What makes Marvelous different from other hip and joint supplements out there?

We took a unique approach when creating Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility. We started with a clean slate, without any preconceived notions of what should be in it based on the other products on the market. Instead, we spent over a year analyzing 150+ ingredients to identify the most effective active ingredients backed by scientific evidence to build Bernie’s custom formula.

In addition to researching new ingredients, we also dug into the science behind the most common ingredients in joint supplements to make sure that current research supports their inclusion in our recipe. There were many popular, recognizable ingredients that we chose to exclude if we could not verify that the amount, form, or sourcing was verifiably indicated to make a positive difference for dogs.

We studied numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers to understand the major factors that cause treatable hip and joint issues. One of the root causes is inflammation, which occurs naturally as dogs age and is the body’s defense against infections, disease, and structural damage. Addressing this chronic inflammation is key to improving all functions within the body, including the gut, immune system, heart, and brain.

Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility is specifically formulated to first address inflammation, which is the body’s natural barrier to healing. This sets our product apart from other hip and joint formulas that may not address inflammation as effectively or at all. Our unique approach to whole-body health and commitment to scientific evidence sets Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility apart from other canine joint supplements.

How do I give these to my dog?

Marvelous Mobility can be combined with meals or given as a treat anytime.

How many are okay to eat per day?

Dosage instructions vary by the weight of your dog. Here is a quick list of weights and the recommended number of chews per day:

– Up to 25 lbs: 1 chew
– 26-50 lbs: 2 chews
– 51-75 lbs: 3 chews
– 76+ lbs: 4 chews

At what age can dogs benefit from Marvelous Mobility?

Dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds can enjoy Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility. There’s no specific age threshold when it comes to introducing Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility into your dog’s routine. Instead, it’s about recognizing that joint health is a lifelong journey, and Bernie’s Best is here to support your furry friend every step of the way. Whether your dog is a sprightly pup, a vibrant adult, or a wise elder, Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility offers a holistic approach to joint care that transcends age, size, and breed. So, regardless of where your canine companion is on their life’s journey, consider making Bernie’s Marvelous Mobility a part of their wellness regimen for years of active and joyful living.

We always recommend double-checking with your vet to determine whether any of our products is the right fit for your pup.

Nutrition

Good nutrition is vital to whole body health, and is the foundation of good joint health.

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in a comprehensive strategy to safeguard the joint health of dogs. A well-rounded diet rich in bioavailable nutrients helps maintain the integrity of a dog’s joints, reduces the risk of joint injury, and can alleviate symptoms in dogs already suffering from joint problems. It’s a blend of prevention and treatment, supporting overall mobility and comfort for the dog.

We Suggest

• Incorporating fresh foods into your dog’s diet is a great way to give their body the best building blocks to digest and thrive. Many modern dog diets are dry and highly processed. Whole foods are rich in natural nutrients that are essential for a dog’s health. These include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants which are often more bioavailable or active in their natural food form than in processed diets. There are various forms of fresh, frozen, gently cooked, freeze-dried or dehydrated diets available to be used as treats, meal toppers, or the foundation of your dog’s diet.
• Use raw, freeze-dried, dehydrated, or other gently processed treats. These are more highly digestible, and contain fewer fillers.

Supplementation

Supplements can effectively bridge nutritional gaps in your dog’s standard diet, supplying essential nutrients needed for maintaining joint health.

Supplements can also offer specific compounds that directly target joint issues, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients, which help reduce joint inflammation. This aids in the natural healing process of your dog’s joints, promoting overall joint health and mobility.

We designed Marvelous Mobility to be a comprehensive joint supplement, to provide the building blocks for healthy joints, with 16 active ingredients known for their strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Although not necessary or required, the following supplements may be beneficial in addition to Marvelous Mobility:

• Additional Omega 3 Fatty Acids: We packed as many Omega 3s into our supplement as possible, but studies have shown that even more can be beneficial for joint issues. Serving an additional Omega supplement can be beneficial.
• Bone Broth: Bone broth is a nutrient-rich liquid made by simmering bones, often along with connective tissue, for an extended period. This process extracts beneficial nutrients like collagen, amino acids, glucosamine, chondroitin, and minerals. These nutrients aid in rebuilding and repairing joint cartilage.
• Digestion Support with Perfect Poop: Efficient digestion ensures the proper absorption of the vital nutrients essential for maintaining healthy joints and cartilage. Moreover, a well-functioning gut can help reduce overall bodily inflammation, which includes alleviating inflammation in the joints.

Supplemental Antioxidants

Oxidation and inflammation are closely linked processes that significantly impact a dog’s joint health. Antioxidants are compounds that combat oxidation, and can be added to your dog’s diet with supplements or foods.

