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Australian Dog Lover
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If there ever was a dog that loved playing a game of fetch, chasing balls or having a good tug game with us or his Malinois siblings, it was Conner.
He was also famous for jumping on the couch uninvited and turning into a lap dog (in winter time), now matter how uncomfortable we may be…
He started lounging about on the carpet for longer periods during the day and reluctantly sat when offered a treat so clearly something was not quite right…
Joint disorders are one of the most frequent issues affecting our ageing dogs with one in five adult dogs suffering from arthritis or other joint related issues.
We discovered a new Australian company called PetzPark based in Sydney, which specialises in supplements for your dogs and launched the Hip+ Joint for Dogs dietary supplement. Using naturally occurring active ingredients, Hip + Joint is manufactured right here in Australia.
With temps dipping into single digits in May, this was the perfect time to give this powder supplement a trial run with Conner and we monitored his progress closely.
Some background on Canine Arthritis
Cartilage is the major connective tissue which caps the end of the bones around each joint. It acts as the principal shock absorber between bones during everyday activities.
Cartilage is made up of four major components: collagen, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), chondrocytes (cartilage cells) and water.
Healthy cartilage requires a steady supply of these nutrients e.g. Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfates, Methylsulfonymethane (MSM), and more.
These nutrients are transported to the joint via synovial fluid. This viscous liquid which surrounds the joint is responsible for joint flexibility, cushioning and resiliency. These substances naturally occur in our body but as dogs (and humans) age, we start producing significantly less of them.
How does Hip + Joint formula work?
Hip + Joint formula includes particularly high levels of Glucosamine, MSM and Chondroitin which all serve a specific function:
1. Glucosamine supports the structure and function of joints. It also helps strengthen and build healthy cartilage and repair damaged tissue. 2. MSM has antioxidant, cell rejuvenation and joint healing properties. It restores flexibility in joints and also helps reduce the pain caused by inflammation.
3. Chondroitin Sulfate also supports cartilage health and helps reduce the deterioration of joint tissue. It reduces the inflammation commonly experienced in joint diseases like hip dysplasia and arthritis.
Hip + Joint for Dogs features a higher concentration of these elements than normal, which helps make an actual difference and you should expect to see quicker results.
Our Experience of Petz Park Hip + Joint with Conner
We’re not qualified to conduct a clinical trial, however we endeavour to obtain clear and unbiased results (good or bad) when we try any products from manufacturers. For this reason, Conner was “weaned off” all other supplements and we went back to a standard diet (nothing added) for the best part of 4 weeks.
The powder is labelled ‘Roast Beef Flavour’ which our limited olfactory capabilities could not detect but our dog probably did! To us, it just smelled like medicine...Most companies advise you to use a loading dose (doubling the quantities for the first 1-2 weeks) but we noticed Petz Park did not, which indicates a lot of confidence in the effectiveness of their product from the start.
For most dogs (up to 27kg), the recommendation is that you only need one scoop (2.5g) once a day so based on 90 scoops per tub, this product could stretch over 3 months. As Conner (30kg) is being fed twice daily, we added a scoop to both his morning and evening meals.
The first week Conner sadly had one of his (thankfully rare) epileptic seizures so it was hard to tell how he was responding to anything – it usually takes him a couple of days to start acting normal again…
But three weeks in, there was no denying there was a major improvement in his mobility: he was happy to walk up and down the double flight of stairs from the deck into our backyard unaccompanied. The lameness / stiffness in his back legs and hind quarters also appears to have subsided.
Conner needs to jump up around 54cm every night to land on the mattress and this had become a bit of challenge, to the point where we started questioning if we should get a dog ramp or steps for him. We had to lift him completely a few times last month.
He’s now able to complete a clear jump without hitting his legs on the edge of the bed. He’s also jumped on the main couch for a cuddle a couple of times which was proving too difficult previously and he would just lie down next to us with sad eyes…
He’s still weak as his muscles are suffering from the lack of exercise and his days of chasing tennis balls may be behind him but he’s improved in his overall mobility and he’s displaying more of a zest for life, even skipping through the door recently like a prancing pony, a side of him we had not seen for quite some time!
Looking at our tub after 4 weeks, it looks like we may still have 3 weeks' worth of powder left so Hip + Joint for Dogs not only delivered real results but also offers real value for money so it gets a big thumbs up from a happy dog mum!
As we all need to stretch our budgets at present, this is an important consideration.
The only minus was the short handle of the scoop provided - this only becomes an issue after a few weeks when you start dipping your fingers into the powder. Mentioning this to Petz Park during our trial, they replied saying that they’d changed their order for a longer one from their supplier so they take any feedback from customers very seriously.
So if you’re looking for a new joint supplement to help your dog live a pain-free and active lifestyle, we would highly recommend you give Hip + Joint for Dogs a try to see the difference for yourself.
Used as a maintenance dose, we can make our 225g pack last a full seven weeks.
Price & Where to Buy
RRP: $49.95* (225g) from www.petzpark.com.au
* You can make 4-interest free payments of $12.49 using Afterpay
Discover Petz Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/petzpark/ or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/petzpark
Price & Where to Buy
RRP: $49.95* (225g) from www.petzpark.com.au
* You can make 4-interest free payments of $12.49 using Afterpay
Discover Petz Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/petzpark/ or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/petzpark
Disclaimer: A 225g pack of Hip + Joint Dog Supplement was provided to us by Petz Park in order to trial the product over a 2-month period and complete our review.
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