Can I give my dogs supplements made for human consumption or should I buy dog specific brands?

My oldest dog has a bit of arthritis and I have read glucosamine is recommended - I already take that myself - will she benefit from having these tablets or should I buy specific dog tablets? Also I am thinking of cod liver oil?

dogs and human share 75% of the same dna , you can give her cod liver oil tablets in her food if you arent sure ask your vet goodluck

Those two are fine...but not all arthritis meds

give your dog things that are made for dogs cuz you dog could die and dont give them a human brand unless a registered vet tells you to

you can, however, you should ask you vet about the dosage. The nice thing about dog tabs is that they are flavored and the pup will usually chew them up like a treat...less stress than having to give a pill.

My dog has arthritis in her hips and a friend of mine, a vetinary nurse recommended half dose of normal ibruprofen. He said it's far cheaper than vet's prescription and it's only the same thing anyway. I reckon that would go for general supplements too.

Both the Glucosamine and the cod liver oil you can give your dogs. You don't have to buy them anything special from a pet store just buy ecconomy pack so there is plenty for you and your dog. Cost less buying in bulk anyway.

I use human tablets of glucos. for my oldest dog. Some things it's ok to do that, others it's not. Cod liver oil would be fine to use too or you can feed canned cod with the regualr diet and get the same results. Back to the glucosamnie, there are some that you can buy that also have chondroitin in it as well which is supposed to be better than just using glucosamine alone. Other than that use extreme caution on what you give your dog because they cannot always have the same stuff we have:) RDLS

never never never never ever give dogs human things. Get something from your vet to give your dog. You could kill or seriously harm your pet.

hmm made for humans, by humans...might not work out for the best, worst case could kill your pet

Glucosamine and cod liver oil should both help and will be fine. Your "human grade" glucosamine and cod liver oil should be just as good as specific dog tablets. My dog takes them too.You may or may not find that those for dogs are cheaper.(Edited to add, just read through other postings. RainaDeLaSol has got it spot on.)

***Edit: Do NOT give ibuprofen to dogs!!! It is NOT the same as ANY medication we have for dogs. Half a standard human dose will treat 75-125 pounds of a human. Even a fraction of that dose will start to eat away a dog's stomach lining on a microscopic level. Do that only if you want to seriously harm (meaning kill) your dog. That veterinary 'nurse' was giving out totally incorrect advice.***Dogs and cats share even more of the same DNA.....but acetominophen will flat-out kill a cat, while not being all that harmful to dogs (it still shouldn't be given to them, though.)What kind of logic was that???Also....humans eat grapes and raisins all the time, but they will put a dog into severe kidney failure.We can eat onions with no problem....but they are TOXIC to dogs and cats (causing something called Heinz-body anemia.)Need I go on??? (There are numerous other examples.)Just because something is deemed 'safe' for humans, doesn't mean it isn't harmful to our pets.Glucosamine (preferably in combination with chondroitin sulfate) is indeed a good thing to give dogs to help protect their joints, however. It helps many, and has no side effects. I used to tell clients to just get the 'human' version of it, too....until I had a couple hundred clients tell me that they had used both, and noticed that their dogs were SIGNIFICANTLY better on the products specifically formulated for dogs. They have refined it so that its bioavailabilty is optimal for the canine metabolism (which differs from ours.) It's also available as a tasty, chewable tablet, too.Keep in mind that 'nutraceuticals' (whether human or veterinary) are not regulated by any agency to guarantee that they actually contain what the label says they do. The FDA has no power over them. You and I could go into business tomorrow to make/sell a glucosamine supplement, and decide to save ourselves money by only putting 10% of what we put on the label in there. No one would be able to stop us.Like I said....there are no guarantees as to the quality with either human OR veterinary glucosamine products, but there are very few veterinary companies that make it compared to the human companies.....and I am familiar with 2 of them in whom I have the utmost confidence in their ethical standards. Can't say the same for the others.But what do I know? I'm only a doctor with 27 years experience in this profession. *shrug*

Healthspan do a product for dogs called Vet Vits "Flexi-joints". My dog started being much better about a month after starting to take it.

It may be worth a try although I am arthritic and it hasn't made a jot of difference to me. If she is in pain from the arthritis (as I am) your vet can prescribe a safe mild painkiller for her which will give her a new lease of life.

YES! I treated a greyhoiund with this on vets advice, cost me a fortune but cured the dog 100% and quickly!

Hi I should ask for advice first. but cod liver oil will not hurt her.I dont think you should give your dog our type of medication, it may harm her. play safe.