In the body, oxidation refers to a chemical process where free radicals (unstable molecules called Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS) are produced. These free radicals can damage cells, proteins, and DNA. This damage triggers an immune response, leading to inflammation. In the context of a dog’s joints, the damaged cells can be those within the joint tissue, including the cartilage.

Additionally, as dogs age, their natural antioxidant defense declines on a cellular level and can gradually lead to increased oxidative stress and tissue damage. Supporting the body’s defense system against ROS with a wide array of natural antioxidants can support lower levels of oxidative stress in the body.

The cycle of oxidation and inflammation can be self-perpetuating. Oxidative stress leads to inflammation, and the inflammatory process itself can produce more free radicals, leading to further oxidative stress. This cycle can accelerate the deterioration of joint health, particularly in those with joint conditions like arthritis.

To counteract this cycle, antioxidants play a vital role. Antioxidants provided with high quality supplements like Marvelous Mobility neutralize free radicals, thus reducing oxidative stress and its subsequent inflammatory response.

Chronic Inflammation

The inflammatory process in dogs, much like in humans, is a natural response of the body’s immune system to injury or infection. However, sometimes the process can become chronic and lead to more joint damage than help. If your dog shows signs of chronic inflammation, there are things you can do to help.

• Provide Anti-inflammatory Supplements: Marvelous Mobility contains ingredients known for their anti-inflammatory properties, to help your dog in the battle against inflammation.
• Improve your dog’s digestive health: The ingredients in Perfect Poop can help address inflammation in your dog’s gut, which can contribute to inflammation in all other body systems.
• Evaluate your dog’s diet to reduce foods known to cause inflammation and increase foods known to combat inflammation.
• Look for other signs that your dog is fighting inflammation, like poor dental health. When dogs are constantly facing low-grade infection in their gums, it increases proinflammatory molecules in the body.
• Keep an eye on your dog’s skin and inner ears for signs of rash, swelling, infection, or other signs of inflammation, and work with your dog’s health team to treat them proactively. Sometimes these symptoms can be secondary to dietary inflammation, or they may require treatment individually.

Remember, anything you can do to reduce inflammation helps! The body’s processes are interconnected.

Inflammation Explained

When a dog’s joint is damaged, either due to injury, wear and tear, or conditions like arthritis, the body triggers an inflammatory response.

When you’re injured, this inflammation is actually a good thing. The area you injured will become red and swell as an army of beneficial white blood cells flow in to fight infection and help you heal. The same response occurs in other parts of your body when you encounter a virus or infection.

The inflammatory process involves the release of chemicals from the body’s white blood cells to protect against foreign substances. However, this response can cause joint swelling, redness, and pain, as the increased blood flow and accumulation of immune cells in the joint area lead to these symptoms.

Other than joint injury, dogs can face inflammation from various sources, including dietary imbalances, obesity, pathogens, and chronic diseases like arthritis or ongoing dental infections. Environmental factors, such as exposure to allergens, can also trigger inflammatory responses. Inflammation, while a natural response to injury or illness, can become problematic when it is chronic or widespread throughout the body.

The Digestion Connection

Your dog’s digestive health can be an indicator of the inflammation they face. Reducing inflammation through diet can significantly contribute to the overall well-being and mobility of your dog. Look for indicators of good gut health, such as overall vitality, mood, well-formed stools, healthy skin, and a shiny coat. These are signs that your dog is absorbing nutrients effectively, which supports their joint health. A healthy gut means good nutrient absorption to make sure dogs have key nutrients to support healthy connective tissue and bone.

Conversely, an unhealthy gut, struggling with inflammation, can contribute to systemic inflammation throughout the body. Chronic gut inflammation can increase pro-inflammatory molecules in the body, exacerbating joint inflammation. Therefore, it’s important to reduce inflammation by avoiding foods that trigger inflammatory responses in your dog.

Exercise

Exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining the joint health of dogs. Without movement the joints will not be healthy. It’s crucial you find a way to help your dog move.

• Movement helps in the production and circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints. This lubrication is essential for reducing friction and wear in the joint area, thus helping to maintain joint health and mobility.
• Exercise aids in pumping essential nutrients into the joint structures. Blood flow increases with physical activity, which means that nutrients and oxygen are more efficiently delivered to joint tissues, aiding in nourishment and repair.
• Dogs rely on appropriate exercise to stay their happiest and healthiest from a mental perspective. Play and exercise make them happy.

Exercise Ideas

• Stay moving and play! Take your dog on regular strolls, give them outlets for playtime with toys or other dogs, and take them along on outdoor adventures when you can.
• Proactive strength conditioning is beneficial for dogs of all ages. Exercises designed to fortify the muscles around a dog’s joints can build functional strength around joints, improve mobility, and enhance dogs’ spatial awareness, thereby reducing the risk of injury. These exercises often involve the use of balance discs and other fitness tools specifically designed for canine use. They not only strengthen the muscles but also improve the overall stability of the dog’s body, helping to protect the joints.
• Swimming can be an excellent form of exercise for dogs who enjoy water, particularly for those with existing joint issues. It is a low-impact activity that does not exert excessive stress on the joints, making it ideal for maintaining fitness without risking joint health. This is especially beneficial for older dogs or those recovering from an injury.

