🚨You might be giving your dog supplements that don’t work

Hey friends 👋

Bryan (and Maxine) here! Let’s talk about something you’ve definitely seen before even if you didn’t realize it.

Flip over almost any pet joint supplement and you’ll find the same two ingredients staring back at you:

Glucosamine
Chondroitin

They’re everywhere. Powders. Chews. Liquids. Vet shelves. Instagram ads.

So naturally, you’d assume they must work… right?

Well 😬 let’s unpack that.

The origin story (aka: how we got here)

Glucosamine and chondroitin became popular decades ago, back when we believed joint health was mostly about “rebuilding cartilage.”

The idea sounded logical:

• Joints wear down

• These compounds exist in cartilage

• Therefore…supplement them!

Very tidy. Very convincing. Very wrong.

What the research actually shows

When researchers started running higher-quality studies (in both humans and dogs) all within the last few years, the results were…underwhelming.

Across well-controlled trials:

• Little to no meaningful improvement in pain or mobility

• No strong evidence of cartilage repair

• Effects that were indistinguishable from placebo in most cases

In short:

👉 they don’t reliably reduce pain
👉 they don’t rebuild joints
👉 and they don’t meaningfully change disease progression

That’s not “controversial science.”
That’s just…inconvenient science.

“But my dog improved!”

Totally hear this one…and it’s important.

Pets don’t placebo themselves…we placebo them.

When owners start a supplement, they often:

• Pay closer attention

• Walk more carefully

• Adjust activity levels

• Combine it with other changes

The improvement feels real, but it’s rarely coming from glucosamine or chondroitin themselves. It can oftentimes be something completely unrelated.

So why are they still in everything?

Great question. Here’s the honest answer:

• They’re safe.

• They’re cheap.

• They’re familiar.

• They “feel” medical.

And most importantly: They live in a perfect gray zone where companies can say “supports joint health” without ever proving they actually do anything.

Removing them would look suspicious.
Keeping them feels reassuring.

So they stay.

So what actually helps joints?

Here’s where things get REALLY interesting, because the science has moved forward.

Modern joint health isn’t about “rebuilding cartilage.” It’s about calming inflammation, supporting lubrication, and protecting tissue from oxidative stress.

Ingredients with real evidence include:

• Omega-3s (EPA + DHA)
  The gold standard. These reduce inflammatory signaling and are consistently linked to improved mobility and comfort.

• Green-Lipped Mussel
  A natural source of anti-inflammatory lipids and glycosaminoglycans — shown to support joint function better than legacy ingredients.

• Hyaluronic Acid
  Supports joint lubrication and shock absorption — think smoother movement, less friction.

• Astaxanthin
  A powerful antioxidant that helps protect joint tissue from oxidative damage (a quiet but major driver of degeneration).

• Additional marine support (krill & fish meals)
  These enhance fatty-acid delivery and bioavailability, reinforcing the anti-inflammatory effect.

Which brings us to an important point 👀

Why Little Chonk formulated our joint supplement the way we did

You’ll notice what’s not in our formula:

• No glucosamine

• No chondroitin

• No outdated filler ingredients added “because everyone expects them”

Instead, every active ingredient in our soft chew was chosen because it aligns with what the research actually supports today…not what sounded good in 2002.

That’s why our formula includes:

• 200 mg EPA + DHA (from anchovy oil)

• Green-lipped mussel

• Krill and fish meals for synergistic omega support

• Hyaluronic acid for joint lubrication

• Astaxanthin for cellular protection

In other words: Less tradition. More evidence. Better joints.

The takeaway 🐾

Glucosamine and chondroitin aren’t dangerous, they’re just legacy ingredients that refuse to retire.

We built our supplement for what pets actually need now, based on what the science tells us today and where it tells us we’re going. 

• No nostalgia.

• No placebo theater.

• Just ingredients that pull their weight.

It’s been my life mission to do the dirty work for our community and try my absolute best to trailblaze a new path forward for our pets, built on transparency and science.

More myth-busting soon 👀

— Bryan 🐶🦴