Hi all, my golden retriever is coming up to 11 years old now and is starting to get very stiff on his back legs. I was wondering if any one could recommend a joint supplement alternatively is this a sign of arthiritus and he now needs long term medication?

Hi, I currently use joint-aid which you can buy online.  You add it to food and it makes such a difference!  I noticed the change in my 11 year old boy within a couple of days.  I know others on here use another supplement (but I can't remember what it's called - I'm sure someone will!) but in the meantime, joint-aid is what I would recommend :)

http://www.jointaid.co.uk/

You can also try this collar,
Has worked for my Rottweiler with Hip Displacier
http://www.ecomagnets.com/bioflow-animals.htm
90 days money back guaruntee as well :) :)
Lea :) :)

Unless you get x-rays done, you really won't know what you are dealing with, it would only be guesswork.

My nearly 12 year old Goldie had never shown any signs of lameness/stiffness until at 9 he started knocking down jumps at agility, which he'd been doing since 3 years of age. The vet eventually agreed to x-ray him after no improvement on supplements and cartrophen injections. She couldn't quite believe what she saw. Severe hip dysplasia, spondylitis to lower spine, and most joints were arthritic. She did say had he not done the agility and been so fit, the symptoms would have probably shown much sooner. He is now on Cosequin and a small amount of Previcox daily, and has hydrotherapy, which has helped considerably, once a fortnight. He also wears a magnetic collar.

Glucosamine with chondroitin, from health food places, not from the vet as the vet version are TEN times more expensive. :) (My vet okayed this.) I used this for a Golden with severe hip dysplasia, he basically could not walk at all when aged about 7, in the end lived happily to 13.

Riaflex is a supplement which seems to be recommended by several people. It is a glucosamine/ chondroitin type product. It may be worth you Googling it. I am considering it for my Golden with elbow dysplasia.

I get all my supplements from Healthspan on line, they are designed for humans which means I can take them too, they are extremely high quality (not all supplements are the same) and clearly state the active ingredients unlike some you can buy from health food shops or supermarkets.

Ie it clearly states whether say Vitamin E is natural or synthetic (more expensive but more bio available), and the actual DHA/EPA content of Fish Body Oil capsules.

I do not buy a combined product as often these contain stuff I do not want eg I prefer to stay away from flax seed.

So for joints the following are great:

Chondroitin
Glucosamine (HCl rather than sulphate)
MSM
Green Lipped Mussel
Rosehips
Curcumin
Cetyl-Myristoleate
Ginger
Fish Body Oils
Vitamin E
Vitamin C

Great post tohme :-)

I have just recently put my oldies onto Yumove made by Yumega and after Merlot had been lame on and off since Xmas and after x-rays showed some artheritis in her elbow she is now as sound as she ever was. The vet had put her on Cosequin but the umove is 1/2 the price for her size. It contains pure glucosamine 99.8% pure, triple strength green lipped mussel and hyaluronic acid. It also contains Natural chondroitin in the GLM and manganese with vitamins C & E. I have also put the old lady Pepsi on it and she has had a new lease of life. I was so pleased with it that I got the human one "iMove" for myself and can report that after 4 weeks I feel a huge amount better. My knees havn't been this pain free for over 4 years, and my hips feel so uch more mobile.  It is not so cheap as the shop bought ones but whatever they do to it is is working and I for one will not change it now.
Aileen