green lipped mussels (GLMs) are mussels that can only be found off the coast of new Zealand. They’re a natural joint health supplement for dogs (AND us humans, too!). They can be fed whole, either raw, air-dried, dehydrated or as a powder.
I started adding air-dried and dehydrated green lipped mussels to Missy’s & Buzz’s diet back in 2016. Neither of them had joint issues, but I figured it’d be a good preventative measure to help keep arthritis as far away as possible.
I hadn’t been able to find a raw source of green lipped mussels, so when I discovered that Raw Feeding Miami (RFM) started carrying them recently and had them on sale, I couldn’t help but place an order.
They came in six 2.2 lb bags totaling 13.2 lbs and arrived frozen, as typical when I purchase cuts of raw meat from RFM. Each bag ended up being $8.80 instead of $10.80. It’s kind of funny that I went ahead and purchased them when you think about it because I’m technically dog-less best now.
Here’s what the mussels look like:
Raw GLMs are a little challenging to find, so I’ll just be freezing the large majority of these babies until the day I’ll be an active raw feeder again.
I’ll share a few with my friend’s golden retriever Lucy in the meantime. She’s seven and is starting to relocation a little slower.
Benefits of green lipped mussels for dogs
Here’s what makes GLMs so important on a nutritious level – they’re a natural source of
Minerals
Vitamins
Omega fatty acids
Glucosamine
Chondroitin
All of these make them a terrific anti-inflammatory food that alleviates joint pain, promotes skin & coat health, as well as brain function.
How to feed your canine green lipped mussels
Air dried or dehydrated
Green lipped mussels can either be fed raw, air-dried or dehydrated. I personally have purchased air-dried ones from real Pet Box and dehydrated ones from Boo Boo’s Best.
Missy & Buzz loved both options. I also discovered that The truthful kitchen started selling dehydrated green lipped mussels, and I’m sure there’s probably a few other brands that carry them as well.
It’s up to you whether you want to feed a whole dehydrated mussel as a treat or top your pup’s food with one or two (depending on your dog’s size). Dogs over 50 lbs can have 1 mussel per day. Those weighing less are fine with half a mussel or a smaller one. The ones I purchased from Raw Feeding Miami do vary in size.
Green Lipped Mussel power
I’ve seen GLM Powder on Amazon, but I was never able to find one that really only consisted of GLMs. There was always some other ingredient(s), so I simply crushed some dehydrated GLMs from Boo Boo’s best to create my very own powder.
I sprinkled it on top of Missy’s & Buzz’s raw meals and also added it to whatever filling I came up with for our KONGs (hollow canine toys that can be used as a food puzzle).
The dehydrated mussels are fairly difficult as far as their consistency is concerned. They don’t break apart easily, which is why I’d recommend feeding smaller dogs fresh mussels that have been cut up into smaller bites. You could also crush dehydrated mussels into a powder.
Raw green lipped mussels for dogs
Raw GLMs can easily be cut into smaller pieces, and don’t come with a strong fishy odor. You could always wear disposable gloves when dealing with them if you’re not crazy about touching seafood.
I personally like seafood and got used to dealing with raw animal parts when preparing Missy & Buzz’s raw meals, so I never wore gloves.
I did, however, make sure to thoroughly wash my hands with hot water & soap and wipe down all surfaces that came in contact with the raw food. You know, just like I would when dealing with raw meat for myself.
When not to feed your canine green lipped mussels
A word of caution – don’t feed your canine GLMs if he or she is allergic to shellfish.
You can find out which food sources your canine does poorly on by taking a easy test. Your vet might offer one, and there are also several different tests available online.
I wrote a promotional blog post for a company called Pet Medella that provides so called “bioenergetic scans.” I found out that Missy didn’t do well on lamb. All I had to do was to send in a saliva and hair sample. The price label is $150, although it was totally free for us in return for blogging about it.
Do you think your canine could your canine benefit from green lipped mussels?
Let us know in the comments! Also, let us know if you have any questions.
Barbara Rivers writes frequently for That Mutt. She is a blogger, raw feeder and professional canine walker and maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.
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