Vetzyme High-Strength Flexible Tablets

The week a dog first hesitates at the bottom of the stairs is the week most people buy their first joint supplement — and by Vetzyme's own account it is later than they would like. Their packaging says to take action ideally before those signs develop, which is advice almost nobody can follow, because until there are signs there is nothing to react to.

Four things are named on the tablet. Fish oil supplies omega 3, which Vetzyme link to supple joints, healthy circulation and a healthy heart. Glucosamine and chondroitin they describe as amino sugars involved in the formation and rebuilding of cartilage, tendons and ligaments. MSM — methyl sulphonyl methane — they describe as rich in organic sulphur, which may help keep joints flexible and muscles supple. There are 30 tablets in the pack, and Vetzyme list it for senior dogs, all dogs, puppies over twelve weeks and dogs prone to joint problems.

• 30 tablets per pack
• Fish oil, for omega 3
• Glucosamine and chondroitin
• MSM (methyl sulphonyl methane)
• Listed for senior dogs, adult dogs and puppies over twelve weeks
• Given alongside ordinary pet food

"High strength" is a claim with no number behind it. Nothing supplied to us gives the quantity of glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM or omega 3 in a tablet, so there is no way to hold this pack up against another one on the shelf and see which is stronger — high strength is a description rather than a measurement. There is no feeding guide here either, so how many tablets a dog of a given size should have comes off the pack. If your dog is already on medication, or has a joint problem a vet has actually looked at, that is a conversation to have before adding anything.

Who it's for: owners of a dog that has started to slow down, and anyone who took Vetzyme's own advice at face value and wants to start a big-framed or older dog before the stairs become a moment.