Quick answer: the best joint chew is one your dog will happily eat every day that also contains a meaningful amount of active ingredients. Many "joint treats" contain only token amounts. Of the soft chews sold in the UK, the ones that publish proper doses per chew are MedPaw Hip & Joint Chews, YuMOVE Daily Bites, Cortaflex Senior Jointcare Chews and Marleybones. Movoflex and Flexadin Advanced are well-known vet-channel chews, but their makers give amounts as percentages rather than milligrams per chew.
Transparency note: MedPaw makes one of the chews below. We've judged it on the same criteria as the others. Details were checked against manufacturer and retailer listings in October 2026; prices are indicative and formulas change, so check the pack.
Joint chews vs joint treats: know the difference
Search for "arthritis treats for dogs" and you'll find two very different kinds of product:
- Joint supplement chews are complementary feeds designed to be given daily at a set dose by weight. They contain glucosamine, green-lipped mussel, collagen or other actives at levels that are worth giving.
- Joint-themed treats are snacks with a small amount of a joint ingredient added. One senior treat we looked at listed glucosamine at 0.013%, which works out at a fraction of a milligram per treat.
Treats are fine as treats. Just don't expect them to do the job of a supplement. The quickest test: if the pack doesn't tell you how much of each ingredient is in a chew, or if you can feed "up to 5 a day" like a biscuit, it's probably a treat.
UK joint chews compared
Joint soft chews sold in the UK (October 2026)
| Chew | Key actives per chew (where published) | Chews per day | Allergens to note | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedPaw Hip & Joint Chews | MSM 185mg, glucosamine 170mg, chondroitin 70mg, green-lipped mussel 70mg, Boswellia 30mg, hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, zinc | 1 (up to 4kg), 2 (5 to 17kg), 2 to 3 (18kg+); double for the first three weeks | Mollusc, gluten; chicken and bacon flavour | See product page |
| YuMOVE Joint Support Daily Bites (Adult) | Glucosamine HCl 250mg, ActivEase green-lipped mussel and hoki 150mg, hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E | 1 to 4 by weight; double for the first month | Mollusc, fish | £64.29 for 150 (YuMOVE) |
| Cortaflex Senior Jointcare Chews | Glucosamine HCl 350mg, chondroitin 50mg, Boswellia 50mg, UC-II collagen 20mg, hyaluronic acid 4.5mg | 1 (under 15kg), 2 (15 to 30kg), 3 (30kg+) | Crustacean, pork, poultry, salmon oil | £29.99 for about 60 |
| Marleybones Joint Health | Glucosamine 330mg, MSM 240mg, turmeric 90mg, green-lipped mussel 60mg, hyaluronic acid 6mg (retailer figures) | 1 (under 10kg), 2 (10 to 25kg), 3 (25 to 40kg) | Shellfish, mollusc; vegetarian base | £10 for 30 |
| Movoflex Soft Chews (Virbac) | Eggshell membrane, krill, hyaluronic acid, Boswellia, astaxanthin (mg per chew not published) | 1, sized by weight | Egg, krill | £24.99 to £33.99 for 30 |
| Flexadin Advanced (Vetoquinol) | Omega-3 84mg (EPA 9.3mg), vitamin E 22.5 IU, Boswellia, UC-II (amount not stated in mg) | 1 at any weight | Chicken, fish, oats, rye | £32.99 for 30 (PDSA Pet Store) |
| Beaphar Flexifit Chews | UC-II 40mg; glucosamine and omega-3 by percentage only | 1 | Chicken, fish, mollusc or crustacean | RRP £20.99 for 30 |
| Bob Martin Joint + Skin Care | Salmon oil, green-lipped mussel, glucosamine, chondroitin by percentage only | 2 up to 10kg, then 1 per extra 5kg | Fish, mussel, egg, oats | £16 for 120 |
| Pets at Home Joint & Mobility Soft Chews | Not verified (check the pack) | Check the pack | Check the pack | £15 for 60 |
The chews, reviewed
MedPaw Hip & Joint Chews
Our own chew, so weigh this accordingly. It's a soft chicken and bacon flavoured chew with the main amounts on the label: MSM 185mg, glucosamine 170mg, chondroitin 70mg, green-lipped mussel 70mg and Boswellia 30mg per chew, plus hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E, zinc and flax seed. Give double for the first three weeks, then the daily amount; we recommend two to three months of daily feeding before judging it.
Choose it if you want a broad multi-ingredient chew with transparent doses. Skip it if your dog has a shellfish or gluten allergy, or you specifically want a high-dose omega-3 product. See MedPaw Hip & Joint Chews.
YuMOVE Joint Support Daily Bites
The chew version of the UK's best-known joint supplement. Each bite matches the adult tablet: glucosamine HCl 250mg and 150mg of ActivEase (green-lipped mussel and hoki), with hyaluronic acid and vitamins. There's a Senior version with a little fish oil added, and a separate One-A-Day range sized by weight. Retailer listings vary slightly on some vitamin figures.
