Here’s a guide to the Top 11 herbs and minerals that are beneficial for managing spinal health, preventing injuries, and supporting conditions like Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) affecting dogs such as Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Cavoodles, German Shepherds and Dobermans.
There are a number of different natural supplements out there using various natural ingredients, so it can be difficult to know what product is going to be beneficial for your pooch. I have listed the top 11 ( I couldn’t decide on just 10) herbs and natural minerals that have been scientifically proven to be effective for assisting in spinal health in some way.
Each ingredient offers unique benefits in reducing inflammation, strengthening connective tissues, and promoting nerve health. Some of these minerals and herbs however, are either not suitable for dogs to take long term, or are more suited to treating other conditions.
So let’s go through them and i’ll explain a bit about what each herb or mineral does, why it’s important for spinal health and why (or why NOT) I have used these ingredients in Spinal Repair. This is a blog, not a social media post, so I’m allowed to write as long as I need to, haha!
1. Horsetail Stem (Equisetum arvense)
Benefits: Horsetail is rich in natural silica, which is a mineral essential for collagen production. It strengthens bones, joints, and connective tissues. It also has natural anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, supporting tissue healing and reducing inflammation around injured spinal areas.
How It Helps: In dogs with IVDD, horsetail stem enhances collagen synthesis and promotes stronger vertebrae and connective tissues, offering greater protection against spinal injuries. I have also found that when Horsetail is used in dogs that have developed urinary incontinence from an arthritic spinal condition called spondylosis, it strengthens urinary bladder control in some cases so incontinence reduces and in some cases completely disappears!
2. Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)
Benefits: Devil’s Claw is known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, often used for managing musculoskeletal and joint pain. The active compounds in Devil's Claw helps reduce swelling and stiffness in the soft tissue of the body (like muscles, tendons and ligaments), providing a natural alternative to conventional pain relief.
How It Helps: For dogs with spinal conditions like IVDD, intervertebral disc protrusions and spondylosis, Devil’s Claw can reduce pain and inflammation, supporting greater mobility and overall comfort in the spine, which will allow them to be more mobile during the day and allow them to settle and sleep better at night, without using painkillers or anti-inflammatories long term.
3. Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
Benefits: Gotu Kola has been traditionally used to improve circulation and support nerve function. It contains compounds that stimulate collagen synthesis and reduce inflammation, helping repair connective tissues and enhance blood flow.
How It Helps: Gotu Kola supports recovery in dogs with spinal injuries by strengthening connective tissues in the intervertebral discs and surrounding ligaments as well as promoting nerve health, essential for conditions like IVDD, spinal injuries and chronic spinal issues like spondylosis..
NOTE: On a personaI note I discovered how powerful this herb was when i used it for a hamstring injury that was plaguing me for months: making my leg movement and flexibility severely restricted. I started taking Gotu kola and within 4 weeks the pain completely subsided and flexibility returned. Since then I have had no issues at all in my hamstring.
4. Glycine
Benefits: Glycine is an amino acid that plays a crucial role in collagen formation and overall muscle and ligament health. It is one of the main building blocks that the body uses to create collagen in the body and in the spine. It is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to calm nerves, which can help alleviate pain and discomfort.
How It Helps: Glycine supports healthy soft tissue in the spine and muscles, reducing tension and inflammation. This can be especially helpful for dogs with IVDD, as it assists in strengthening tissues around the spine to help prevent injuries of flare-ups from occuring in the future.
5. Rosehip (Rosa canina)
Benefits: Rosehip is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which are essential for collagen synthesis and reducing oxidative stress (tissue breaking down). It also has natural anti-inflammatory properties, aiding in the management of pain and stiffness in joints and spine.
How It Helps: For dogs with spinal injuries, rosehip boosts collagen production, strengthens cartilage, and reduces inflammation, contributing to better spinal support and flexibility. In my opinion Rosehip should be used with other natural ingredients to gain the best results: used BY ITSELF there will be an anti-inflmmatory effect but its ability to help with collagen production is limited as it has no building blocks (glycine, proline, silica). This is why i have combined it in this formula to gain the BEST result with the other ingredients.
6. Lion's Mane Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)
Benefits: Lion’s Mane is known for its neuroprotective properties and ability to support nerve regeneration. This mushroom promotes brain and nerve health, making it valuable for spinal and neurological conditions.
How It Helps: In dogs with IVDD, Lion’s Mane can aid in nerve regeneration, reducing nerve damage, and supporting overall spinal health. This is especially important in cases with nerve involvement from being compressed by the injury. Nerve tissue heals EXTREMELY SLOWLY and sometimes if the scar tissue is too much the nerve will not properly recover, so we need to help the nerves heal as effectively as possible for them to function correctly. A very important herb when dealing with intervertebral disc protrusions (slipped disc), spondylosis, and neurological conditions like degenerative myelopathy, spondylosis, or nerve trauma.
7. Dipsaci Root (Dipsacus asperoides)
Benefits: Dipsaci Root, often used in traditional medicine for its healing properties, supports bone and tendon health. It has anti-inflammatory effects and is believed to enhance blood flow and repair damaged tissues and strengthen the attachments of ligaments to bone (for instance the intervertebral discs). This herb is not very well known in the western world, however it has been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years for back pain and spinal injuries as well as osteoporosis.
How It Helps: For spinal health, Dipsaci Root helps strengthen bones and connective tissues in the intervertebral discs, making it beneficial in managing IVDD by promoting faster healing and reducing pain. Additonally, I find it extremely effective in helping to manage conditions like spondylosis, or weakening of the spine from old age.
8. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)
Benefits: MSM is an organic sulfur compound that helps reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation, and relieve pain. It also promotes collagen production, essential for maintaining joint and connective tissue health.
How It Helps: For dogs with spinal issues, MSM’s anti-inflammatory properties reduce pain and stiffness, while its collagen-boosting effects help strengthen the spine and surrounding tissues, aiding in recovery and mobility.
Note: These 8 ingredients form a powerful combination in Canine Vital Spinal Repair for maintaining and enhancing spinal health. They collectively support collagen synthesis, reduce inflammation, and provide essential nutrients that help prevent further injury and improve recovery in dogs with spinal conditions like IVDD, spondylosis or disc injuries. Additionally, it can be used as a preventative supplement for healthy dogs as well: Regular use can help your dog stay active and comfortable while protecting against future spinal problems.
These Next Herbs and Minerals are ones that are commonly used but are not in Spinal Repair. Here is why:
9. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Benefits: Turmeric contains a powerful compound called curcumin, renowned for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin works by inhibiting inflammatory pathways, helping to reduce pain and inflammation associated with Joint pain and arthritis.
How It Helps: In dogs with injuries and arthritis, turmeric can ease discomfort, support healing, and promote better joint mobility. HOWEVER, Turmeric is a very WARMING herb. This means that it can cause our bodies (and your fur babies body) to get warmer.
In humans this is fine as we can just sweat it out and cool down (perhaps one of the reasons why Turmeric is often used in hot countries like India), BUT OUR DOGS CANNOT. Dogs don’t have pores in their skin so they are unable to sweat.
This can lead to rashes, itchy skin and inflamed allergy issues. This is why I have not used Tumeric in the Spinal Supplement. Even though there are good reasons for using turmeric in supplements I have not used it in this formula to avoid any allergy issues that may occur with Dachshunds and French Bulldogs especially.
10. Boswellia Serrata (Indian Frankincense)
Benefits: Boswellia is known for its potent anti-inflammatory effects, specifically in reducing joint and cartilage inflammation. It works by blocking certain enzymes that lead to inflammation and can be effective in managing chronic pain.
How It Helps: For dogs with joint injuries, Boswellia can alleviate pain, reduce joint swelling, and improve flexibility, aiding in the management of long-term joint health. But Boswellia is used for its ability to improve JOINT problems, not spine problems. Why? Because it seems to interact with cartilage tissue, not soft tissue or disc material.
There is SOME cartilage in the spine (located in facet joints), but it is very minimal, so I find Boswellia is excellent for arthritic conditions or joint injuries such as cruciate ligament tears, but not terribly helpful for spinal issues by itself. This is why I have not added it into the spinal supplement.
11. Zinc
Benefits: Zinc is a trace mineral essential for cellular repair and immune function. It also aids in collagen formation, essential for maintaining the health of connective tissues, cartilage, and bones.
How It Helps: Zinc supports tissue repair in the spine and can help prevent degeneration in spinal conditions like IVDD. By promoting healing at the cellular level, zinc is essential for maintaining the integrity and resilience of the spine and surrounding tissues. However, Zinc can be toxic to dogs in medium to high dosages. So when taking a supplement long term we need to be careful not to be introducing high levels of Zinc in their diet. Because several of the other ingredients in Spinal Repair are herbal in nature, there are already trace amounts of Zinc found naturally in these ingredients, so that would be enough. This is why I have not added a zinc mineral into the spinal supplement.
I hope that is helpful if you are wondering what natural supplements could be useful for your dog with Spinal Issues.
Neil Barnsley
Animal Holistic Therapies
Canine Vital
