I have an old dog, Huckleberry. He’s nearly 13 now. And slowing down fast.
He used to be an athlete, then he had a back injury a few years ago that paralyzed his back end. He recovered, but it left his back end weak and his front end doing more work to keep him moving.
Check out this video to see a bit of his recovery.
And then about 9 months later.
Everyday that we have him, after that injury, is a gift.
He used to keep up with us on walks but now I see him struggle. He’s limping by the time he gets home.
He has arthritis in multiple joints.
There are quite a few things that I do for his joint pain and inflammation.
Treatment for arthritis should always be a combination of approaches that can include:
- Weight loss for overweight pets
- Gentle exercise and physical therapy exercises
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID’s) like Metacam or Rimadyl
- Joint supplements like omega 3 fatty acids, curcumin or glucosamine and chondroitin
- Injectable joint treatments like Cartrophen in Canada or Adequan in USA
I graduated from vet school 21 years ago and have worked as a small animal vet in private practice for 17 years. I was well versed in conventional medicine and helped many patients, including older arthritic pets.
But what I regret?
Not learning more about complementary alternatives.
Now I have the freedom to follow my interests. I love doing deep dives on topics, like new approaches to arthritis in pets.
Keeping my old dog with me for as long as possible, and making him more comfortable has been a big motivator in this path I have started on—to share my knowledge with other pet owners through my newsletter and YouTube channel.
It took weeks of sifting through scientific studies to create my free Quickstart Guide for the top supplements for pets. I wanted to find the ones that had the science to back them up, not the ones with the best marketing.
In my search for the most effective compounds for arthritis, I found a hidden gem.
Undenatured Type 2 Collagen (UC II) is one of those things that was not on my radar—but should have been.
The effects of this special form of collagen started to be recognized a couple of decades ago, and since then, many studies have shown the benefits and safety in people and dogs with arthritis.
In fact, there are now multiple studies showing it works better than the OG of arthritis—glucosamine and chondroitin. One study in dogs even shows it works as well as a prescription NSAID (robenacoxib) for long term treatment of arthritis.
By now I’m hoping everyone with sore knees or an aging pet is saying
“Tell me more… tell me more…”
First we need to do a little sciencing.
I think you have heard the term collagen at some point. Collagen is the most abundant protein in animal bodies and provides connective tissue structure and strength to skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, and blood vessels.
There are 29 different types of collagen, each with different functions in the body. Type II collagen is critical for healthy joints:
- Main structural protein in cartilage- over 80% of cartilage
- Creates a mesh-like framework that gives cartilage its structure and resilience
- Traps water and proteoglycans (like shock absorbers) in the mesh, allowing cartilage to withstand compression and distribute forces evenly across the joint
- Provides the surface smoothness needed for joints to glide without friction
- Interacts with the cells that produce cartilage (chondrocytes) to trigger signals that help the cells survive and produce more cartilage components
Lack of healthy type II collagen in a joint leads to cartilage that is thin, brittle, and less able to repair itself.
Over time—joint pain and stiffness.
What leads to a lack of healthy collagen in joints?
- Age– ability to synthesize new collagen decreases while breakdown increases. Chondrocytes become less active.
- Repetitive impact, especially in athletic or working dogs, can damage collagen fibers faster than they can be repaired
- Inflammation in a joint triggers the release of enzymes (like matrix metalloproteinases) that degrade collagen
- In some conditions, the immune system mistakenly targets and attacks the body’s own type II collagen (Auto-immune/ rheumatoid arthritis)
- Some breeds have genetic predispositions to collagen abnormalities or joint disorders.
- Obesity– additional stress on joints and promotes inflammation that leads to collagen breakdown
- Previous joint injuries can lead to collagen damage and inflammation
It would make sense to just supplement with a bunch of collagen, right? Replace the damaged collagen with some new collagen?
It doesn’t work that way.
Regular collagen isn’t effective as a supplement because it has been so processed that the original structure is lost, and the gut breaks it down further. At best, it provides some building blocks of cartilage, like glucosamine does.
This Is Where Undenatured Type II Collagen Comes In.
Undenatured collagen helps arthritic joints in a completely different way from all other joint medications and supplements.
It has a special structure that partially resists digestion when given orally and this allows it to interact with the immune system in the gut. There, it’s presented intact to regulatory T-cells— essentially ”teaching” these cells collagen is a friend, not an enemy.