Choose it if you like YuMOVE but your dog won't take tablets. Skip it if your dog can't have fish or shellfish. Our MedPaw vs YuMOVE comparison sets the two chews side by side.
Cortaflex Senior Jointcare Dog Chews
From Equine America, better known for horse supplements. A high glucosamine level per chew (350mg) plus chondroitin, Boswellia and a small amount of UC-II collagen. Carob flavoured with a potato and tapioca base, but it contains crustacean, pork and poultry-derived ingredients.
Choose it if you want a lot of glucosamine in a chew at a reasonable price. Skip it if your dog has a shellfish or poultry allergy.
Marleybones Joint Health
A UK-made vegetarian-base chew (chickpea and sweet potato) with glucosamine, MSM, turmeric and green-lipped mussel. The brand publishes percentages; the milligram figures above come from a retailer table. Low price per pack, but only 30 chews, so a 25kg dog on two a day gets 15 days per pack.
Choose it if your dog needs to avoid meat proteins. Skip it if your dog is allergic to shellfish.
Movoflex Soft Chews
Virbac's one-a-day chew, built on eggshell membrane with krill, hyaluronic acid and Boswellia. Simple to give, and its maker cites a published study of the product (owner-reported results). Amounts per chew aren't published.
Choose it if you want a single chew a day. Skip it if your dog is allergic to egg or crustaceans. See Movoflex alternatives.
Flexadin Advanced
Vetoquinol's chicken-flavoured chew, one a day for any size of dog. It combines UC-II collagen with Boswellia, vitamin E and fish and flaxseed oils (84mg omega-3 per chew). No glucosamine or chondroitin, and no mussel or krill.
Choose it if your dog must avoid shellfish. Skip it if your dog can't have chicken, fish or gluten-containing grains. Read our Flexadin Advanced review.
Beaphar Flexifit Chews
One chew a day with 40mg UC-II, plus glucosamine and omega-3 given as percentages. Beaphar's own page shows two different analyses, so check the pack you buy. Contains chicken, fish and shellfish-derived glucosamine.
Bob Martin Joint + Skin Care
A supermarket soft chew covering joints and coat, with salmon oil, green-lipped mussel, glucosamine and chondroitin listed by percentage. Larger dogs need several chews a day (up to around seven at 30kg+), which helps explain the low pack price. Read our Bob Martin review.
Pets at Home Joint & Mobility Soft Chews
Pets at Home's own-brand chew, around £15 for 60, with a senior version too. We couldn't verify the formula or feeding guide online, so check the pack for amounts per chew. See Pets at Home joint supplements compared.
How to choose a joint chew
- Check the dose per chew, not just the ingredient list. If the pack only gives percentages, multiply by the chew weight or ask the brand.
- Work out chews per day for your dog, then the cost per day. A cheap tub can be expensive if a big dog needs five chews a day. Our cost per month comparison does the maths for you.
- Check allergens. Most chews contain chicken, fish, shellfish or krill. See our guides to chicken-free and fish-free options.
- Count the calories for small or overweight dogs, and reduce their food slightly to compensate.
- Store them properly. Soft chews dry out or sweat in warm kitchens; keep the lid on and out of sunlight.
Chews or tablets?
Tablets usually pack more active ingredient per pound spent, while chews win on acceptance. If your dog takes tablets happily, compare our best joint tablets for dogs. If they spit tablets out or you're tired of hiding them in cheese, a chew is usually worth the extra. More in tablets vs chews and the best supplement for a dog that won't take tablets.
What to expect
Give any chew six to eight weeks, and up to three months for some, before judging it. Joint chews support joint health; they aren't painkillers. If your dog is limping or clearly sore, see your vet, and read what you can safely give a dog for joint pain. For the evidence behind each ingredient, see our main comparison of the best joint supplements for dogs in the UK.
What are the best joint chews for dogs in the UK?
For published doses per chew, MedPaw Hip & Joint Chews, YuMOVE Daily Bites, Cortaflex Senior Jointcare Chews and Marleybones are the most transparent. Movoflex and Flexadin Advanced are popular vet-channel chews that publish percentages rather than amounts per chew. The best choice depends on your dog's size, allergies and what they'll eat.
Do joint treats for dogs work?
Most joint-themed treats contain very small amounts of active ingredients, so they're unlikely to do much for joints. A joint supplement chew given daily at the labelled dose is a better choice if joint support is the goal.
Are joint chews as good as tablets?
They can be. Chews often contain less active ingredient per pound spent, but they're much easier to give every day, and consistency matters more than anything. Compare the dose per day rather than the format.
How many joint chews should my dog have a day?
It depends on the product and your dog's weight, usually one to three a day, and some brands double the dose for the first month. See our guide to how many joint chews per day.
Can joint chews upset a dog's stomach?
Occasionally, especially in the first week or with rich chews. Start with half the dose for a few days, then build up. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, choose a simple formula and introduce it slowly.