Exercise Cautions

• Appropriate For Age & Condition: Exercise is essential for a dog’s physical and mental well-being, but should be appropriate for their age, condition, and physical capabilities. Balancing the type and intensity of exercise with the dog’s individual needs is key to ensuring their joints remain healthy throughout their lives.
• Recovering From Injury: Speaking of recovery, when a dog is returning to exercise after an injury, it’s crucial to do so gradually and under the guidance of a veterinarian or a physical therapist. Some light conditioning and low-impact exercise during the recovery process can stimulate circulation and healing. This approach not only aids in the recovery of the affected area but also adds functional and stabilizing strength, which can help in preventing future injuries.
• High-Impact Activities: Be mindful that certain types of exercise should be approached with caution. Remember to tailor exercises to be appropriate for a dog’s age and physical condition. Repetitive activities like intense fetching, or high-impact activities that involve sudden starts, stops, and sharp turns, can put undue stress on a dog’s joints. These movements can be especially harmful if they are unnatural or excessively repetitive, leading to joint wear and tear or even injuries.
• Puppies: For puppies, whose joints are not fully developed, exercise should be introduced gradually in short sessions. Overexerting a puppy with too much stress on their joints can lead to harm, as their skeletal system is still in the formative stage. Therefore, it’s vital to balance their need for physical activity with setting their joints up for long term success.

Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for a dog’s joint health.

• Excess weight puts additional stress on a dog’s joints, which can lead to or exacerbate joint problems such as osteoarthritis. A healthy weight ensures that the joints are not overburdened. When a dog is overweight, the extra load on their joints can cause wear and tear, leading to pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility.
• A dog at a healthy weight is more likely to be active and mobile, which contributes to circulation and overall joint health.
• Obesity contributes to a dog’s pro-inflammatory processes, hindering them in the fight against chronic inflammation.

Grooming (Nails & Coat)

Nail Trimming

Regular nail trimming is an often overlooked aspect of joint health. The toes are essentially the foundation of a dog’s leg. They bear the brunt of the impact with each step a dog takes.

Properly maintained nails help ensure good foot anatomy, balance, and impact distribution. Long nails can lead to poor traction and uneven weight distribution, putting extra strain on your dog’s joints or impeding their natural gait.

If a dog is constantly walking on overgrown nails, it shifts the alignment of the joints in their toes and can lead to discomfort or pain in the carpal joints (the equivalent of our wrists). Over time, this can extend to impact the elbow and shoulder joints due to the altered walking pattern.

A dog that is comfortable on its feet is more likely to be active, which helps in maintaining healthy joint function and muscle strength throughout the leg. It’s important to routinely check and maintain your dog’s nail length to ensure they are not causing any discomfort or leading to potential joint health issues.

Coat Grooming

Hair and coat condition can also impact a dog’s joint health. For dogs whose coats are prone to matting, take care to check areas where hair can get compacted and restrict movement, like their armpits. For dogs who have thick undercoats, be sure to groom them appropriately to ensure comfort and range of motion. For optimal joint health and comfort, be sure that your dog’s hair condition isn’t affecting their ability to move their joints.

Safe Environment

Evaluating and making adjustments to your dog’s environment can go a long way to prevent joint injury and enhance their comfort.

• Exercise your dog on non-slippery surfaces to prevent slips and falls, which can strain joints. Be mindful of tripping hazards like holes, slick leaves, or deep mud when exercising outdoors.
• Add rugs or mats to slippery floors in your home to greatly improve traction, reducing the risk of slips and falls that could injure joints. For beds, couches, and cars, consider using ramps or stairs to help your dog avoid jumping. Jumping can put a lot of impact on joints, especially for older or injured dogs.
• Provide a variety of bedding surfaces so that your dog can choose which is the most comfortable place to rest their weary joints.

Rest & Rehabilitation

Rest is essential for a dog’s joint health, particularly after physical exertion or during recovery from an injury. It’s important for pet parents to monitor their dogs for signs of exhaustion, especially in high-energy breeds that might not naturally slow down when tired. Allowing sufficient recovery time between active sessions helps prevent joint strain.

During rehabilitation from joint-related injuries, adhering to veterinary or physical therapy advice is crucial. Often, this involves crate rest and controlled leash walking. Crate rest limits a dog’s movement to protect injured joints, while leash walking ensures gentle exercise without overexertion. This balance is vital for healing and maintaining muscle strength without putting additional stress on the joints.

