Joint care for senior cat and arthritic dog

A 16-year-old Siamese and an arthritic dog under the same roof — you're managing joint health on two fronts, which is completely doable but does mean the cat and dog each need something formulated for their own biology. Cats age more gracefully than dogs in some ways, but they're prone to kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, dental disease, and arthritis — and at 16, your Siamese is well into the territory where joint stiffness is common even if she hides it well. To point you in the right direction: how old is your dog, what breed or size, and how is the arthritis being managed at the moment — vet-diagnosed, any meds, or still at the 'noticing stiffness' stage?

Good context — that really helps. Honest answer on the 'one product for both' idea: it's tempting but I'd steer you away from it. Cats metabolise things very differently from dogs, and several ingredients that are fine or even beneficial for dogs — including some dosing levels of glucosamine blends and certain additives — can be problematic for cats, especially at 16 when the kidneys may already be under some quiet pressure. So separate products is genuinely the safer and more effective route here. Can I ask — is your Labrador a healthy weight? And is the Metacam managing his pain reasonably well, or is he still visibly stiff day-to-day?

That's really useful. For your Labrador, the combination of being over his ideal weight and already showing morning stiffness despite Metacam means a high-quality omega-3 and joint support supplement is likely to make a noticeable difference — and your vet will almost certainly approve of adding one alongside the Metacam. I'd go with YuMOVE Joint Supplement for Large Dogs. It's the UK's number-one vet-recommended joint supplement, it contains green-lipped mussel as the active omega-3 source alongside glucosamine and chondroitin, and there's genuine clinical evidence behind it — not just marketing. For a heavy-breed dog with diagnosed arthritis, the large dog formula at the right dose is important; don't use a general or small-dog product. For your Siamese, I'd recommend a separate feline-specific product — YuMOVE also make a cat version, which keeps the sourcing simple and means you're not guessing at cross-species safety. The cat formula is lower dose, kidney-considerate, and palatable enough that most cats take it. Two products, one trusted brand, both evidence-backed.

Yes — and particularly at 16. Cats are stoic and tend to hide discomfort until it's fairly advanced, so 'mild stiffness getting up' often means the joint changes are already meaningful. Starting a supplement now supports cartilage before it deteriorates further rather than trying to catch up later. The other thing worth doing alongside any supplement is a senior blood panel if she hasn't had one recently — kidney disease and hyperthyroidism are both very common in Siamese at this age and both can be managed well if caught early. That's a vet conversation, but it's worth flagging alongside the joint work.

Perfect plan. YuMOVE large dog for the Labrador, YuMOVE cat for your Siamese — both available on Amazon UK, and the large dog version in particular is worth buying in the bigger bag for the cost saving given his size. Give the supplements six to eight weeks before judging the effect; joint supplements aren't immediate but the difference tends to become clear around that mark. Good luck at the vet check-up — catching anything early at 16 really does matter.