Greyhound Gang: Greyt Goodies: Supplements

Greyt Goodies:
Supplements

Get Up & Go Q&A

Is this human-grade product? Standardized? High potency?

Absolutely. This is the same material that goes into capsules that are sold on the shelves for humans. My supplier also supplies a very upscale, reputable chain of stores the same product for their customers, and it sells very well and at higher prices.

These products have been subjected to rigorous testing, and are manufactured using good quality control procedures. They are guaranteed to be some of the best supplement offers on the market.

Are all supplements created equal?

All supplements are not created equal. There are currently not any strong regulations on the creation of supplements, and some processing plants don't process a high-quality product. A high-quality product can help ensure positive changes, a lower quality product might not.

What is the difference between Glucosamine HCL vs. Glucosamine Sulfate?

Some people don't feel there is a difference. I think there is. The studies in Europe were done on Glucosamine sulfates (an Italian pharmaceutical company had a proprietary position on sulfate, and provided the entire supplement for the studies), and so most supplements on the market are created using sulfate.

Glucosamine HCL (hydrochloride) contains more Glucosamine than Sulfate. One of the reasons it contains more Glucosamine is because the process to create Glucosamine HCL is only one step. The process to create Glucosamine Sulfate is two steps.

I personally prefer HCL as it has only been processed once. Also Glucosamine sulfates are bound to either potassium or sodium salts. I feel both products can work well, with HCL working best.

What do you mean by 100%?

Get Up & Go 100% supplements contains only powder from the supplement. No fillers, no additional supplements, nothing else.

Something you never see on labels is that in the processing of all Glucosamines, you never truly get 100% Glucosamine. The stable processed product only gives you a portion of the pure Glucosamine. However, you'll see labels stating 500 mg of Glucosamine. What that really means is if the processing was a high-quality one (like Get Up & Go), and if the processing contains no fillers or additional supplements (like Get Up & Go), then you would multiply the amount stated as milligrams by the following:
- 83.091% Glucosamine in Glucosamine HCL
- 59.179% Glucosamine in Glucosamine Sulfate
The resulting number would REALLY be the amount of Glucosamine in that pill.

Get Up & Go Glucosamine HCL contains 1600 - 2000 mgs in 1/2 tsp. That means you really get at least 1329.456 mg. of Glucosamine in every 1/2 tsp. Since other companies don't explain this on their labels. I keep my labels the same as others so you are comparing apples to apples.

Why is your product so much less than others on the market?

I love greyhounds. And I want all greyhounds to have a long, healthy life. I want everyone to give his or her ex-racing greyhounds Glucosamine. So I make it very affordable. This is not a living for me, this is a passion. Proceeds go to help rescue more greyhounds. I'm in this for very different reasons than everyone else selling you something.

Having said that, here are the other reasons I'm much less expensive.
- No additives. This product is 100% Glucosamine, so there are no extra costs for the addition of other products.
- No middlemen. I get the product direct, I pack it myself, I put on the labels, and I send it to you. Sometimes my parents help! A truly Ma & Pa operation.

Ma & Pa Presto on vacation visiting Claudia
and working hard - to help the greyhounds!

Should I give supplements if there are no symptoms?

I do!

I feel all ex-racing greyhounds need to replenish their joints and connective tissues. These supplements help to do that. I give every dog that I rescue Glucosamine HCL. I will monitor their behavior and either continue to give or not, depending on the dog's condition, after a few months. I will also then add other supplements (MSM, Chondroitin, CMO, Vitamin C) if the dog's condition warrants it.

What are the symptoms of arthritis in dogs?

Watch for these telltale signs:
- When your dog gets up from sleeping, does he get up slowly and does it appears that he is in pain?
- Look at the toe joints, are any of them swollen?
- Does your dog lick his toes, or ankles or areas where he could be feeling some arthritic pain?
- Does your dog not run as much or as long as he used to?
An ex-racing greyhound has taken a lot of abuse on his body -- his feet, his legs, his back, his neck. Making sure those joints stay lubricated is a preventative measure you can take that will help him, and is easy and inexpensive for you!

How much and how often should I give Glucosamine?

If you've done some reading you'll see a wide range of answers to this. The dose should be given daily for at least two months. The dosage amounts range from 10 mg per lb. as the minimum dose to much more.

My recommendation for the best chance of seeing a change in your dog's arthritic condition is to give 1500 mg a day for at least two months. If after two months you see improvement, then go to a lesser dose of around 1000 mg. I would watch the effect, and if he/she is doing well, then stay at that level. If you see arthritic conditions returning, go back to the higher dose, and add Chondroitin and MSM too.

Get Up and Go Glucosamine gives you more than that in a 60-day supply. You get enough to give 1/2 tsp. daily, which translates to 1600 mg - 2000 mg, for 60 days.

How do I give Get Up & Go supplements?

Get Up and Go supplements are powder. You put the required daily dose on your dog's food daily. If your dog is free fed, or doesn't eat all his food, here are some other suggestions:
- Using a small amount of canned food, put that in his dry food, and then sprinkle the powder on the piece of canned food.
- Using some form of mushy liverwurst stuff, make it into a flat pancake. Put the powder in the middle, wrap up liverwurst into a ball, and give it to your pet.
- You can put it in a sandwich (for you or your dog) with peanut butter.
- You can use lean deli meat. Just put it in the middle, fold over the meat and pop in the dog's mouth.
- You can add yogurt to your dog's food, and sprinkle the powder on the yogurt.

How do I know which supplement to use? Why just Glucosamine? I've been reading about Chondroitin and Glucosamine together.

I believe that Glucosamine HCL is the foundation for all natural arthritic healing. So I start with that for a few months. If I don't see the change I'd like to see, then I add Shark Cartilage and MSM. If I'm still not happy, I add CMO, while still giving the other supplements too. Vitamin C I give to all dogs, at any time.

I recommend this because:
- Glucosamine is less expensive, and you can try the least expensive option first.
- Glucosamine alone might help with the arthritic conditions.
- If Glucosamine alone doesn't help, then you'll be able to add another ingredient for less cost
- If Glucosamine alone doesn't help, then you'll be able to track the use of the addition of another product too
If you have a dog that already has chronic arthritis, as diagnosed by a vet, I would definitely give all products. Damage has already been done, and you need to try to reverse as much of the damage as you can. Buying Get Up & Go supplements will be the best and most affordable natural care for arthritis you can buy.

Any other questions, e-mail Claudia at claudia@greyhoundgang.com.