Chondroitin Sulfate
Our ingredient score: 4 / 5 · Glucosamine or chondroitin · How We Score
Chondroitin sulfate is a substance found naturally in joint cartilage. It helps cartilage hold water, which keeps joints cushioned and flexible. It is also thought to reduce the effect of enzymes that wear down cartilage. It is often used together with glucosamine for older cats and cats with joint problems, but the few studies in cats are mixed and do not show that it eases movement on its own.
Common Questions
Should chondroitin be paired with glucosamine for cats?
They are usually given together, but cat studies are few and mixed. One trial found no clear mobility benefit, and a helpful joint diet also contained omega-3s, so the pair's own effect in cats is unproven.
Is chondroitin safe for cats?
Chondroitin sulfate is a substance found naturally in joint cartilage, and some cat foods add it for joint support. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate among the most common nutraceuticals used for arthritis pain in dogs and cats, though a systematic review it cites found no evidence of a benefit for pain. For a cat with arthritis or another medical condition, your veterinarian is the right person to ask.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Why is chondroitin sulfate in cat food?
Chondroitin sulfate is added as a joint ingredient. In cartilage it helps the tissue hold water, which keeps joints cushioned and flexible. Food makers add it to some senior and mobility recipes on the idea that extra chondroitin in the diet may support cartilage. Evidence in cats is limited, so treat it as an extra rather than a reason to pick one food over another.
Does chondroitin help cats with arthritis?
The evidence is weak. The Merck Veterinary Manual reports that a systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence that glucosamine and chondroitin eased arthritis pain, and concluded that the evidence did not support these supplements for pain management in dogs and cats. Cats with stiff joints often need other treatment, so ask your veterinarian.
Source: merckvetmanual.com
Is chondroitin sulfate the same as glucosamine?
No. Glucosamine is a small amino sugar that the body uses to build cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is a much larger molecule, a long chain that sits inside cartilage and helps it hold water. The two are often sold together and show up side by side on joint support cat food labels, but they are separate ingredients with separate Pettings pages.
How does Pettings score chondroitin sulfate?
Pettings gives chondroitin sulfate 4 out of 5 and lists it as a glucosamine or chondroitin ingredient. It appears on 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Only a handful of dry foods add it, so most cats eating dry food never see it on the label. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.
How Foods With Chondroitin Sulfate Compare
Chondroitin Sulfate is on the label of 2 of the 149 dry cat foods we list.