Natural Arthritis Pain Reliever Goes to the Dogs
by Scot Smith
The Gazette
Knight Ridder Wire Service
Lisa Jenks is a believer. So is Sakima, judging from the 11-year old Labrador Retriever's newfound friskiness.
 |
Jenks and her canine companion are sold on Connectin®, an herbal dietary supplement designed to relieve joint pain in arthritic dogs. The new product, created and marketed by In Clover, Inc. of Boulder County, provides a natural alternative to traditional pain relievers, some of which may produce undesirable side effects. Connectin® has done more than alleviate "40-50 percent" of Sakima's discomfort from severe hip dysplasia, Jenks says. The liver-flavored, powdery mixture of herbs and biological activators has prolonged the dog's life.
"It's been great- it's made a huge difference," says Jenks, who tried traditional treatments (hip surgery, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs) and had considered euthanizing Sakima to ease his pain. "Now, when I take the kids to the park, he wants to get out of the car and he hobbles around the park. He doesn't run like a young puppy anymore, but he visits everybody in the park. Before he started on Connectin®, he wasn't doing that kind of stuff."
In Clover hopes to duplicate Sakima's success story on a large scale - and corral a share of the $10 billion-a-year pet industry along the way. The opportunity seems to be there: As many as one-quarter of the 55 million dogs in the United States are expected to develop joint disorders.
Of course, there are no guarantees that Connectin® will work for all dogs. But the diet supplement had an 89 percent success rate in veterinarian-tested field studies, has no apparent side effects and costs about $20-25 a month for a 50-pound dog.
All that makes it alluring to owners who want to try a natural method to minimize their dogs' hip pain, which can result from injury, overactivity, disease or aging. Traditional pain-relief drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen can cause gastric ulcers, and prolonged use of cortisone or steroids can cause atrophied adrenal glands and muscle/cartilage weakness.
Natural ingredients found in Connectin® can't harm pets -
The primary ingredients in Connectin® are glucosamine and mucopolysaccharides, which are naturally occurring compounds that cushion and lubricate connecting tissues and seem to promote the building of cartilage. Connectin® also includes a combination of herbal substances- yucca, alfalfa, devil's claw, nettle, turmeric, ginger, black cohosh, celery and cayenne - to help promote circulation and reduce inflammation.
Local veterinarians have little experience with Connectin® but say the ingredients shouldn't cause side effects or create other health problems.
But is it really safe to give to your dog?
"Absolutely," says Pete DeWaal, a Colorado Springs veterinarian. "It sounds like its worth trying. If it works, great; if it doesn't, there's no harm done."
DeWaal says other products on the market use glucosamine in combination with other components, and that "they work extremely well in some cases and not at all in others."
Connectin® has been on the market two years and has an estimated 5,000 four-legged clients, says Rebecca Rose, president/CEO of In Clover. "I've always loved animals and wanted to find some way to get into the companion-animal side of the business," says Rose. "Arthritis is the No.1 chronic health ailment affecting dogs, and we thought there was an unmet market for a natural approach."