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Product Review: Joint Health Supplements for Pets (Dogs & Cats) and Horses with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM |
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HOW PRODUCTS WERE EVALUATED:
How Products were Selected:
Products were selected to represent those commonly sold and/or available nationally in the U.S. and Canada. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers, and direct sales or multi-level marketing companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.
Testing Method:
Products containing glucosamine or chondroitin were first analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), with chondroitin-containing products enzymatically digested prior to analysis. Products that did not pass this initial test were re-analyzed in another independent laboratory using a HPLC method or capillary electrophoresis (CE) (for chondroitin).
Products containing MSM were tested for their claimed amount of MSM and for DMSO. Analysis for MSM and DMSO was performed using a Gas Chromatography (GC) method. Products not having passing levels of MSM or DMSO were then re-tested in a second independent laboratory using a comparable GC method.
Disintegration of non-chewable, non-capsule, non-enteric coated and non-time-release formulations were analyzed utilizing USP (United States Pharmacopeia) recommendations entitled "Disintegration and Dissolution of Nutritional Supplements."
Analyses for lead were performed using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy) method.
Analyses were conducted in independent laboratories to which the brand identities of the products were not disclosed. Any product not passing an initial analysis was retested in a second independent laboratory on at least one of the criteria on which it did not initially pass.
Passing Score: *
To pass testing, a product must meet the following criteria:
All Products Tested:
- Meet recommended USP parameters for disintegration for vitamin-mineral supplements (excluding capsule, enteric coated, chewable and time-release products).
- Meet all FDA labeling requirements.
- If for small pets (dogs or cats): Meet the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in supplements: 0.5 mcg of lead per daily serving with an additional allowance of 1.0 mcg for supplements containing 1,000 mg/day or more of elemental calcium and 0.5 mcg for supplements containing specific other minerals. For supplements not marketed for use by children, ConsumerLab.com provides an additional allowance of 0.5 mcg if containing 250 to 499 mg/day of elemental calcium or 1.0 mcg if containing 500 to 999 mg/day of elemental calcium and an allowance of 0.5 mcg for if containing one whole herb (not extact) ingredient or 1.0 mcg for two or more whole herb ingredients.
Glucosamine:
Contain at least 100%, and not more than 150%, of claimed amount of the appropriate claimed form(s) of glucosamine.
Chondroitin:
Contain at least 100%, and not more than 150%, of claimed amount of total chondroitin.
MSM:
Contain at least 100%, and not more than 125%, of claimed amount of MSM and less than 0.05% DMSO (%wt/wt).
A product passed if it passed each applicable criterion in any one of the analyses.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing if it considers such product to present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate label information.
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