Green lipped mussel can have endless beneficial effects on your dog’s health. Learn more about the properties of green lipped mussels in this guide!

Being a dog owner can be extremely rewarding and exciting - but it also comes with great responsibilities. And, one of the main aspects you’ll be responsible for is your pooch’s health! Choosing the right diet, making sure they get enough exercise and providing them with a happy living environment are all essential facets of promoting your dog’s wellbeing. But when it comes down to choosing the right products to use to promote health, it can be hard to find options you can trust. Luckily, natural - and just as effective - solutions exist! For example, green lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are an excellent choice to protect your dog’s bone, joint, and coat health, and prevent widespread chronic diseases like osteoarthritis, which affect around 20% of dogs.  Learn all you need to know below. 

Before diving into the reasons why your dog might benefit from Green lipped mussel, let’s look at what this mollusc is and how it can help your dog’s health. Green lipped mussel - also known by their scientific name Perna canaliculus - are a species of mussels native to New Zealand and characterised by a bright green stripe that runs around the shell. These mussels (Kūtai) are also one of the least-known Maori traditional foods and have always allowed the Maori people living by the coast to have far lower levels of arthritis compared to the national average.

Aside from the recognizable green tone, what truly makes green-lipped mussels so unique is their nutritional profile. These molluscs are high in protein, low in fat and calories, and rich in essential fatty acids like Omega 3. This combination makes them incredibly beneficial for people and pets - especially for dogs dealing with long-term conditions stemming from chronic inflammation, like joint pain, arthritis, skin conditions, and asthma. 

Green lipped mussel can be added to your dog’s diet in more than one way. Depending on your pooch’s preferences, you can add this ingredient to their diet in the form of powder or opt for pre-dosed capsules.  

For effective pain reduction, consider giving your dog 20-50mg per kilo of body weight per day. After 10 days, you can reduce this dose by half. 

Studies have shown that you can start seeing improvements in your dog’s health and wellbeing within 6-8 weeks, but, for some dogs, the first effects are only visible after 12 weeks. If you are unsure about how to safely add green-lipped mussels to your dog’s diet, consider consulting your vet. 

Green lipped mussels have always been praised for their rich nutritional profile and the protection they offer against chronic diseases like arthritis. But when should you consider introducing them into your dog’s diet? Here are some reasons to get started today.

A series of studies have shown how green-lipped mussel supplements can offer dogs relief from chronic inflammatory conditions like Canine Osteoarthritis. What’s more, introducing these mussels into your dog’s diet is not only an effective option to reduce the pain stemming from their condition! 

Indeed, green lipped mussels can also boost the range of motion and support joint repair, thus improving the long-term prognosis of your dog’s arthritis. If your dog has been taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to fight chronic pain, eating green lipped mussel might reduce the need for these medications.

Green lipped mussels are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, the same that are found in oily fish. These fatty acids - especially EPA and DHA acids - are known to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. 

In particular, Green-Lipped Mussel can reduce swelling and block pain signals in the body, acting similarly to standard NSAIDs - without the common side effects associated with these medications!

The green lipped mussel does not only help dogs deal with long-term inflammatory conditions like arthritis, but it can also be beneficial to protect a dog’s joints and prevent pain and swelling. 

In particular, this supplement can make a significant difference in the health of dogs experiencing joint and bone conditions like osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, and osteochondrosis.

The way your dog’s coat looks and feels are telltale signs of its health and wellbeing. Vice-versa, your dog’s health level can impact the health of its coat! Introducing supplements like green lipped mussels into your dog’s diet can boost your pooch’s overall health, thus improving its coat. But, even more importantly, thanks to the lenitive and anti-inflammatory properties of green lipped mussels these molluscs can:

• Relieve itching
• Relieve skin allergies
• Reduce skin conditions related to inflammation
• Improve the overall health of your pet’s coat

Green lipped mussels have a unique nutritional profile, only improved by the high levels of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). GAGs - like chondroitin sulphate - play an important role in fighting arthritis pain, strengthening the dog’s joint capsules, and building joint cartilage - which is something that traditional NSAIDs negatively affect!

One of the greatest benefits of introducing green lipped mussel into your dog’s diet is that this food rarely has negative side effects. However, dogs with fish and mollusc allergies are on the rise, and, in any case, green lipped mussel supplements should vary in dose from one dog to another. Looking to protect your dog’s health with the help of green lipped mussel supplements? Start your journey by consulting a trusted vet.

Sources:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00220/full#:~:text=Osteoarthritis%20prevalence%20in%20North%20America,from%20200%20veterinarians%20(7).

https://www.healthpost.co.nz/blog/green-lipped-mussel-from-traditional-maori-food-to-researched-joint-relief/

https://www.seafoodsource.com/seafood-handbook/shellfish/mussel-green

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3525174/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722199/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0044848606006557