We have had our three dogs for most of my children's lives. If you were to meet us, Harry (15), Sally (13), and Fizz (10), would probably be the first thing we would speak of. They are the highlight of our days and the bane of our existence. We would not be the same without them. We travel with them when we can, and leave them in the hands of the most amazing pet sitter, Taylor, when we are away. She and her two beagles are our extended family. We are dog people.
There have been many changes over the years to accommodate The Three Stooges, whether it be adding a gate in the back of the car to prevent bones dropping on toddlers heads during beach trips, towels for sopping up excess water and mud, covers to the seats that keep them warm in the winter, or as of late room for a ramp to get them in and out, protecting their joints from the wear and tear of a life well lived. We do it all with grace, and thanks for all we have been able to share together. This is the world of a sweaty, stinky often mud-soaked lab. If you are in the market for a puppy, we recommend it highly.
That, however, is only half of the picture. Nutrition has carried us through to see Harry, Sally, and Fizz enjoy days in the sun, rain, and the occasional appearance of the white fluffy snows of the Carolinas. We feed raw diets, fresh vegetables steamed and pureed, and supplements to enhance and protect their bodies, and minds. We always include green-lipped muscles for their joint health, and recently added a UC-II (also known as undenatured collagen) product called Jope. This supplement has been a game changer, specifically in Harry who is 15.
Jope was created by Christine Colamonico, a veterinarian, and her business partner in 2022 in hopes of helping her own dog, Pepsi. I met Christine in April of 2023 when attending The Healthy Dog Expo, with Julielyn in Albany, New York. Her product was presented along with the use of a Cold Laser for joint health. As soon as the speaker introduced UC-II I immediately began Googling the product, wondering why with everything I have done have I never heard of it. I contacted my friend Aimee, who breeds labradors, and Mackenzie who breeds Newfoundlands. If this product did what it claimed, essentially stopping joint erosion, we all wanted in. I spoke with Christine, bought three bags for each of us, and the experiment began. With it being made from human-grade ingredients, and being a runner, I tried it myself. I ordered a supplement form, and I saw and felt the results. So did my labs, and so did everyone else's dogs. I contacted Christine back and joined a Jope study because I was so impressed. Harry has always been active, he was my running partner. Now, with the addition of Jope at 14, he has started to "jog" from just walking. He completes a 2 mile in around 26 minutes, down from almost 45, he takes stairs easily when we were at a point of following him up while he took 3 or 4, and would stop to recalibrate. Last night he was up at 10 pm playing tug and catch with my son Alex. When he finished he jumped on the bed for a nighttime snuggle and was on the side of the bed at 5:30 am waking me up. He is the Harry we all knew, not as much the old man we picked on him for being.
My endorsement is not paid, and I do not reap any benefits from the study I am involved in. I do not endorse any products I have not used. I tried this product on myself as it is human-grade, and currently have all of my family taking UC-II. We just had Christine present here on The Wholesome Dog and she was fantastic. As we learn and grow, we plan on adding in the class for you to view. However, if you are interested now you can find Christine speaking about Jope on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxWu-QJs-n0
If you'd like to try Jope for your own dog(s), use code "thewholesomedog" (without quotation marks) upon checkout for a $10 discount on your first purchase.