There is a tub of Cosequin on the bench and a tablet still in the bowl, licked clean of the cheese you hid it in. He is still waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
Quick answer: Pick OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews. It covers the same cartilage ingredients as Cosequin DS Plus MSM (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid) and adds what the Cosequin label leaves out: omega-3s from green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil, the ingredient class with the strongest evidence in canine arthritis, plus turmeric and Boswellia. It is a chicken soft chew, two a day with no loading phase, and your first order is covered for 90 days.
Cosequin vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint: side by side
The short version: both cover cartilage and joint fluid. Only OcuLabs adds omega-3s and the comfort botanicals, in a chew instead of a tablet, with one dose for every adult dog.
| OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews | Cosequin DS Plus MSM | |
|---|---|---|
| Omega-3s | Green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil (EPA and DHA) | None listed |
| Turmeric and Boswellia | Both | None listed |
| Format | Chicken soft chew | Chewable tablet |
| Daily dose | 2 chews for any adult dog, no loading phase | By weight, loading phase for 4 to 6 weeks, then maintenance |
| Guarantee | 90 days on your first order, opened or empty jars included | Retailer policy |
Where OcuLabs comes out ahead
- Omega-3s in the same chew. Green-lipped mussel and salmon oil work on the inflammatory side of a stiff joint, the side cartilage ingredients do not reach. With a cartilage-only tablet, many owners end up buying a separate fish oil.
- The comfort layer, built in. Turmeric and Boswellia support a normal inflammatory response, so you are not adding a third product.
- A chew he takes as a treat. Many seniors turn a daily tablet into a pill fight. Two chicken chews with breakfast survive a picky 12-year-old.
- One dose for every adult dog. No weight chart, no doubling for the first six weeks. The same two chews from day one.
- Time to judge it properly. Joint support is judged over 60 to 90 days, and the guarantee covers that window.
- Straight from the maker. Sold only at ocupetlabs.com and third-party tested, so you know exactly where every jar comes from.
What Cosequin DS Plus MSM leaves out
Cosequin, from Nutramax Laboratories, is a chewable tablet built on glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid. It is dosed by weight, starting with a loading phase for four to six weeks before dropping to maintenance. The label lists no omega-3s, turmeric or Boswellia, so the inflammatory side of a stiff joint is left to whatever else you add. A jar of OcuLabs covers it in the same chew: 90 chews, 45 days at two a day.
Which dogs is OcuLabs right for?
- A senior with early stiffness: slow to rise, pausing at the stairs, the couch or the car.
- A dog who spits out tablets, or finds them in the cheese.
- An owner who would otherwise buy a fish oil and a turmeric product on top of a cartilage tablet.
- A house with more than one adult dog, since the dose is the same two chews for each.
- Anyone who wants the full 90 days covered while they find out.
If your vet prescribed a specific product for diagnosed arthritis, take the OcuLabs ingredient list to your next appointment before you change anything.
How to switch from Cosequin to OcuLabs
- Write down today's baseline. How many steps he takes to loosen up after a nap, whether he pauses at the stairs or the car, and how far into the walk he slows.
- Do not stack them. The two overlap on glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, and doubling up can upset the stomach. Stop the tablets the day the chews start.
- Two chews with breakfast, every day. Consistency is the whole test.
- Re-score the same three moments every week and decide at 60 to 90 days.
Limping, sudden lameness or crying out need a vet before any supplement. Signs of arthritis in senior dogs shows which signs mean today.
Cover the cartilage and the comfort in one chew
If yours is the dog who fights the tablet, OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews keep the cartilage ingredients your vet knows and add the omega-3 and comfort layer, in a chicken chew he will sit for.
- Easier first steps after a nap. Glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM support healthy cartilage and connective tissue.
- More comfort on the walk. Green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil bring the omega-3s EPA and DHA.
- Stairs and the car without the long pause. Turmeric and Boswellia support a normal inflammatory response.
- Smoother movement through the day. Hyaluronic acid supports joint fluid.
Your first order is covered for 90 days from delivery, whatever the pack size. If you do not see the difference, email support@ocupetlabs.com for a full refund of the product price, opened or empty jars included.
Keep reading
- Best joint supplements for senior dogs: five compared
- Dasuquin vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint Chews
- PetLab Co Joint Care vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint Chews
- Glucosamine dosage for dogs by weight
- Green-lipped mussel for dogs: evidence and dose
Frequently asked questions
Is Cosequin or OcuLabs better for a senior dog?
OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews, for most stiff seniors. It carries the same cartilage ingredients as Cosequin DS Plus MSM (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid) and adds green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil for omega-3s, plus turmeric and Boswellia, in a chicken chew given two a day. The Cosequin label lists no omega-3s. A dog who is limping or in pain should see a vet first.
What is in Cosequin DS Plus MSM?
A cartilage-focused tablet with none of the omega-3s, turmeric or Boswellia that OcuLabs adds. It lists glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and hyaluronic acid, made by Nutramax, and is dosed by weight with a loading phase for the first four to six weeks, then maintenance.
What is in OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews?
Eight joint ingredients in one chicken-flavoured soft chew: glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, green-lipped mussel, turmeric root, wild Alaskan salmon oil, hyaluronic acid and frankincense (Boswellia) extract. Two chews daily for adult and senior dogs, 90 per jar. Amounts are on the jar label.
Does my dog need a loading dose?
Not with OcuLabs: it is two chews a day from day one, judged over 60 to 90 days. Cosequin starts with a loading phase for the first four to six weeks, then drops to maintenance. Both approaches assume daily use for months, not days.
Can I give Cosequin and OcuLabs together?
There is no need. OcuLabs already covers the glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM in Cosequin, so stacking the two doubles up and can upset the stomach. Give OcuLabs on its own every day for 90 days and reassess with your vet.
Cosequin is a trademark of Nutramax Laboratories. Ingredient details were taken from the manufacturer's published label in September 2026; check the current label before you buy. General information for dog parents, not veterinary advice. If your dog is limping, crying out or will not put weight on a leg, see your vet today.