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Wellaroo
The science

Green-lipped mussel

Perna canaliculus · PER-na can-a-LIK-yoo-lus

A shellfish farmed only in New Zealand. It carries omega-3 fatty acids, the joint nutrient with the most support in dog trials. In 3 placebo-controlled trials, more dogs improved on the mussel than on placebo.

Dog trials: positive
In Joint & Mobility
What the research adds up to

Green-lipped mussel has more dog research than any other ingredient in Joint & Mobility. 3 placebo-controlled trials, in 31 to 81 dogs over 6 to 8 weeks, found that more dogs improved on the mussel than on placebo. Every trial used dogs that already had joint disease.

Green-lipped mussel
Dog trials: positive
In
Joint & Mobility
What the research found in dogs

In dogs with osteoarthritis, more improved on green-lipped mussel than on placebo.

Placebo- and drug-controlled trial, 45 dogs, 8 weeks · Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2009 · The maker of the mussel product gave it free

Read the study
Share of dogs whose score improved from week 0 to week 8. 45 dogs with osteoarthritis, 15 per group.
How the study worked
Who45 pet dogs with osteoarthritis of the hip or elbow, 15 per group.
DesignRandomised and double-blind, with a placebo group and a carprofen (pain drug) group.
DoseLyproflex 500 mg capsules: 4 a day (6 over 40 kg) for 10 days, then 2 or 3 a day. The paper gives 20–49 mg/kg a day for the start.
Length8 weeks on treatment, then 4 weeks off.
MeasuredVet mobility index, 2 force-plate measures, an owner pain index, pain and walking scales, and extra pain-drug use.
ResultMussel against placebo, share of dogs improved: mobility P = 0.031, owner pain index P = 0.028, pain scale P = 0.011 (Table 1). By week 8, 7% of mussel dogs and 27% of placebo dogs needed extra carprofen each week. On the 2 force-plate measures, the mussel group did not differ from placebo (P = 0.26 and 0.28).
FundingFinnish Foundation of Veterinary Research and the Helvi Knuuttila Foundation. The mussel maker gave the product and placebo free. Pfizer gave the carprofen.

Every other study

Dog studies first. Each card says where the study was done, how it was set up and what it found.

  • In dogsSystematic review and meta-analysis, 72 trials

    Review of joint diets and supplements in dogs and cats with osteoarthritis

    Omega-3 diets and supplements showed clear pain relief. Glucosamine with chondroitin did not show a clear effect on pain.

    Barbeau-Grégoire et al. · Int J Mol Sci · 2022Read the paper (free)
  • In dogsPlacebo-controlled trial, dogs and cats

    A mussel, curcumin and blackcurrant leaf supplement in dogs and cats with osteoarthritis

    Describes how mussel omega-3s and curcumin act on inflammation signals. In dogs, the supplement did no better than placebo on the main joint score.

    Corbee · Vet Med Sci · 2022Read the paper (free)
  • In dogsSystematic review, 22 papers (16 in dogs)

    Review of joint supplements in horses, dogs and cats

    The evidence was weak for every supplement except omega-3 fatty acids in dogs.

    Vandeweerd et al. · J Vet Intern Med · 2012Read the abstract
  • In dogsPlacebo-controlled trial, 81 dogs, 56 days

    Green-lipped mussel extract in dogs with joint disease

    Both groups improved by day 28. At day 56 more dogs had improved on the mussel extract than on placebo (p=0.018).

    Pollard et al. · N Z Vet J · 2006Read the abstract
  • In dogsControlled trial, 31 dogs, 6 weeks

    Green-lipped mussel added to a dry diet for dogs with arthritis

    Dogs fed 0.3% mussel powder in their diet had better total arthritis scores than the control group. Crepitus and range of movement did not differ.

    Note: The authors worked at the Waltham Centre (Mars).

    Bui & Bierer · Vet Ther · 2003Read the abstract
  • In peopleCase report and lab study

    New allergy proteins found in green-lipped mussel

    A woman reacted after breathing in the mussel powder she gave her dog. Tests found 3 allergy proteins also known in other shellfish.

    Kage et al. · Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol · 2022Read the abstract

Safety notes

  • The 2 dog trials that reported on safety found no side effects from the mussel. (Hielm-Björkman 2009)
  • It is a shellfish. A woman developed an allergy after breathing in the powder she gave her dog. Skip it if your dog reacts to shellfish. (Kage 2022)
Joint & MobilityAll 22 ingredients

This page describes ingredient research. It is not veterinary advice. Wellaroo products have not been tested in a trial of their own. Talk to your vet about your dog’s health.