Dogs are very active and athletic normally, and want to play and to exercise with their families. They too sustain injuries from accidents. Dogs are also prone to joint malformations, such as hip dysplasia, which cause premature wear and tear on joints. As our care of our canine companions improves, they are living longer on average, and have time to develop arthritis from joint aging.

As the musculoskeletal system ages the normal repair process for micro damage to joints during work or play slows and macro damage occurs causing clinical signs of stiffness, pain, reluctance to exercise, and temperament changes. Many dogs become less active, spending more time alone or sleeping as a result of chronic low-grade pain.

Supplementation with oral glucosamine and hyaluronic acid provides pain relief due to decrease in joint inflammation. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products, glucosamine and hyaluronic acid do not inhibit prostaglandin synthesis; therefore side effects such as gastrointestinal upset are very rare (same as placebo) and Supreme Top Form can be administered long term to ageing dogs. Long-term studies in people have shown that glucosamine provides the needed substrate for joint repair and patients taking glucosamine long term show a decrease in further joint degeneration on X-rays. Also, pain scores decrease and range of motion improves in people taking glucosamine over several years. Hyaluronic acid has been shown to decrease joint inflammation rapidly.

A radiographic survey of the spinal columns of 100 older cats recently (March 2002) in the Journal of American Veterinary Medicine reported that degenerative joint disease was found in 90% of the cats. Problems associated with these changes can include hind limb pain, poor grooming habits, inablity to climb or jump normally, pain when using the litter box or reluctance to enter (climb or jump into) the litter box. Severe changes can lead to neurologic disease secondary to spinal cord impingement. Elbow joints were included in many of the radiographs and were also frequently affected. As both forelimbs were often equally affected, subtle signs of pain would be difficult to detect. Older cats, or cats which have suffered joint trauma can benefit from Supreme Top Form to help relieve joint pain and protect cartilage.