Boswellia for dogs, cats and horses

Boswellia for dogs and cats plays an important role in maintaining healthy joint function, which can impact a pet’s everyday life.

Boswellia has been used for thousands of years and has over 400 independent clinical studies supporting its use. It has long been recognised for its fast acting support to the natural systems that control inflammation. Boswellia trees are native to North Africa and India, the particular species Boswellia serrata only grows in mountainous forests of western and central India.

The resin that is secreted naturally to protect the Boswellia tree is tapped and purified for use in powder form. This gum tree resin consists of essential oils, gum, and terpenoids. The terpenoid portion contains the boswellic acids that have been shown to be the active constituents within Boswellia.

According to early Ayurvedic texts, Boswellia was used in a number of areas such as: joint, respiratory and digestive support. More recent clinical studies have shown the efficacy of Boswellia for many more traditional uses.

The inclusion of Boswellia in nutraceutical joint support supplements for dogs and cats such as Nutraquin+ plays an important role in maintaining smooth and comfortable joint movement. Unlike some other alternative ingredients it does not cause damage to cartilage. Its use has yielded impressive research results.

This is because Boswellia:

Is not reported to have side effects even with long-term administration;
Does not cause glycosaminoglycan degradation, stomach irritation and joint degradation;
Is believed to maintain a healthy level of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) activity, supporting leukotriene biosynthesis and thus helping to preserve the structural integrity of joint cartilage and maintaining a healthy immune mediator cascade.

In addition, Boswellia is believed to play a role in maintaining healthy matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, which supports connective tissue structural composition. MMPs, are a large group of (zinc dependant) enzymes which cleave the constituents of the extracellular matrix and are thought to play a role in joint destruction.