- Prevent the destruction of the joint cartilage.
- Relives joint pain
- Relives the inflammation in Joints
- Increased Activity
- Improved motility
- Happier disposition
- More playful
The two most common forms of arthritis in dogs are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. By far the most common form is osteoarthritis, which effects 20-25% of all dogs; rheumatoid arthritis is not very common and it affects primarily toy or small breeds of dogs, generally between 5 and 6 years of age.
In rheumatoid arthritis and in osteoarthritis, especially severe osteoarthritis, the immune system actively destroys cartilage because cartilage is not recognized as “self”, but as “foreign” and the immune system tries to get rid of it. Since it has long been known that oral administration of antigens (any substance that induces antibodies when injected in the blood) results in tolerance, that is the immune system learns that it should not make antibodies against the orally ingested antigen. This process is called “oral tolerance.” Since collagen Type II (CII) is the major auto-antigen in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, theoretically feeding collagen Type II should prevent the destruction of the joint cartilage by the immune system. In fact, a number of studies in humans and dogs have shown that feeding collagen Type II at low doses in many cases relieves joint pain and inflammation.