Both are Nutramax joint supplements built on glucosamine and chondroitin. Dasuquin adds avocado/soybean unsaponifiables and costs more. Here is what that buys, for dogs and for cats.
Core ingredients: Cosequin — Glucosamine hydrochloride and sodium chondroitin sulfate; Dasuquin — Glucosamine hydrochloride, sodium chondroitin sulfate and ASU.
Common variants: Cosequin — DS, "Plus MSM", and versions adding hyaluronic acid or omega-3s; Dasuquin — Dasuquin, Dasuquin with MSM, Dasuquin Advanced.
Forms: Cosequin — Chewable tablets and soft chews for dogs; mainly sprinkle capsules for cats; Dasuquin — Chewable tablets and soft chews for dogs; mainly sprinkle capsules for cats.
Where sold: Cosequin — Pet stores, online and vets; Dasuquin — Long sold mainly through vets; now also online.
Relative cost: Cosequin — Lower; Dasuquin — Higher, because of the added ASU.
Label dosing: Cosequin — Higher starting dose for about 4–6 weeks, then a lower maintenance dose; Dasuquin — Same pattern.
ASU is an extract of avocado and soybean oils. In people it is sold as a joint supplement in several countries. In dogs, the main evidence is experimental: in a study where osteoarthritis was induced surgically, dogs given ASU showed fewer structural cartilage changes than untreated dogs (Boileau et al., Arthritis Research & Therapy, 2009). That is a laboratory model, not a trial in pet dogs with arthritis, and it did not test Dasuquin itself.
For glucosamine and chondroitin, which both products share, a systematic review of nutraceuticals for osteoarthritis in animals rated the evidence as low (Vandeweerd et al., Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2012). One randomised trial found dogs given glucosamine and chondroitin improved over 70 days, but more slowly than dogs on a prescription anti-inflammatory, and without a placebo group (McCarthy et al., The Veterinary Journal, 2007).
The honest summary: there is no published head-to-head trial showing Dasuquin works better than Cosequin in pets. If you choose Dasuquin you are paying for an ingredient with some laboratory support.
Both brands sell cat versions, mostly as sprinkle capsules you open over wet food — which is the practical advantage, because many cats refuse tablets. The research base in cats is thinner than in dogs. The best-supported nutritional option for feline joint disease is omega-3s: in a controlled study, cats with degenerative joint disease fed a diet high in fish-oil omega-3s were more active than cats on a control diet (Lascelles et al., Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2010).
Joint pain in cats is easy to miss. Signs are a cat that no longer jumps to favourite spots, hesitates on stairs, grooms less along the back, or misses the litter box because stepping in hurts. Those are reasons for a vet visit, not just a supplement.
The side effects most often reported for glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are mild digestive upset: soft stools, vomiting or reduced appetite, usually when starting. Ask your vet before starting either product if your pet:
has diabetes, kidney or liver disease;
has a known shellfish allergy, since glucosamine is commonly made from shellfish;
takes other medication, including blood thinners or anti-inflammatories;
is a cat that has not had a check-up recently, because many older cats with stiffness also have kidney disease.
Never give a human joint or pain product to a pet. Several human pain medications are toxic to dogs and cats.
Keeping a dog lean has stronger evidence than any supplement: in a lifetime study of Labrador Retrievers, dogs kept leaner developed osteoarthritis later (Kealy et al., JAVMA, 2002). Fish-oil omega-3s have better evidence than glucosamine. And when pain affects daily life, vets now have effective options, including anti-inflammatories and monthly antibody injections — bedinvetmab (Librela) for dogs and frunevetmab (Solensia) for cats, both approved by the FDA.
1. Get a diagnosis first. Limping, stiffness and reluctance to jump have causes other than arthritis.
2. If you want a supplement, Cosequin is the lower-cost way to try glucosamine and chondroitin.
3. Choose Dasuquin if your vet recommends it or you want ASU added and the cost is acceptable.
4. Give either one for the label's full starting period — about four to six weeks — before judging it, and keep a note of how your pet moves so the judgement is not a guess.
For a wider look at fish oil, green-lipped mussel and CBD, see our guide to joint supplements for dogs.
Boileau C et al. Protective effects of total fraction of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables on the structural changes in experimental dog osteoarthritis. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2009;11(2):R41.
Vandeweerd JM et al. Systematic review of efficacy of nutraceuticals to alleviate clinical signs of osteoarthritis. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2012;26(3):448–456.
McCarthy G et al. Randomised double-blind, positive-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis. The Veterinary Journal 2007;174(1):54–61.
Lascelles BDX et al. Evaluation of a therapeutic diet for feline degenerative joint disease. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2010;24(3):487–495.
Kealy RD et al. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. JAVMA 2002;220(9):1315–1320.
U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — approvals of Solensia (frunevetmab, 2022) and Librela (bedinvetmab, 2023). fda.gov
Both contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Dasuquin also contains avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) and costs more. Both come in versions with added MSM, so compare the exact boxes rather than the brand names.
No published trial has compared them head to head in pets. ASU has some laboratory evidence in dogs, so Dasuquin adds an ingredient with a plausible case, but whether that helps your dog more than Cosequin is not known.
Only the cat versions, which are dosed for cats and usually come as sprinkle capsules. Do not give a dog chew to a cat. Because stiff older cats often have kidney disease too, a vet check before starting is worthwhile.
The ones most often reported are mild digestive upset — soft stools, vomiting or less appetite — usually at the start. Stop and call your vet if they persist, and ask before starting if your dog is diabetic, has a shellfish allergy or takes other medication.
Both labels use a higher starting dose for about four to six weeks. Give the full period before deciding, and judge by specific things — getting up after rest, stairs, length of walks — rather than a general impression.