Hip and joint supplements for dogs: glucosamine, chondroitin, green-lipped mussel and MSM explained

Glucosamine, chondroitin, green-lipped mussel and MSM are four ingredients found on the labels of dog supplements for hip and joint support. This guide takes them one at a time: what each substance is, where manufacturers get it, what is known about absorption in dogs, and what the published canine studies did and reported.

The short answer

• Glucosamine is an amino sugar, and the glucosamine in supplements is usually prepared from shellfish exoskeletons or by fermenting grain [3].
• Chondroitin sulphate is a long-chain cartilage carbohydrate, mainly obtained from bovine, porcine or shark cartilage [4].
• In one pharmacokinetic study of eight male beagles, mean oral bioavailability after a single dose was about 12% for glucosamine hydrochloride and 4.8 to 5.0% for a low molecular weight chondroitin sulphate [1].
• A 2022 systematic review of 72 trials, 69 in dogs and three in cats, reported a marked non-effect for glucosamine-chondroitin products and found its strongest evidence for omega-3-enriched diets and omega-3 supplements, two categories that included green-lipped mussel products [10]. Its authors declared past work for pet food and animal health companies [10].
• MSM is a small sulphur compound made industrially from DMSO [14]. In that 2022 review it appears only as one ingredient of a multi-ingredient product given to 16 dogs; no trial of MSM on its own in dogs appears among the 38 compounds assessed [10].
• The Merck Veterinary Manual describes radiography as useful for showing the extent of arthritis in hip dysplasia and for planning treatment [16]. Management is a decision for the dog's vet.

What is in dog supplements for hip and joint support?

A 2017 review of the canine glucosamine and chondroitin literature noted that marketed products differ in strength, formulation and additional ingredients, and its product table lists MSM among those additions [2]. This article covers glucosamine, chondroitin, green-lipped mussel and MSM.

Glucosamine

What it is and where it comes from

Glucosamine is an amino sugar that the body uses to build glycosylated proteins and lipids, and it is a natural component of cartilage [3]. Supplement-grade glucosamine is usually prepared from the exoskeletons of shellfish or from fermentation of grain [3].

Forms

The 2017 review lists the forms sold for people as glucosamine hydrochloride, glucosamine sulphate stabilised with a salt (usually potassium chloride) and crystalline glucosamine sulphate [2]. That passage describes human products, not canine ones.

Absorption in dogs

In 2002 Adebowale and colleagues gave a glucosamine hydrochloride and low molecular weight chondroitin sulphate combination to eight male beagles weighing about 12 kg, intravenously and by mouth, and sampled blood over 24 hours [1]. After a single oral dose, mean glucosamine bioavailability was approximately 12%, with the peak blood concentration at about 1.5 hours [1]. Eight male beagles in a pharmacokinetic study are not client-owned pets of mixed breeds, and only the abstract of this paper was available for this article.

A 2016 randomised crossover study in eight dogs tested liquid, chewable and tablet glucosamine products, with each dog receiving the liquid and one of two tablets. After adjusting for dose it reported similar relative bioavailability across the formulations, and the liquid reached its peak at 0.7 hours against 4.2 and 5.0 hours for the two tablets [5].

Chondroitin sulphate

What it is and where it comes from

Chondroitin sulphate is a sulphated glycosaminoglycan: a long, unbranched chain of repeating two-sugar units made of N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid [4]. Commercial chondroitin is mainly obtained from bovine, porcine or shark cartilage [4]. That description comes from a review written for human medicine. The review reported no specific funding, and its lead author declared educational and research grants from five companies, among them Bioiberica and Expanscience [4].

Absorption in dogs

In the Adebowale beagle study, the bioavailability of the low molecular weight chondroitin, measured as its disaccharide breakdown units, was 4.8 to 5.0% after a single dose, and the measured level accumulated with repeated daily dosing [1].

What the canine trials of glucosamine and chondroitin found

The three trials below tested the two ingredients together, in client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis. Their results were mixed:

• Moreau and colleagues, 2003. In a double-blind trial of 71 client-owned dogs randomised to a nutraceutical, one of two prescription medicines or placebo, force-plate measurements at 30 and 60 days improved with both medicines but not with the nutraceutical [6]. The nutraceutical was glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulphate with manganese ascorbate [2].
• McCarthy and colleagues, 2007. Thirty-five dogs with osteoarthritis of the hips or elbows completed a randomised, double-blind trial comparing a glucosamine and chondroitin combination with a prescription medicine, and vets' subjective scores for pain, weight-bearing and severity were significantly better than baseline by day 70 in the supplement group [7]. There was no placebo group, treatment was allocated by alternation, seven of 42 enrolled dogs dropped out, and scores for lameness and joint mobility did not change significantly [2].
• Kampa and colleagues, 2023. Seventy-five pet dogs with hip osteoarthritis were randomised to five groups for six weeks; the 16 dogs given a glucosamine and chondroitin product showed no significant change in peak vertical force, a force-plate measure of how much weight the limb carries [8]. The authors named the short duration as a limitation. The trial was funded by the maker of two of the other products tested, the authors stated that the funder had no role in the design, analysis or writing, and one author declared past paid consultancy for another company, VetzPetz Asia [8].

