Understanding the dosage of Zooomy Hyaluronic Acid for dogs

A key feature of Zooomy is that it’s a liquid which confers some benefits:

• It’s more rapidly absorbed than tablets or solids
• It’s easy to hide in food or syringe into your dog’s mouth, and,
• The amount you give your dog is easily adjustable

Indeed the research suggests that the support conferred by Hyaluronic Acid is highly dose-dependent, but why would you need to adjust how much you give and when should you?  Here are 3 scenarios you might face which would warrant a change in dose.

Flare-ups

Joint inflammation isn’t constant, it waxes and wanes dependent on things like

• ·      how much exercise your dog’s done
• ·      the kind of exercise they did versus what they’re used to
• ·      a change in weather conditions
• ·      sleeping somewhere different
• ·      sometimes for no apparent reason they woke up today barely able to move one or other leg.

These episodes are called flare-ups and they are characterised by much greater pain, soreness and inflammation than normal.  In these instances, if your dog is already on pain relief they may need a higher dose than normal or other medicines added into their regime, albeit only briefly.  You can also increase the amount of Zooomy you give to allow for the increased turnover of Hyaluronic Acid in the joints during these periods.

If you can anticipate a flare-up then you can increase their Zooomy allowance before you see any signs.  Going for a long holiday walk? Then double up their Zooomy for 2 to three days before and after!

When introducing Zooomy

We recommend twice daily Zooomy for all dogs all the way through from beginning to long term use, but that doesn’t mean that your dog will be on the same amount each time.  Start with the label recommendations (1ml per 10kg)  and see how your dog responds over time, consistency is key.  Most owners that say they saw a change in their dog say it took between 3 and 6 weeks to notice. 

However, after the first month of use, if you feel your dog doesn’t have joint support then increasing the amount you give by 25% may provide the extra help to those dogs that need it.

Unfortunately, not all dogs respond to HA supplementation despite clinical signs similar to dogs that do and it’s very hard to decide when enough is enough but we know that responses are highly dose dependent so trying to increase how much you give after a while can help to identify those that need more.

Long-term use

Joint stiffness and soreness is expected to get worse as your dog ages and, especially if you’ve started Zooomy early,  you should expect to give more over Zooomy over time to counteract the progression of their stiffness.  Whilst Zooomy supplementation provides joint support, frequently the underlying mechanisms, whether that be mild dysplasia, severe cartilage wear and tear or previous damage or surgery, cannot be completely neutralised and ultimately your dog’s soreness and stiffness will continue to develop over time, albeit perhaps more slowly.

There are also occasions when Zooomy can be reduced; if you are successful at reducing your dog’s weight,  or you become accustomed to the things that exacerbate their stiffness to be able to anticipate them, or even when the weather improves in the summer months then less Zooomy support may be required. 

Can I give Zooomy once a day when I’m in a maintenance phase?

I recommend giving Zooomy more frequently rather giving a high once daily dose. This is because HA is metabolised quite quickly by the body and so increased support is achieved more effectively by giving Zooomy twice a day.  However, some dogs do manage well on once a day and so this could be something to try once you’re familiar with how your dog responds to Zooomy.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out and ask!