This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
I wasn't convinced my energetic Labradoodle needed a daily supplement, but a limp after fetch and a recommendation from our vet persuaded me to try
My two dogs are getting on a bit. Honey is seven and Rupert is nine. According to my insurance company at least, they're now "senior" dogs.
Nobody thought to tell them this, though. Cockapoo Rupert is still a devious little mischief maker, and he loves playing with any dog he meets. Labradoodle Honey is a fizzing lump of energy, and is at her happiest running at a ridiculous pace across a field.
I'm pleased their advancing years haven't quelled their vigour, but Honey's enthusiasm for chasing a tennis ball at speed has highlighted a bit of an issue.
On a few occasions now, following a particularly spirited game of fetch, she's woken up the following morning with a limp. Obviously, we've had it checked out by a vet and, apparently, it's a thing with Labradors - they can stiffen up as they get older.
There were plenty of lotions and potions available at the veterinary surgery, most of which would have required me to sell a car to buy a course of, but the friendly vet did give me a subtle tip-off about a brand called YuMove. "I've been buying that for my dog and it's definitely made a difference", she said.
It appears she's not alone, either. As I was researching the products plenty of owners, including a fair number with Labradors, have left glowing reviews, noticing a reduction in joint stiffness after a little while taking daily doses of their supplements.
There was, however, a problem. Honey is hopeless at taking any form of medication. The little cherub runs a mile at the merest whiff of a worming tablet, and no amount of subterfuge or bribery will bring her back.
Thankfully, YuMove offers daily "bites" alongside its more conventional tablets, and I had a feeling Honey would approve. She really did. In fact she absolutely loves them, and comes bolting in to the kitchen the moment she hears me rattling the little tub we keep them in.
That's the first hurdle out of the way, then. But the big question was always going to be... Are they effective?
I have done no medical testing, I'm not a qualified vet, there are plenty of big words on the back of the YuMove packet I don't understand, but I can tell you this: Honey hasn't limped once since we started giving her supplements.
This means that there's a very strong likelihood that YuMove's squishy little treats which, I'm told, contain things like "green-lipped mussel", fish oil, and "Hoki", have made a tangible difference.
It also means Honey and I can indulge in a properly arduous game of fetch again without me having to worry she'll wake up feeling like she's been hit by a car.
YuMove's supplements aren't cheap, the pack we buy costs £26.76 on a single purchase, and we need one of those per dog per month.
And, ultimately, it's significantly cheaper than constantly taking her to the vet to be poked and prodded, or to pick up some sort of prescription drug that would trigger a klaxon at the insurance company HQ and make her impossible to cover in the future.
I'm personally always sceptical about supplements, and I don't buy them for myself. I prefer the balanced diet approach to ensure I'm getting all the goodness I need.
But it's different with dogs, and if it costs me a pack of joint support treats per month to carry on enjoying watching my little lunatic run around like her tail’s on fire, it's worth every penny.