Joint support – arthritis prevention

[martini]

Hello,

I have a 5 year old healthy (knock knock) bun and just want to explore the options how to prevent arthritis in the future. I am researching and am between Oxbow joint support and Myristol pellets. Which one do you have experience with and would recommend? I like to ideally supplement his diet as naturally as possible  – ever since he turned 2, he has been on a pellet-free diet with lots of varieties of vegetables and herbs (about 8 types every day), and of course unlimited timothy hay (1st cut). His treats are occasional fruits here and there, I do not buy treats as such. His weight is monitored closely and ever since being on pellet-free diet, he is at a healthy weight for a holland lop at 2.2kg I also read that parsley and cilantro seems to help arthritis (he has that as a part of his daily veggies already), as well as turmeric. Any shared experience with preventing arthritis is appreciated. I am committed to keep this bunny healthy forever 🙂

[LBJ10]

I have never heard of Myristol, so I can’t comment on it. My elderly bunny liked the Oxbow joint supplements. I would give him one like a treat and he was happy to eat it. I don’t know how much they really helped him though. I would say they didn’t hurt, but the benefits of joint supplements are debatable. Some bunnies seem to do better on them, while others don’t seem any different while on them.

[BrunosMama]

I’m with LBJ, I haven’t heard of the Myristol either. However, I have had elder buns in the past who have happily eaten the Oxbow joint supplements. I like to think they helped them – but this honestly could be a placebo effect for me. But, it certainly didn’t seem to do any harm and it was a healthy treat they enjoyed. 🙂 So, either way, I suppose it was a win!

[mia]

IMO it’s luck of the draw. Sure, some thing s are contributors but luck plays a huge role. My 14y/o is the only bun out of 10 that has arthritis and he’s always been a lightweight and knows what foods he needs to eat (e.g. he will reject treats for hay as needed). He had the joint supplements in the past and it obviously did nothing. After his arthritis got pretty bad and we needed to fine tune his meds and he started on Myristol (to throw everything at the issue). Myristrol pellets stink. I don’t know what bun would eat it as it. Had to soak/mush it in water and mix, which is fine since I just mixed with his arthritis meds, baby food, and CC.

Now that he’s in critical condition, I’ve stopped giving him the pellets only because I need him to eat. Don’t want the stink to drive him away from his food.

[martini]

Thank you! The reason I am looking at Myristol and am more inclined to buy it over Oxbow is because I don’t like the extra ingredients in the Oxbow joint supplement (gums, molasses etc…). I guess I will try it and see, since it won’t hurt and hopefully with a bit of luck we’ve had so far can avoid arthritis in the future 🫠

[GlennTheLionhead]

I have tried the oxbow joint support with my girl with arthritis, I tried for a month and saw no difference. She was since prescribed Loxicom daily pain relief, she showed some improvement, I decided to reintroduce oxbox joint support and after about another 4-6 week we noticed she was even more springy than before! It’s hard to say if the joint support did help or if it was just delayed effects of her meds but either way we have kept it in her diet and also give them to my boy who doesn’t have arthritis, they enjoy them.

[Bam]

I had a dog with joint problems/arthrosis (GSD, they’re prone). The only things that helped were daily NSAIDs (meloxicam is the go-to for buns), gabapentin as needed, laser treatment and exercise on flat but not hard surfaces (no jumping!).

Nowadays LED light therapy could be a comparatively affordable option for at-home therapy. I think moderator Dana has had some luck with that for elderbuns. Just make sure you get sth that works for fur-clad creatures, many hand held devices for humans only work on bare skin.

Long term meloxicam for buns should be combined with famotidine to protect the stomach lining from the corrosive effects of NSAIDs. Famotidine is an OTC drug for humans, my bun vets prescribe it for short term meloxicam treatment as well (spay/neuters, stasis etc).

I tried lots supplements for my dog. Glucosamine tablets, some combination type horrible-tasting liquid (I tasted it, it was vile 😄🤢, doggy didnt seem to mind though), curcumin, Omega 3 oil etc. I cant say if any of it helped or not. It’s a lot easier to medicate a dog bc they can swallow pills, and liquid meds can be hidden in favorite food. Rabbits are far more picky and also very opinionated 🐰💝

 

[Author]

Messages