product review

-- Product Review -- 

Did you know?

25% of all dogs will develop joint mobility issues

 of some sort during their life.

 

Dave and I have had several dogs in the past and even though they had a top quality lifestyle and food regime as they aged we had to purchase expensive supplements to help them with age-related and previous injury (we adopt animals from shelters) related joint issues. We tried several brands and the last few years became loyal to one brand of chewable liver-flavored tablets, however when I learned of this review opportunity I just had to jump at it.

The product was supposed to arrive around July 10^th, Amazon’s guaranteed delivery date, I'm not sure of the exact date it arrived, however it was there for us when Dave visited the US postal service on his next trip which was July 11th.The first thing we said as the bottle came out of the shipping box – was “wow”! We were so impressed with the size of the bottle (32 fl. oz.)!

We tried it right away as our 9-year-old shepherd/malamute has been having troubles with her joints for about 2 years now. We’ve always given her top quality natural food, and for the last 3 years we’ve been giving her the same all-natural chewable joint supplement tablet I talked about a moment ago (3 per day). Just recently we got her a series of shots at the vet’s office that have helped, but did not cure her. Despite all this –if she lies on a hard surface for long (we try to avoid that and bring her bed everywhere she goes), plays too hard when other dogs are visiting or at the dog park, or we take her for too long of a hike (no more bike rides and runs for her) she does limp a little. Our vet recommended doggie-safe baby aspirin to help her through the bad days.

So we were really excited to try this product out. Our concern was that little Skyla has a very sensitive digestive tract and is very choosy about what she will eat. Our concerns were unfounded – which certainly surprised us. We added the 2 tsp. to her breakfast and she just gobbled it right up. She gets 2 tsp. in the morning, 2 tsp. in the evening along with her food now every day. We will also start giving our other 4-year-old Siberian husky/blue heeler (Duchess) half the amount we give Skyla even though they are the same weight, Duchess isn’t showing problems yet and this would just be a preventative measure.

TerraMax Pro's Hip & Joint Supplement for Dogs offers a special formula that will help any breed of dog naturally heal and grow new cartilage. It will nourish and revitalize joints, naturally reduce inflammation and improve both flexibility and mobility – which will reduce the chance of joint related problems in the future.

Some dogs really don’t like pills, even if they are chewable and flavored like meat or liver – so a lot of owners try to grind the pills or disguise them in hot dogs or something to get their dog to take the supplement. Some dog owners choose the powder form of joint supplements, which is chalky and gritty, and dogs often turn away from their meal… making that an expensive loss of food and supplements. 

Unlike most supplements, TerraMax Pro comes in a liquid form that tastes good to dogs and can easily be mixed in with their food. Because it is in liquid form, it “will absorb more quickly and efficiently than tablets, offering faster and better results” … “Liquid joint supplements for dogs have been used in Europe for over 20 years and studies have proven that liquid supplements absorb much more quickly and efficiently than tablets, chews or any other form.” (*quoted from the company’s literature)

This product has noticeably higher amounts of the active ingredients (62% more glucosomine, 50% more chondoroitin, and opti-msm) than our other favorite brand. These ingredients also improve the dog’s ability to heal wounds and stomach issues, skin problems, inflammation and other digestive issues.  It will also help destroy free radicals and you’ll be able to watch your dog’s hair, nails, skin and teeth improve. If your dog is on other medications – no worries – this supplement is safe to use in combination with prescriptions and vitamins.

You won’t find any sugar, salt, starch, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, milk, soy or fillers in this product. All the ingredients are sourced from US suppliers, is 3^rd party tested and the product is manufactured in a FDA, NSF, NASC and cGMP certified facility.

Retail list price on Amazon.com is $69.95, however it is currently on sale for $39.97 (US). Unfortunately, it is not yet listed on Amazon.ca for Canadians. However at that list retail price, even with the exchange rate, it is cheaper than what we were previously spending on the natural chewable tablets. For those of you concerned about shipping – the 32 fl. oz. bottle weights about 2.4 lbs., important to know when calculating shipping costs. The serving size varies with the size of your dog (weight) but I read on Amazon that for a 45 lb. dog one bottle should last 64 days, just over 2 months.

I have to say that this company has exceptional customer service and communication levels, which is reassuring to any consumer. The email I received via Amazon from the company had a few extra suggestions, including alternative administration to pouring on the food at meal time (which is recommend as the easiest way).  Those alternatives ranged from putting it in water to feeding it from a spoon to injecting with an oral syringe. They also recommended doing what they call a “loading” phase where you double the amount for the first 4 weeks. We didn’t do that though since our dogs have been on supplements prior to getting this one. However they did suggest that this “loading phase” could be helpful during high activity days to help them through the additional impact on their joints. They also warned that it could take 30 days to 6-weeks before you see the results, although some dogs improve virtually right away.

*Be sure to refrigerate after opening, but store below 30˚ C. prior to opening. Shake well before administering.

Ingredients:

glucosamine hcl (shellfish), chondroitin sulfate (beef or pork), methyl-sulfonylmethane (MSM), manganese chelate, hyaluronic acid, pure aloe vera juice, citric acid, potassium sorbate, purified water, sodium benzoate, stevia and vegetable glycerin

Cautions include: checking with your vet before using if you have pregnant or breeding dogs, or dogs with clottin, diabetes or metabolic disorders, hypoglycemia, urinary tract stones and known allergies to shellfish. Keep out of the reach of children and do not feed to other animals, use only the recommended amount.

On the negative side… the website on the label (TeramaxPro.com) does not seem to be active as of the writing of this review.

You can only find this supplement on Amazon.com right now – where you’ll see they had a list price of $69.95 that was slashed down to $46.97 but it is currently on sale for $39.97 (US). At that savings I’m tempted to get another bottle before the price goes back up to the new retail list price of $46.97. Obviously, I’m a new loyal customer. 

Award-winning authors Dave and Lillian Brummet:

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