Joint Health for Dogs
A dog’s joints are built for activity: running, jumping, romping around. No matter the age of your dog, all that activity can impact your best friend’s joints.
Everyday Life and Your Dog’s Joints
Our four-legged family members are happiest when being active - running, jumping, digging, or fetching a ball. They seem to have boundless energy. All of this activity and movement is supported by a dog’s joints, a key part of their health and vitality.
A dog’s body contains about 319 bones, a little more or less depending on the length of their tail, and about 700 muscles. Humans only have 206 bones! Your dog’s musculoskeletal system includes his muscles, bones and joints.
Joints are where two or more bones are joined together connected by cartilage, tendons, ligaments and muscles.
Joints can be rigid, like the joints between the bones in your skull, or movable, like knees, hips, and shoulders. Many joints have cartilage on the ends of the bones where they come together. Healthy cartilage helps your dog move by allowing the bones to glide over one another. Cartilage also protects bones by protecting them from rubbing against each other.
Keeping a dog’s joints healthy will allow him to run, walk, jump, play games, and do the other activities you both like to do together. Physical activity, a balanced diet, avoiding injuries, and getting plenty of sleep will help him stay healthy and keep his joints healthy, too.
Signs of Joint Issues
According to The American College of Veterinary Surgeons, contributing factors to joint issues include genetics, the age of dog, bodyweight, obesity, gender, exercise and diet. Approximately 20% of dogs experience some sort of joint issue over their lifetime.
Your dog may not be able to talk and tell you exactly how he is feeling, but there are ways for him to communicate. Your dog may benefit from joint support if you have noticed any of the following concerns:
- Moving slowly
- Lacking energy
- Avoiding stairs
- Hesitating when jumping
- Running less
- Sleeping more
- Getting up and lying down slowly
Dogs Prone to Joint Concerns
Large Breed & Giant Dogs
Large Breed Dogs are defined as any breed or breed mix that is 50 lbs. or larger at adulthood. Dogs that weigh over 100 lbs. when fully grown would be considered to be Giant Breeds. Great Danes are an example of a Giant Breed and can weigh as much as 200 lbs. when fully grown.
Added weight can put extra stress on a large or giant breed dogs’ hips and joints. This can cause musculoskeletal stress, especially for larger breeds where their size can magnify the wear and tear on their joints.
Older Dogs
Often dog parents assume slower movement and less energy as a dog ages is inevitable. Dogs often try to hide any issues they have in order to protect themselves in the wild.
After years of boundless energy and laps around the yard, your dog’s joints may be bothering him more than you may think. If your dog is slowing down, sleeping more, or losing the pep in his step – it might just be his joints and not his age.
Overweight Dogs
Extra weight can put extra strain on your dog’s joints – and it can only take a few extra pounds to make a difference in the way your dog feels. The additional pounds can make getting up from lying down, jumping and going up stairs more difficult.
If your dog is overweight, you can’t easily feel his ribs. It’s important to help him get back to a healthy weight. Feeding a reduced fat dog food and making sure you are measuring his food will help your dog slowly return to his proper weight.
Nutritional Support for Joint Health
Bil-Jac has been making super premium dog food for over 70 years. Over those many years, we have seen the difference high-quality, highly targeted nutrition can make in the lives of dogs. Knowing that approximately 20% of dogs experience joint health challenges, we set out to develop a safe and effective way to leverage nutrition
to provide joint health support.
For the last 8 years, Bil-Jac has developed and introduced BreakThru Joint Health & Immune Function Formula. Unlike many other joint products, BreakThru is a nutritional approach to joint health. BreakThru was specifically formulated to support the following three things:
- Healthy joints and musculoskeletal function
- Immune function
- Energy and vitality
Frequently Asked Questions
BreakThru ingredients have been specifically chosen and scientifically formulated to support and maintain the health of your dog’s joints. The formula is made in small batches to help protect the key nutrients it provides. In addition, it has naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
BreakThru Joint Health and Immune Function Formula is a Superfood. It contains only food ingredients. Nutrition is the key.
- Calcium, Vitamin D and protein to support healthy joint and musculoskeletal function
- Probiotics to support immune function
- High-quality protein and fat to provide energy and vitality
All of these ingredients, combined, work together to deliver a comprehensive nutritional joint solution.
If you are seeing any of the following behaviors in your dog, they might be trying to tell you that joint support may be helpful:
- Moving slowly
- Lacking energy
- Avoiding stairs
- Hesitating when jumping
- Running less
- Sleeping more
- Getting up and lying down slowly
If you have a large or giant breed dog, an overweight dog or a dog that is a senior dog, BreakThru Joint Health could be a helpful part of your dog’s daily regimen.
The great news is that BreakThru Joint Health is not a pill. We wanted to be sure dogs love the taste and it was easy for dog parents to feed it.
As directed on the package, measure out the amount of BreakThru powder based on your dog’s weight. Put it in a small bowl. Mix in the same amount of room temperature water with the powder. Then get out of the way and let your dog lick it up!
For best results, feed BreakThru Joint Health every day. It’s best to feed BreakThru Joint Health and Immune Function by itself (not on any food, before or after his meal) to be sure he finishes all of the tasty broth. You can always mix it into a little wet dog food if your dog prefers it that way.
Since BreakThru is a superfood, and not a supplement, it provides nutrients your dog needs to support joint health and immune function.
BreakThru Joint Health supports your dog’s joint health in as little as 3-4 weeks, or the time it takes to use one canister with a dog over 35 lbs.
BreakThru Joint Health and Immune Function Formula is pure nutrition and can be taken with other foods and joint health products.
Find a Store Near You
Discover where you can grab our BreakThru® Joint Health Formula in-store or online.