A 2012 systematic review of 22 papers, 16 of them in dogs, judged the strength of evidence low for every nutraceutical except omega-3 fatty acids in dogs [9]. The 2022 review went further and concluded that chondroitin-glucosamine products should no longer be recommended in canine or feline osteoarthritis [10]. Its authors reported no direct funding for the review and declared that they had carried out canine osteoarthritis work for 13 companies, including pet food and animal health firms, with many of those projects published as trials the review included, and declared no conflict directly related to the review itself [10]. More detail on the individual trials is in our review of the arthritis supplement studies.

Green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus)

What it is and where it comes from

Green-lipped mussel is the New Zealand shellfish Perna canaliculus. In the trials below it was given as a freeze-dried product, an extract, an ingredient in a diet or a patented lipid extract [8, 11, 12, 13]. The trial product described by Hielm-Björkman and colleagues came from farmed mussels harvested at 12 to 18 months, then stabilised and freeze-dried [11]. They described it as a source of glycosaminoglycans such as chondroitin sulphates, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals [11].

No canine pharmacokinetic study of green-lipped mussel was found for this article, so there is no absorption figure to report. For the fatty acid side of the story, see omega-3 and fish oil for dogs.

What the canine trials found

• Pollard and colleagues, 2006. Eighty-one dogs presumptively diagnosed with mild-to-moderate degenerative joint disease received a mussel extract or placebo for 56 days; both groups improved over baseline, there was no significant difference between groups at day 28, and at day 56 a higher proportion of the extract group had improved clinical signs (p=0.018) while the difference in musculoskeletal scores was marginal (p=0.053) [12].
• Hielm-Björkman and colleagues, 2009. Forty-five dogs with radiographically diagnosed hip or elbow osteoarthritis, 15 per group, received a freeze-dried mussel product, a prescription medicine or placebo for eight weeks. On a vet-assessed mobility index, 66.7% of the mussel group, 66.7% of the medicine group and 26.7% of the placebo group were scored as improved, and the authors concluded that the mussel product was not as effective as the medicine [11]. They called the mixed patient group a major drawback. The test products and placebos were supplied free of charge by Pfizer Finland and ICENI England, and the authors acknowledged grants from the Finnish Kennel Club, Pfizer Finland, Boehringer Ingelheim, Vetcare and Heel that paid for the force plate [11].
• Rialland and colleagues, 2013. Twenty-three client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis ate a control diet for 30 days and then a mussel-enriched diet for 60 days; peak vertical force did not change significantly on the control diet (P = 0.06) and improved on the enriched diet (P = 0.003) [13]. There was no separate control group running alongside.
• Kampa and colleagues, 2023. In the hip osteoarthritis trial described above, the 14 dogs given a patented mussel lipid extract (PCSO-524) had a significant rise in peak vertical force at four and six weeks, while vets' subjective orthopaedic scores did not change significantly in any group [8]. PCSO-524 was one of the two products made by the trial's funder [8].

These four trials tested four different mussel preparations, and each result belongs to the preparation tested in that trial.

What is MSM in dog supplements?

MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane, also called dimethyl sulfone. It is a small organosulphur compound with the formula C2H6O2S [14, 15]. It occurs naturally in fruit, vegetable and grain crops, but only at concentrations in the hundredths of a part per million [14]. The MSM in supplements is manufactured by oxidising dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with hydrogen peroxide and purifying the product by crystallisation or distillation [14].

The absorption data found for this article are from other species: a review of the MSM literature reported rapid absorption in rats and in humans [14]. One of that review's three authors was an employee of an MSM manufacturer, and a second declared research funding from, and consultancy for, dietary supplement companies including some that sell MSM [14].

On MSM in dog supplements, no canine trial of MSM by itself was found for this article. The 2022 systematic review assessed 38 compounds across its 72 trials, and MSM appears in it only as one ingredient of a composite product, alongside herbal extracts, omega-3s, chondroitin-glucosamine, L-glutamine and hyaluronic acid, that was given to 16 dogs; it was never assessed as a compound on its own [10]. The same holds for the 2023 hip trial, where the glucosamine and chondroitin product also contained MSM and avocado/soybean unsaponifiables [8]. A result from a multi-ingredient product cannot be assigned to any one of its ingredients.