Adequate rest is a key component of maintaining and improving joint health in dogs. It prevents overexertion, aids in recovery from injury, and ensures overall joint well-being. Owners should be mindful of their dog’s activity levels and ensure they get enough rest, especially during recovery periods.

Careful Use of Pain Medications

Consulting with a veterinarian is crucial when considering pain medications for a dog’s joint health. Pharmaceuticals can provide symptomatic relief, but it’s important to remember that they do not address the underlying cause of joint pain. Working closely with your vet to identify and manage the root cause of your dog’s joint issues is essential.

• While pain medications can make a dog feel more comfortable, they may also mask pain, potentially leading to further injury if the dog remains too active.
• Additionally, long-term use of medications, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can carry side effects.

It’s vital to weigh the benefits against these risks and to remember that each dog is an individual; some may rely on pain meds for their welfare to maintain a good quality of life, while for other dogs, the drawbacks may outweigh the benefits. Tailoring the treatment to your dog’s specific needs and closely monitoring their response to the medication on an ongoing basis is key for their wellbeing.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Therapeutic ultrasound offers a non-invasive and drug-free method to alleviate pain and promote healing in dogs, especially useful for managing joint health issues.

The technique involves the use of high-frequency sound waves, generated by an ultrasound device, that penetrate deep into the affected tissues. This penetration results in a warming effect which, in turn, increases blood flow to the area. The enhanced circulation brought about by this treatment helps in reducing inflammation and relieving stiffness in the joints. Improved circulation can stimulate the body’s natural healing processes, aiding in the recovery and health of joint tissues.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on a dog’s body, aimed at stimulating and balancing the flow of energy in the body.

Acupuncture is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects. It is believed to help by stimulating nerve endings, which in turn promotes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. This can provide relief from joint pain, making it a potentially beneficial treatment for dogs suffering from joint-related ailments.

Additionally, acupuncture is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects and to improve circulation to enhance the delivery of nutrients to joint tissues.

Some pet parents opt to have tiny gold beads permanently inserted at key acupuncture points. This method, which releases gold ions to affect the surrounding tissues, offers ongoing support and can be a long-lasting, cost-effective alternative to traditional needle acupuncture.

Some veterinarians or massage practitioners also offer acupressure, using their hands to manually stimulate the acupuncture points non-invasively.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) + Stem Cell Therapy

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell therapy are innovative forms of regenerative medicine used in veterinary care, particularly for joint health in dogs. Both methods have distinct biological components and mechanisms but aim to promote healing and reduce inflammation.

PRP therapy involves using a dog’s own blood to facilitate healing. The process starts with extracting a small amount of the dog’s blood, which is then processed to concentrate the platelets. This concentrated platelet-rich plasma is then injected directly into the affected area. PRP is relatively non-invasive, requiring just a blood draw and injection. Platelets are known to be rich in growth factors and bioactive proteins, essential for the body’s natural healing process. The growth factors in PRP can reduce swelling and pain in the joints due to their anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, these growth factors can stimulate the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues, particularly beneficial in cases of cartilage damage or joint wear and tear.

On the other hand, stem cell therapy typically uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be sourced from the dog’s own adipose tissue or bone marrow. These stem cells are capable of differentiating into specific cell types needed for tissue repair and regeneration. Additionally, they have immunomodulatory effects, meaning they can help modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation. Like PRP, stem cell therapy is relatively non-invasive compared to surgical interventions, making it an attractive option for treating joint issues in dogs.

Both PRP and stem cell therapies offer promising avenues for promoting joint health in dogs, leveraging the body’s own healing mechanisms in a minimally invasive way.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy for dogs typically involves the use of a specially designed treadmill in a water-filled tank. The buoyancy of the water reduces stress on the dog’s joints, making it an excellent rehabilitation method for dogs recovering from surgery, injury, or those with chronic conditions such as arthritis. This form of therapy helps in improving circulation, muscle strength, and range of motion, while also providing a safe environment for low-impact exercise.

Chiropractic Care & Massage Therapy

Chiropractic care and massage therapy offer valuable, non-invasive approaches to managing joint pain in dogs, though they differ in focus and methodology.

Chiropractic care is centered on the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine, and involves hands-on manipulation to align the body properly, thereby improving joint mobility and reducing pain. This is especially beneficial for conditions like arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Massage therapy targets the muscles and soft tissues, promoting relaxation and healing through techniques like kneading and stroking. It improves circulation, eases muscle tension, and can enhance joint flexibility, offering relief from discomfort and inflammation.

While chiropractic care directly addresses joint and spinal alignment, massage therapy focuses on muscle health and circulation, making both therapies complementary in managing joint pain in dogs. These therapies provide drug-free alternatives for pain relief and improved quality of life for dogs suffering from joint-related issues.