or twice per day, 12 hours between doses. Some vets will recommend 20 mg per pound daily. Usually, veterinarians can up this Glucosamine dosage to about three times the original dosage. The dosage is only increased if your dog is not responding to the initial starting Glucosamine dosage and the dosage will not increase all at once, but gradually over the span of a few weeks.

The First Few Weeks

During the first few weeks of taking Glucosamine, your dog’s veterinarian may double the standard dosage so that your dog can build their levels of Glucosamine, which is a natural cartilage building block within the dog’s body. Once your dog shows fewer symptoms and signs of struggle, the dosage will gradually be reduced to the standard Glucosamine dosage for dogs. Once reduced, if symptoms return, the dosage may be increase again to provide a proper level of comfort for your pet.

An Important Consideration

Usually if there is no development in your dog’s behavior within the first four weeks, be sure to tell your veterinarian that you have seen no signs of improvement. He/she may decide that the original dosage was probably too low and needs to be increased.