When Peanut had her consultation with the orthopedic surgeon, the afternoon prior to her surgery, I asked him about his feelings on supplements. He said he didn't believe there was a significant difference between cheap vs expensive brands. He also said he was not completely convinced that adding supplements to a dog's diet would make a huge contribution. Now I know if you asked 10 vets, you may get 10 different answers. I also know we, as the dogs-in-question's families, will always wonder if we're making the right decisions no matter what we give or do not give our dogs. I believe there are no completely black and white, right or wrong, choices.

I think diet and supplement choices often boil down to personal preference. My recommendation is always to do your research, discuss with professionals (most vet clinics have nutrition specialists available these days), talk to other dog owners, etc... then make your own decision based on all the information you have available to you. So... if you trust and feel most comfortable with Dasuquin, then why not continue it? If you want to switch to save money, there's nothing wrong with that choice, either.

I'm no great help, I guess.

-Melanie

I was speaking with my vet about this very subject earlier this week.  She had just attended a conference on arthritis that discussed the different glucosamine supplements.  She told me that most G/C supplements didn't provide any statistical benefit to their usage, however, Dasuquin and Cosamine were two brands that did show measurable improvements in mobility and lowered pain levels.  Apparently it's due to the formulation -- these two have a compound called ASU (avocado/soybean unsaponifiables) that increases absorption and effectiveness of the G/C.  She recommended the supplements with the ASU, if I were to give the Monkeygirls a G/C supplement. 

NOTE:  Dogs with soy sensitivities probably should use with caution.