Is MSM For Dogs A Good Pain Relief Choice?

MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is a natural ingredient often included in pain relief supplements.

It’s a powerful supplement that offers significant benefits, including relief from pain and inflammation from chronic conditions like cancer, arthritis, and hip dysplasia.

It’s commonly used in supplements to treat dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. MSM is anti-inflammatory and works effectively as an antioxidant, promoting overall health and quality of life.

In this guide, we’ll take a look specifically at the benefits of MSM for dogs. We’ll assess – is it an effective pain relief? Are there side effects?

Let’s get started:

What Is MSM?

MSM is an organic form of sulfur found in small amounts in certain foods such as milk, coffee, tea, corn, tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, and other fruits.

It’s a naturally occurring chemical found in humans, animals, and plants, with various significant benefits for maintaining good health and bodily functions.

MSM is an active ingredient in joint health supplements, and it is often produced in a lab to ensure quality and optimal dosage levels. It’s combined with other vital ingredients that treat joint diseases and related conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, osteoarthritis, and chronic inflammation.

MSM is ideal for pets and helps relieve the pain and symptoms in dogs due to bone and joint problems, arthritis, and hip dysplasia.

How Effective is MSM in Treating Dogs with Joint Diseases?

MSM is considered powerful and effective in treating many other disorders, either as a topical treatment, supplements, or eating foods and drinks that naturally contain this ingredient.

There are many reasons why MSM is beneficial for your health. This organic chemical’s advantages in dog joint supplements include reducing pain associated with inflammation from hips, bones, muscles, and joints while improving your pet’s quality of life and immune system.

As many chronic conditions wreak havoc on the immune system, MSM helps reduce stress by relieving the impact of joint problems and related diseases that can strain the body’s ability to fight.

Advantages and Disadvantages of MSM

There are plenty of advantages to implementing MSM into your pet’s diet. In most cases, it’s easily administered with supplements, such as Dasuquin and Cosequin, which Nutramax Laboratories manufacture.

See our comparison: Dasuquin vs Cosequin

When you choose a high-quality supplement that contains MSM, this will ensure that your pet gets the required dosage for optimal joint health, along with other essential active ingredients such as glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and other vital nutrients that support connective tissue, joints, bones, and healthy cartilage.

When regularly taken as a supplement, MSM offers the following benefits and is widely used for relief in humans, dogs, cats, and horses.

1. Pain Relief and Reduction in Joint Inflammation

MSM offers significant pain relief from inflammation, hip dysplasia, arthritis, and muscle pain. Chronic pain from joint degeneration increases over time due to a breakdown in cartilage in your pet’s back, hands, hips, and knees.

When MSM reduces inflammation in the body, this lowers pain while inhibiting the erosion of connective tissue, which protects your bones and joints.

2. Greater Mobility and Movement

As your pet’s joint pain and inflammation improve, they will enjoy greater mobility and outdoor activities more frequently, without stiffness, limitations, and pain.

Your dog will have an easier time running, walking, and playing fetch in the local park or backyard. This benefit is significant for senior dogs, who typically experience challenges with movement as they age.

Dog joint supplements containing MSM, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate offer tremendous support for pets and their mobility throughout the later stages of life.

3. An Effective Treatment for Other Disorders

While MSM is well known as a powerful treatment for joint disease and related conditions, there are also promising results in treating various other debilitating conditions, such as bladder disorders, cystitis, repetitive stress injuries, and healing from wounds and surgical procedures.

If your pet suffers from an injury due to a physically active lifestyle, MSM can play a significant role in supporting your pet during the recovery process.

There may be additional advantages to using MSM, though further research is needed to substantiate these benefits. These include treatment of high blood pressure, liver problems, gum disease, respiratory health, cholesterol, and obesity.

Overall, MSM plays a significant role in improving joint mobility and may contribute to eradicating or lessening the effects of other diseases and conditions.

4. Allergy Relief

Many dogs suffer from chronic allergies, which cause many symptoms that include nasal congestion, a sore throat, itchy and watery eyes, irritated skin, and dryness. In most cases, allergies are caused by pollen, mold, mildew, and dander.

Your pet may be allergic to specific dog food ingredients, additives, and environmental elements that can trigger a reaction with exposure. MSM can be an effective treatment in reducing the signs of allergies and providing much-needed relief from ongoing dryness, discomfort, and pain associated with allergic reactions.