What is hip dysplasia?

The Merck Veterinary Manual defines hip dysplasia as a multifactorial abnormal development of the hip joint, characterised by joint laxity and followed by degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis [16]. It describes radiography as useful for showing the extent of arthritis and for planning treatment, and it lists weight reduction, activity modification, physical therapy, prescription medicines (NSAIDs) and several surgical procedures among the management options [16]. Which of those suits an individual dog is a clinical decision for the vet who has examined it.

What the research does not tell us

• Whether absorbed means useful. The beagle data show what reached the blood [1], not what reached a joint.
• Which form or source is preferable. The 2017 review called the evidence difficult to interpret because manufacturers, salt forms, sources, strengths, regimens and durations all differed [2].
• What happens over the long term. The trials described here ran for between six weeks and about three months.
• Anything about MSM alone in dogs. No canine trial of MSM by itself was found.
• Who paid for every trial. Six trial and pharmacokinetic papers and the 2012 review [1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13] were read as abstracts only, so their funding is not reported here.

When to see your vet

The Merck Veterinary Manual lists, among the signs of hip dysplasia, lameness that is more pronounced after exercise, a bunny-hopping gait that is sometimes evident, and decreased range of motion and pain during full extension and flexion of the hip that can be present [16]. A list of signs is not a diagnosis. Book an appointment if your dog is lame, stiff after rest, reluctant to jump or climb stairs, or has changed the way it moves.

Tell your vet about every supplement your dog already takes.

This article is general information, not veterinary advice. Speak to your vet before changing your dog's diet, supplements or medication.

References

1. Adebowale A, Du J, Liang Z, Leslie JL, Eddington ND (2002). The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of glucosamine hydrochloride and low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate after single and multiple doses to beagle dogs. Biopharmaceutics & Drug Disposition, 23(6):217-225. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12214321/
2. Bhathal A, Spryszak M, Louizos C, Frankel G (2017). Glucosamine and chondroitin use in canines for osteoarthritis: A review. Open Veterinary Journal. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5356289/
3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Glucosamine. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547949/
4. Henrotin Y, Mathy M, Sanchez C, Lambert C (2010). Chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis: from in vitro studies to clinical recommendations. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, 2:335-348. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3383492/
5. Maxwell LK, Regier P, Achanta S (2016). Comparison of glucosamine absorption after administration of oral liquid, chewable, and tablet formulations to dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 52:90-94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26808433/
6. Moreau M, Dupuis J, Bonneau NH, Desnoyers M (2003). Clinical evaluation of a nutraceutical, carprofen and meloxicam for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis. The Veterinary Record. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12665145/
7. McCarthy G, O'Donovan J, Jones B, McAllister H, Seed M, Mooney C (2007). Randomised double-blind, positive-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis. The Veterinary Journal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16647870/
8. Kampa N, Kaenkangploo D, Jitpean S, et al. (2023). Study of the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, marine based fatty acid compounds (PCSO-524 and EAB-277), and carprofen for the treatment of dogs with hip osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10:1033188. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9929184/
9. Vandeweerd JM, Coisnon C, Clegg P, et al. (2012). Systematic review of efficacy of nutraceuticals to alleviate clinical signs of osteoarthritis. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22404506/
10. Barbeau-Grégoire M, Otis C, Cournoyer A, Moreau M, Lussier B, Troncy E (2022). A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of enriched therapeutic diets and nutraceuticals in canine and feline osteoarthritis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9499673/
11. Hielm-Björkman A, Tulamo RM, Salonen H, Raekallio M (2009). Evaluating complementary therapies for canine osteoarthritis part I: green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2722199/
12. Pollard B, Guilford WG, Ankenbauer-Perkins KL, Hedderley D (2006). Clinical efficacy and tolerance of an extract of green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) in dogs presumptively diagnosed with degenerative joint disease. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 54:114-118. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16751841/
13. Rialland P, Bichot S, Lussier B, et al. (2013). Effect of a diet enriched with green-lipped mussel on pain behavior and functioning in dogs with clinical osteoarthritis. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 77:66-74. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23814358/
14. Butawan M, Benjamin RL, Bloomer RJ (2017). Methylsulfonylmethane: applications and safety of a novel dietary supplement. Nutrients. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5372953/
15. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6213, Dimethyl sulfone. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dimethyl-sulfone
16. Lafuente P. Hip Dysplasia in Dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual (reviewed December 2025). https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/arthropathies-and-related-disorders-in-small-animals/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs