Lawsuit Investigation Looks into Cosequin Joint Health Supplements for Dogs

If you bought Cosequin joint health supplements in New York, attorneys want to hear from you.

They’re looking into whether the manufacturer of the supplements deceived consumers with statements that the products can support mobility and joint health and even help your pet “climb stairs, rise, and jump.”

Products containing glucosamine, which is one of the active ingredients in Cosequin joint supplements, have for years been the target of lawsuits for misleading advertising amid studies that the ingredient provides little to no benefit.

Now, attorneys are investigating whether New York pet owners were misled by Cosequin’s product claims and whether they could file a class action to potentially recover $50 per purchase.

Cosequin Joint Supplements: Do They Work as Advertised?

Cosequin joint health supplements are advertised as containing glucosamine hydrochloride, sodium chondroitin sulfate and MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) to “help maintain your canine’s cartilage and connective tissue.”

Attorneys are investigating, however, whether the products actually provide any benefit for dogs’ joint health – or whether consumers paid for a product that doesn’t work as advertised.

Studies evaluating the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin on human joint disease have produced mixed results. Some have shown modest relief with these treatments, “but at least as many have found no benefit,” according to an article from Harvard Health Publishing. For instance, a 2017 review of available research on the effect of glucosamine for arthritis pain found the supplement essentially “has no more effect than a dummy pill,” Reuters reports.  

While animal studies are more limited, a rather comprehensive article from Veterinary Practice News broke down the available research on the use of chondroitin and glucosamine for dog arthritis. According to the article, glucosamine supplements are among the most popular in veterinary medicine “despite no compelling clinical trial evidence showing it works.” 

Specifically, the article summarized the results of three “systematic reviews of research evidence” pertaining to the use of chondroitin and glucosamine for canine arthritis. The three reviews found, respectively, that there was “no significant improvement compared with dogs receiving [a] placebo,” that the “strength of the evidence for these treatments was low and further high-quality studies are needed,” and that “the global strength of evidence of efficacy was low,” the article states.

Indeed, one lawsuit proceeding against a maker of another joint supplement for dogs is alleging that the products’ ingredients, glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate, have not been shown to improve dogs’ joint function. The lawsuit alleges that one study focused specifically on the efficacy of Cosequin found that dogs treated with the supplement showed “no significant response in terms of the objective gait analysis or either of the subjective assessments during the study,” with owners also noting “no significant improvements.”  

How Could a Lawsuit Help?

If filed and successful, a class action lawsuit could provide New York consumers the chance to seek recovery of $50 per supplement purchase. It could also force the manufacturer to change the way it labels and markets its products.

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