Devil's Claw comes from a desert plant (Harpagophtum procumbens) that lives in Southern Africa. The active ingredient is a compound harpagide, which exists in many medicinal plants. Its use has become more popular in veterinary and human medicine as a pain reliever. It has been reported to help with joint pain in dogs, horses and humans and established doses have shown to be safe in dogs.
Pain reliever:
- Harpagide has been shown to decrease the production of cells which cause inflammation
- By reducing inflammation, common conditions in older dogs such as arthritis and back pain is improved and this plant extract may help prevent the conditions from developing
- Has been shown to specifically reduce pain in the following areas
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- Spine:
- Many dogs develop spondylosis, or arthritis of the spine which can narrow the space between spinal discs causing severe pain
- Hips:
- Hip dysplasia and hip arthritis is common in dogs
- Knees:
- Dislocation of the kneecap (patellar luxation) and tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (equivalent to ACL in dogs), as well as knee arthritis, are the most common orthopedic conditions seen in dogs
- By reducing pain through Devil's Claw in addition to other joint supplements which contain glucosamine, chondroitin and fish oil, often the amount of medications needed to treat pain can be reduced
- Has been proposed to help with both the common form of arthritis as well as the auto-immune form
- Potentially can help with post-surgical pain and neuropathic pain (pain originating from the nervous system)
New areas of research are looking if Devil’s Claw may help with other types of illness:
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy (seizures)
- Bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections
- Malaria
- Indigestion and stomach ulcers
- Fever caused by a variety of disease processes
Devil’s Root Claw extract has antioxidant properties:
- The natural properties may prevent or delay damage to cells
- The natural molecules help to eliminate free radicals (molecules that can damage cells, proteins and DNA)
You can buy our vet prescribed supplements here:
