Dasuquin Advanced is Nutramax’s veterinarian-exclusive version of Dasuquin: it keeps the same glucosamine hydrochloride, sodium chondroitin sulfate and avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) base, then adds MSM, manganese ascorbate, omega-3s, and a proprietary blend of Boswellia serrata extract, Curcuma longa (turmeric) extract, green tea extract (EGCG) and alpha-lipoic acid. A second version, Dasuquin Advanced with ESM, adds partially hydrolyzed eggshell membrane on top of that. It is sold through veterinary clinics rather than retail, which is the single biggest practical difference most owners run into.
What follows is the published label verbatim, an honest read of the evidence behind each ingredient, and a framework for deciding whether this product belongs in your dog’s plan at all.
Answer box
Dasuquin Advanced in one paragraph: a vet-channel joint supplement built on the Dasuquin base (FCHG49 glucosamine HCl, TRH122 sodium chondroitin sulfate, NMX1000 ASU) and enhanced with MSM, a botanical/antioxidant proprietary blend, manganese and omega-3s. Nutramax’s label describes it as supporting cartilage matrix production, helping inhibit certain cartilage-degrading enzymes, and providing antioxidant support — support language, not treatment claims. The evidence base is genuinely mixed: a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis in International Journal of Molecular Sciences found strong analgesic signals for omega-3s and much weaker or absent signals for glucosamine-chondroitin products, while individual ingredients such as ASU and eggshell membrane have their own smaller literature. Dosing is set by weight band on the label and by your veterinarian, and the manufacturer describes an initial period followed by a maintenance level.
What exactly is in Dasuquin Advanced?
Nutramax publishes a full per-chew breakdown. Here is the soft chew label as printed on dasuquin.com, for both size formulas.
| Per soft chew | Small to Medium Dogs | Large Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Glucosamine Hydrochloride (FCHG49) | 600 mg | 900 mg |
| Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) | 400 mg | 800 mg |
| Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (TRH122) | 250 mg | 350 mg |
| Proprietary blend: Boswellia serrata extract (with AKBA), Curcuma longa extract (NMXCC95), green tea extract (EGCG), alpha-lipoic acid | 70 mg | 140 mg |
| Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables (NMX1000) | 45 mg | 90 mg |
| EPA, DHA, ETA | 65 mg | 85 mg |
| Manganese (as manganese ascorbate) | 1 mg | 3 mg |
Source: Nutramax Laboratories, Dasuquin Advanced Soft Chews product page. Figures are the label’s stated content per chew, not a dosing instruction — follow the label and your veterinarian.
The ESM variant carries the same base plus NMXEM70 partially hydrolyzed eggshell membrane, listed at 175 mg per chew for the small-to-medium formula and 335 mg for the large-dog formula.
Two label details deserve attention. First, the botanical blend is proprietary: 70 mg or 140 mg is the total for four ingredients combined, so the individual amount of boswellia, curcumin, EGCG or ALA is not disclosed. That matters when you try to compare it against studies that used a specific extract at a specific amount. Second, the label footnotes state that the glucosamine, chondroitin, ASU and Curcuma longa extract contain up to 10% moisture, and that the ASU is standardized to contain a minimum of 30% avocado/soybean unsaponifiables — the kind of specification detail that most retail joint chews simply do not publish.
How is Dasuquin Advanced different from Dasuquin and Cosequin?
The three products are a ladder, not three unrelated formulas. Cosequin is the glucosamine + chondroitin base. Dasuquin adds ASU. Dasuquin Advanced adds the botanical/antioxidant blend, manganese and omega-3s on top of that, and moves the product behind the veterinary counter.
| Cosequin | Dasuquin (retail) | Dasuquin Advanced (vet only) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucosamine HCl | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sodium chondroitin sulfate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ASU (NMX1000) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Boswellia serrata extract | Varies by SKU | Yes | Yes |
| Green tea extract (EGCG) | Varies by SKU | Yes | Yes |
| MSM | In “with MSM” SKUs | In “with MSM” SKUs | Yes |
| Turmeric extract (NMXCC95) | No | No | Yes |
| Alpha-lipoic acid | No | No | Yes |
| Manganese ascorbate | Varies by SKU | Varies by SKU | Yes |
| Omega-3s (EPA/DHA/ETA) | In omega SKUs | In omega SKUs | Yes |
| Eggshell membrane | No | No | Only in the ESM version |
| Where you buy it | Retail and online | Retail and online | Veterinary clinics |
If you want the full side-by-side of the two mainstream lines, we walk through it in detail in our Dasuquin vs Cosequin comparison, and the wider product family is mapped in our guide to Nutramax supplements for dogs.
What does the research actually show for these ingredients?
This is where most articles about Dasuquin Advanced go quiet. The honest answer is that ingredient quality and ingredient evidence are two different things, and this formula contains a mix of both strong and thin.
| Ingredient | Evidence strength in dogs | What the research actually says |
|---|---|---|
| Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) | Strongest of the group | The 2022 Barbeau-Grégoire meta-analysis identified clear clinical analgesic efficacy for omega-3-enriched diets and omega-3 supplements in dogs and cats with osteoarthritis. |
| Glucosamine + chondroitin | Weak / mixed | The same meta-analysis described “a very marked non-effect” of chondroitin-glucosamine nutraceuticals for pain. A 2023 randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found no significant peak vertical force improvement in the glucosamine/chondroitin group at 4 or 6 weeks, while carprofen and two marine lipid compounds did improve. |
| ASU | Moderate, mostly preclinical | Experimental dog work published in Arthritis Research & Therapy reported protective effects on structural changes in induced osteoarthritis, with reduced nitric oxide synthase and matrix metalloprotease expression. That is mechanism and structure, not owner-visible pain relief. |
| Eggshell membrane | Limited but real | A 6-week multicentre randomized placebo-controlled study of NEM brand eggshell membrane in 51 dogs reported a significant improvement in Canine Brief Pain Inventory function at 1 week, with several 6-week endpoints falling short of significance. It was industry-funded and used the NEM ingredient, not Nutramax’s NMXEM70. |
| Undenatured type-II collagen | Emerging | A randomized clinical study in Research in Veterinary Science compared UC-II with cimicoxib and their combination in dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis; the 2022 meta-analysis rated collagen’s overall effect as weak. Not an ingredient in Dasuquin Advanced, but frequently cross-shopped. |
| Boswellia, turmeric, green tea, ALA | Anecdotal to preliminary in dogs | A 2023 scoping review in Animals covering UC-II and Boswellia serrata found the literature small and heterogeneous. Because the Dasuquin Advanced blend is proprietary, the amounts cannot be matched to any published trial. |
The Merck Veterinary Manual’s osteoarthritis chapter states the position plainly: a systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence of a beneficial effect for glucosamine and chondroitin in osteoarthritis pain, while noting that co-ingredients such as ASU, type II collagen and eggshell membrane are “possibly efficacious.” Any article telling you Dasuquin Advanced is clinically proven to relieve arthritis pain is going beyond what the literature supports. Any article telling you it is worthless is ignoring that omega-3s and, to a lesser degree, ASU and ESM carry real signals.
For the ingredient most owners ask about first, we go deeper in our explainer on glucosamine for dogs.
What should you realistically expect, and when?
Supplements in this class are slow, modest and variable. Nutramax’s own directions describe an initial period of several weeks before stepping down to a maintenance level, and the VCA client handout notes the supplement can take several days to have an effect while side effects can appear immediately.
A grounded way to think about the timeline:
- First two weeks. Mostly nothing measurable. This is the window where owner expectation does the heavy lifting, which is exactly why placebo-controlled trials exist.
- Weeks four to six. The manufacturer’s stated initial period ends here. If there is a real change, this is where most trials looked for it — the eggshell membrane study and the glucosamine/chondroitin trial both used six-week endpoints.
- Beyond six weeks. If you and your vet see no difference in the things you actually track (stair use, willingness to jump into the car, how long the post-walk stiffness lasts), that is meaningful information, not a reason to double down.
The single most useful thing you can do is write down three specific behaviours before you start and re-score them on the same scale later. “He seems happier” is not data. “He used to stop halfway up the stairs and now he doesn’t” is.
Supplement, weight, medication, or rehab: which lever do you pull?
Owners often treat a joint supplement as the whole plan. It is one of four levers, and it is not the strongest one.
- Body condition first. Weight reduction in overweight dogs with osteoarthritis has been associated with improvement in lameness in published veterinary research, including a Veterinary Research Communications study on weight loss and lameness in obese dogs. No chew competes with taking load off the joint.
- Pain control is a veterinary decision. If your dog is painful, the conversation is about veterinary-prescribed analgesia, not a supplement aisle. Our overview of arthritis medicine options for dogs covers what your vet may discuss.
- Movement and home setup. Controlled exercise, traction on slippery floors, ramps and warm bedding change daily comfort in ways you can see. Practical steps are collected in our guide to helping a dog with arthritis at home.
- Supplements last, as an adjunct. Given the evidence picture above, a multi-ingredient product like Dasuquin Advanced is best framed as long-term joint support alongside the other three, not as a substitute for any of them.
Common mistakes owners make with Dasuquin Advanced
- Stopping at three weeks. The manufacturer’s initial period runs longer than most owners’ patience.
- Comparing chew counts instead of composition. A 64-count bag of one product and a 120-count bag of another are not comparable until you read what each chew contains.
- Assuming “Advanced” means “stronger glucosamine.” The glucosamine and chondroitin amounts in Advanced are in the same range as the rest of the line. What is added is the botanical blend, manganese, omega-3s and MSM.
- Buying the small-dog formula for a large dog to save money. The two formulas differ in per-chew content across the board; your vet’s weight-band recommendation exists for a reason.
- Not telling the vet. VCA’s handout lists anticoagulants, antidiabetic agents and doxorubicin as drugs to use with caution alongside this supplement. That disclosure only happens if you mention it.
- Treating a mystery limp as an arthritis problem. Cruciate injury, immune-mediated disease and bone tumours all present as limping. Supplements do nothing for any of them.
Myth vs fact
- Myth: it’s vet-exclusive because it’s prescription-strength. Fact: it is a supplement, not a drug. The FDA does not review supplements for safety or effectiveness before sale, as the VCA handout states; vet-exclusivity is a distribution decision.
- Myth: the research proves it works. Fact: the base combination has repeatedly underperformed in controlled trials. Some added ingredients look better than others.
- Myth: more ingredients means more effect. Fact: a proprietary blend at 70 mg total across four botanicals cannot be assumed to match any published trial amount.
When to call your vet
Book an appointment rather than reaching for a supplement if your dog shows any of the following:
- Sudden, non-weight-bearing lameness, or a limp that appears overnight
- A joint that is hot, visibly swollen, or painful to touch
- Yelping, guarding, panting at rest, or a change in temperament that suggests pain
- Rapid decline in mobility over days rather than months
- Any limp in a young or growing dog
- Vomiting, loose stools, itching or facial swelling after starting a new supplement
- A dog already on anticoagulants, antidiabetic medication, or chemotherapy — flag the supplement before starting it
- No change at all after the manufacturer’s stated initial period
Your veterinarian can also tell you whether an orthopaedic exam, radiographs, or a referral to a rehabilitation practice would be more useful than another product.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dasuquin Advanced only available through veterinarians?
Yes. Nutramax lists the Advanced soft chews, Advanced chewable tablets and both ESM versions as veterinarian-exclusive formulations, which is why they do not appear alongside regular Dasuquin in retail listings.
What is the difference between Dasuquin Advanced and Dasuquin Advanced with ESM?
The ESM version contains everything in Dasuquin Advanced plus NMXEM70 partially hydrolyzed eggshell membrane. Nutramax cites a 2016 study by Ruff and colleagues in support of the eggshell membrane ingredient; that trial used the NEM brand ingredient in 51 dogs over six weeks.
How long does Dasuquin Advanced take to work?
Nutramax describes an initial period of several weeks before reducing to a maintenance level, and VCA notes the supplement may take several days to have any effect. Published trials of comparable products have generally used four- to six-week endpoints. Follow your product label and your veterinarian’s instructions.
Does Dasuquin Advanced have side effects?
VCA’s client handout states there are no documented side effects for Dasuquin Advanced, while noting that oral supplements in general can cause mild gastrointestinal signs such as loose stools, flatulence or stomach upset, and that sensitivities can develop over time. Contact your veterinarian if anything unusual appears.
Can Dasuquin Advanced replace arthritis medication?
No. It is a supplement, and the label carries support language rather than treatment claims. Pain management is a veterinary decision, and the evidence for the glucosamine-chondroitin base in pain relief is weak.
Is Dasuquin Advanced worth the extra cost over regular Dasuquin?
That depends on which added ingredients you are paying for. The omega-3 content has the strongest evidence base of anything in the formula; the botanical blend is proprietary and cannot be matched to published trials. Discuss the trade-off with the veterinarian who is already managing your dog’s joints.
References
- Barbeau-Grégoire M, Otis C, Cournoyer A, Moreau M, Lussier B, Troncy E. A 2022 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Enriched Therapeutic Diets and Nutraceuticals in Canine and Feline Osteoarthritis. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(18):10384. DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810384. PMID: 36142319. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810384
- Kampa N, Kaenkangploo D, Jitpean S, et al. Study of the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, marine based fatty acid compounds (PCSO-524 and EAB-277), and carprofen for the treatment of dogs with hip osteoarthritis. Front Vet Sci. 2023;10:1033188. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1033188. PMID: 36816197. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1033188
- Boileau C, Martel-Pelletier J, Caron J, et al. Protective effects of total fraction of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables on the structural changes in experimental dog osteoarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(2):R41. DOI: 10.1186/ar2649. PMID: 19291317. https://doi.org/10.1186/ar2649
- Ruff KJ, Kopp KJ, Von Behrens P, Lux M, Mahn M, Back M. Effectiveness of NEM brand eggshell membrane in the treatment of suboptimal joint function in dogs: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Vet Med (Auckl). 2016;7:113–121. DOI: 10.2147/VMRR.S101842. PMID: 30050844. https://doi.org/10.2147/VMRR.S101842
- Stabile M, Lacitignola L, Samarelli R, Fiorentino M, Crovace A, Staffieri F. Evaluation of clinical efficacy of undenatured type II collagen supplementation compared to cimicoxib and their association in dogs affected by natural occurring osteoarthritis. Res Vet Sci. 2022;151:27–35. DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.06.030. PMID: 35853328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.06.030
- Zapata A, Fernández-Parra R. Management of Osteoarthritis and Joint Support Using Feed Supplements: A Scoping Review of Undenatured Type II Collagen and Boswellia serrata. Animals (Basel). 2023;13(5):870. DOI: 10.3390/ani13050870. PMID: 36899726. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050870
- Marshall WG, Hazewinkel HAW, Mullen D, De Meyer G, Baert K, Carmichael S. The effect of weight loss on lameness in obese dogs with osteoarthritis. Vet Res Commun. 2010;34(3):241–253. DOI: 10.1007/s11259-010-9348-7. PMID: 20237844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-010-9348-7
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/osteoarthritis-in-dogs-and-cats/osteoarthritis-in-dogs-and-cats
- Hamilton A, DVM. Dasuquin Advanced. VCA Animal Hospitals / LifeLearn, last updated May 2, 2025. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dasuquinr-advanced
- Nutramax Laboratories. Dasuquin Advanced Soft Chews and Dasuquin Advanced With ESM Soft Chews product pages. https://www.dasuquin.com/product/dasuquin-advanced-soft-chews and https://www.dasuquin.com/product/dasuquin-advanced-esm
Veterinary disclaimer
This article is general information for dog owners and is not veterinary advice. Supplements are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness before sale and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never start, stop or change a supplement or medication without speaking to your veterinarian, particularly if your dog is pregnant, has an existing health condition, or is taking other medication.