These peace-keeping T-cells then travel to the joints and release anti-inflammatory signals, basically telling the immune system to calm the heck down already, and leave joint collagen out of its nasty plan for world domination.
This process is called oral tolerance because it teaches the immune system to tolerate something (see it as self), rather than a foreign invader to be destroyed.
For a collagen supplement to be effective using this unique mechanism, it must be specifically undenatured Type II collagen. The source is usually cartilage from chicken sternum processed at low temperature to preserve the crucial structure. “Undenatured” simply means the protein hasn’t been altered from its natural state—think of how cooking changes the structure of proteins in a steak.
How do we know it works?
Multiple studies in humans, rats, dogs and horses show that UC II decreases joint pain and inflammation.
It has been proven more beneficial to arthritic joints than glucosamine and chondroitin in people and dogs. This was proven with a reliable, objective measurement in dogs– not just an owner observing their pet.
One study in dogs showed UC II was as effective as prescription NSAIDs medications for chronic joint pain. NSAID’s are the most common prescription treatment for arthritis but can lead to serious side effects. The study compared UC II and the NSAID robenacoxib (Onsior) and found the same level of improvement in joint pain.
Who does it work for?
Humans, dogs and horses for sure!
Because this is a relatively new therapeutic, few studies have been done on cats, but it is thought to work by the same mechanism as in other species.
What to look for when shopping:
- Look specifically for undenatured type II collagen or UC-II on the label. This is distinctly different from regular collagen peptides or other collagen types.
- Quality products will specify the exact amount of active UC-II (not just general collagen content).
- Many reputable brands use a patented UC-II formulation made by Lonza.
- Flexadin Advanced by Vetoquinol is one reputable veterinary product that contains 40 mg UC II in one chewable for any size cat or dog.
- Now Pets also makes a UC-II product with 20 mg.
Dosage Guidelines
While some studies suggest doses as low as 10 mg per day can be effective, the standard dose showing consistent benefits in clinical studies is 40 mg daily for both people and dogs. Unlike many medications, the dosage isn’t strictly size-dependent.
Timeline for seeing results
- Initial improvements may be seen within 30 days
- Most dogs show noticeable improvement between 60-90 days
- Full benefits typically emerge after 120-150 days of consistent use
We know it works, but is it safe?
A resounding yes!
No significant short or long-term side effects have been observed in safety studies conducted in both humans and pets.
How can we use it?
It’s important to note that UC II shouldn’t be used as the sole treatment for acutely or severely painful joints– that’s where the NSAIDs really shine.
UC II could reduce the need for NSAIDs long term and could be used as the sole nutraceutical in early and mild to moderate cases.
Huckleberry’s Story
Huckleberry has been on it for six weeks and has been doing well but it’s tough to see what effect this one addition has made for three reasons:
1. Huckleberry is also on an NSAID (meloxicam), omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, and a curcumin supplement. It is hard to tease out a change in how he feels due to one addition.
2. It’s hard to measure effects objectively at home.
Researchers use force plate analysis—essentially the weight being placed on a limb when walking—to determine if the pet is using a sore leg more with a treatment.
At home? Mostly we just observe. But Huckle does have a FitBark, that can be used to track activity levels, responses to medications and as an early warning of illness.
I will write a newsletter soon about my experiences with the Fitbark, but check out this article I wrote about how activity trackers for pets and people can be a tool to increase longevity.
3. I started UC II much later in the process than ideal. It’s better to put out a fire when it’s a spark, not when the whole house is on fire.
Now this was a surprise…
A very cool study (on the best breed ever, so that makes it even better!).
- 40 healthy Labrador Retriever hunting dogs (no arthritis)
- some they gave UC II and some got a placebo
- they got UC II before (2 weeks loading) and during an 11 week endurance training program
- two 5 km runs per week to start, up to 8 km then a final 16 km run
- measured blood markers of joint inflammation and cartilage damage plus surveys of observed pain/ stiffness before and after running
(read the study here and here)
In the future, I think what they found will change how we treat healthy working dogs, canine athletes and perhaps human athletes also.
Results:
There was a significant difference in all markers between the UC II dogs and the placebo group, especially after the long 16 km run.
There was less inflammation, less cartilage damage markers, and less visible pain and stiffness. The treated dogs also ran faster!
Imagine preventing what we think of as inevitable arthritis due to the wear and tear of an active lifestyle.
This also shows me the benefit of early supplementation.
The time to start thinking about your pet’s joints, or your own, is before the limping, pain and stiffness.