5. Improvements to Skin and Hair Health

MSM enhances the strength of keratin, a protein that is a structural part of hair, nails, and skin.

When dogs ingest MSM as part of their diet and supplement regime, this further supports the amino acid cysteine in your pet’s skin and hair, which helps prevent dryness, itchiness, and other disorders. MSM can also reduce inflammation while improving skin tone, increasing hydration, and slowing the appearance of age by reducing wrinkles and dryness.

When MSM reduces inflammation, this helps promote healthy skin cells, further reducing skin conditions such as irritation and redness associated with sun damage and allergies.

6. Greater Immunity

Your dog will greatly benefit from the immune-boosting properties of MSM. It’s highly effective in supporting this vital system of cells, organs, and tissues that protect your body and fight against disease, stress, and other factors that can negatively impact your health.

When your pup endures an injury, this can lead to less sleep, a poor diet, and low physical exercise, decreasing their immune system. Chronic conditions such as arthritis, joint inflammation, and anxiety worsen with stress on the immune system.

While proper diet, exercise, and sleep are vital for good health, MSM can help improve your immunity’s response to disease and other threats against the body.

MSM has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, which is a leading contributor to increasing the chances of cancer, inflammation, and chronic illness. It also promotes the creation of antioxidants in your pet’s body, which offers powerful protection against disease and the effects of chronic conditions.

Side Effects of MSM on Dogs

While MSM is safe for consumption, there is a risk of side effects, especially if the dosage is too high or concentrated. Fortunately, pain relief supplements for humans and pets are formulated to contain the required amount for each chewable tablet or recommended portion.

If MSM is applied to the skin, there are little or no known adverse side effects, as the amount is generally small and enough to provide hydration and support keratin.

Research indicates that up to three grams of MSM can be orally ingested without any side effects for up to six months. If the dosage exceeds this amount, there is a higher risk of digestive problems, including vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhea.

While supplements may include a smaller amount of this ingredient, there may be some risks if a dog is breastfeeding, pregnant, or taking a medication that may interact with MSM.

Since there is insufficient research to indicate adverse effects during pregnancy or breastfeeding, some veterinarians may recommend against providing a supplement to your pet that contains MSM to remain safe.

Interactions With Diet, Medications, and Other Supplements

Suppose your dog takes multiple vitamins, glucosamine supplements, and other natural treatments, such as shark cartilage, for joints and wound care. There may be a risk of side effects when you introduce MSM soft chews or other nutritional supplements that contain MSM.

While there isn’t enough evidence to indicate severe issues when dog joint supplements are taken with other medications, food, and herbs, it’s best to discuss your options with a vet, to be specific.

There may be unforeseen complications to your dog’s health if there are existing medical conditions or ongoing this reason, it’s always best to rule out any possible interactions or severe side effects that may occur in your pet.

In most cases, MSM is safe with most diets and offers tremendous benefits that are worthwhile for your dog’s quality of life.

How Much is MSM Safe for Dogs?

Dogs can safely take MSM daily, based on their body weight. The recommended amount ranges between 50 to 100 milligrams of MSM for every 10 pounds of weight. You may also include a dog food formula or human-grade food that contains MSM as a part of a balanced diet.

While MSM is highly effective in contributing to your dog’s health, it’s mild in toxicity, much like water, and shouldn’t cause any problems.

If there are any side effects initially, these usually disappear within a couple of days.

The Best Form of MSM for Dogs

MSM is naturally occurring in many foods and is contained in many high-quality supplements for your dog’s joint health. MSM supplements and other natural treatments that include MSM are specially formulated with the right amount for effectiveness.

Whether your dog’s joint supplement is chewable tablets, a powder to blend with your pet’s food, or gel capsules, every product contains dosage requirements and recommendations essential to follow when you provide them to your pet.

Final Thoughts on MSM

MSM is one of the most effective ingredients in dog joint supplements to prevent and treat various joint diseases and conditions.

For excellent results, it’s one of the safest options for treating your pet’s arthritis, bursitis, or hip dysplasia, along with glucosamine and chondroitin.

While research is needed to determine further benefits of MSM, it has been established as a powerful agent in fighting chronic illness while promoting joint support.