You have a tub of Dasuquin and a dosing chart on the fridge, and you are wondering whether one simple chew could cover more.
Quick answer: Pick OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews. Both start from glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. Where Dasuquin with MSM adds ASU, OcuLabs adds the omega-3s the Dasuquin label does not carry, from green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil, plus turmeric, Boswellia and hyaluronic acid. It is a chicken soft chew, two a day for any adult dog with no loading phase, and your first order is covered for 90 days.
Dasuquin vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint: side by side
The short version: both cover cartilage. Only OcuLabs adds omega-3s and the comfort botanicals, with one dose for every adult dog and no loading phase.
| OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews | Dasuquin with MSM | |
|---|---|---|
| Omega-3s | Green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil (EPA and DHA) | None listed |
| Turmeric and Boswellia | Both | Not on the Dasuquin with MSM label |
| Daily dose | 2 chews for any adult dog, no loading phase | By weight, with a loading phase |
| Guarantee | 90 days on your first order, opened or empty jars included | Retailer policy |
Where OcuLabs comes out ahead
- Omega-3s from two sources. Green-lipped mussel and salmon oil cover the inflammatory side of a stiff joint, the side the Dasuquin label leaves to a separate fish oil. Omega-3s are the ingredient class with the strongest evidence in canine arthritis.
- Turmeric and Boswellia in every chew. Both support a normal inflammatory response. The Dasuquin with MSM label lists neither.
- No dosing chart, no loading phase. Two chews a day for any adult dog, from the first day.
- 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 is ASU, and what OcuLabs uses instead
ASU stands for avocado-soybean unsaponifiables, a mix of plant sterols from those two oils, and it is the extract Dasuquin adds to its cartilage formula.
OcuLabs goes a different way. Around the same glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM core, it puts two omega-3 sources, green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil, plus turmeric, Boswellia and hyaluronic acid. That matters because the 2022 AAHA pain-management guidelines identify stronger evidence for omega-3 fatty acids in dogs than for other nutraceuticals used for osteoarthritis. For more on the mussel, read green-lipped mussel for dogs.
Which dogs is OcuLabs right for?
- A senior with early stiffness: slow mornings, a pause at the stairs, a wait at the car.
- A dog already on a cartilage product whose owner wants omega-3s and comfort botanicals without a second bottle.
- A dog who is happier with a chicken chew than a chart of weight-based doses.
- An owner who wants the trial window covered: the guarantee runs 90 days from delivery.
Questions to take to your vet
Before you switch, take the OcuLabs ingredient list to your vet and ask:
- Is his stiffness a diagnosed condition that needs medication alongside a supplement?
- Would adding omega-3s help him, given his weight and his other medicines?
- Is anything in his current routine, such as a fish oil or a joint diet, overlapping?
- Which signs should bring him back in sooner? (Limping, crying out, or a leg he will not use are always same-day signs; see signs of arthritis in senior dogs.)
Then write down three moments before you start: the rise after a nap, the stairs or the car, and how far into the walk he slows. Score them every week and decide at 60 to 90 days.
Put the omega-3s and the cartilage support in one chew
A cartilage chew plus a fish oil plus a turmeric capsule is three things to remember every morning. OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews are one.
- Getting up after rest without the stiff first steps. Glucosamine and chondroitin are the building blocks of healthy cartilage.
- Easier walks. Green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil carry the omega-3s EPA and DHA.
- A steadier day on old joints. Boswellia and turmeric back a normal inflammatory response.
- Easy movement onto the couch and into the car. Hyaluronic acid, the main part of joint fluid, with MSM for connective tissue.
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
- Cosequin vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint Chews
- YuMOVE vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint Chews
- PetLab Co Joint Care vs OcuLabs Hip + Joint Chews
- Glucosamine dosage for dogs by weight
Frequently asked questions
Is Dasuquin or OcuLabs better for a senior dog?
OcuLabs Hip + Joint Support Chews, for most seniors with stiffness. Both carry glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, and OcuLabs adds the omega-3s the Dasuquin label does not list, from green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil, plus turmeric, Boswellia and hyaluronic acid, in a chicken chew given two a day. A dog who is limping or in pain should see a vet first.
What is in Dasuquin with MSM?
None of the omega-3s, turmeric or Boswellia that OcuLabs adds. Dasuquin with MSM, from Nutramax, lists glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and ASU, and is dosed by weight with a loading phase.
What is ASU in Dasuquin?
It is the plant extract Dasuquin uses where OcuLabs uses two omega-3 sources, green-lipped mussel and wild Alaskan salmon oil, the ingredient class the 2022 AAHA pain-management guidelines identify as having stronger evidence than other joint nutraceuticals. ASU stands for avocado-soybean unsaponifiables, a mix of plant sterols from those two oils.
How is OcuLabs different from Dasuquin?
OcuLabs keeps glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, and adds green-lipped mussel, wild Alaskan salmon oil, turmeric, hyaluronic acid and Boswellia for the inflammatory side of stiff joints. It is a chicken soft chew, two a day for any adult dog with no loading phase, sold direct with a 90-day guarantee on your first order. It does not contain ASU.
Can I give Dasuquin and OcuLabs together?
There is no need. OcuLabs already covers the glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM in Dasuquin, so stacking them doubles up. Give OcuLabs on its own every day for 90 days, then judge it on rising, stairs and walk length.
Dasuquin and Cosequin are trademarks 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.