Pensioner feeds beauty supplement to ailing dogs and likes the results

A dog lover who feared his pets would not be able to enjoy walks anymore because of their ailments says he was amazed at what happened after feeding them a substance usually thought of as a beauty supplement.

Geoff Hopwood, 75, thought Italian spinones Matilda, eight, and three-year-old Sophia would no longer be able to go on walkies and their quality of life would suffer.

Matilda developed an arthritic limp, and Sophia suffered epilepsy last year.

But Geoff and wife Janet, 71, discovered that collagen, a protein found in skin and joints which is more commonly used as a beauty supplement, had a “miraculous effect” on the dogs’ wellbeing.

Now they enjoy their walks again, allowing Geoff and Janet to spend a lot of time with them at Cannon Hall Park near their home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Speaking to Express Online, retired Army officer Geoff said: “All you ever want for your animals is for them to be comfortable and enjoy life, and we really feared that their daily walks that they enjoy so much were in jeopardy.

“We wanted to find a complementary supplement to use alongside their medication, and that’s when we found the collagen.

“We started Matilda on it first, and she was so much more comfortable in herself, so we thought that we would try Sophia too, who suffers from epilepsy, it helps with dogs who are nervous or excitable. We have seen a wonderful difference in both dogs.

“It really has made all the difference to Matilda and Sophia’s quality of life.”

Pawable, which has manufactured the supplement, called Collar-Gen, says it carried out research which showed collagen has a positive effect on the strength of dog bones, teeth, and claws.

Collagen is important for human bodies, but it also makes up 30 per cent of all the protein in a dog’s body, so when it depletes over time it can exacerbate conditions.

Janet and Geoff  have cared for Matilda and Sophia since they were puppies, and the dogs have a close bond.

Geoff, who is a grandfather, continued: “Matilda loves humans and all she wants to do on her walks is stop and meet people, so they can give her a stroke. Sophia is more shy, and lets Matilda go and meet the people, and if they get Matilda’s seal of approval then she will join in too. They have a really strong bond and rely on each other.

“But we first knew that something was wrong with Matilda when she started going a lot slower than Sophia on the walks, and she was limping.”