Boswellia serrata

Boswellia for Dogs

Q: Is boswellia serrata safe for dogs?

Yes, at the amounts used in the placebo-controlled canine trials it's been tested in. Broono includes a fixed, tested amount per serving in Move, consistent with the research showing improvements in owner-assessed mobility and joint comfort.

Q: Does boswellia actually help dogs with arthritis?

The evidence is more developed here than for most joint-support botanicals: three separate blinded, placebo-controlled trials in dogs with osteoarthritis or mobility disorders have found improvements in owner-reported comfort and mobility.

Q: Should I give my dog boswellia or turmeric for joint support?

You don't have to choose. They work through different compounds, boswellic acids and curcuminoids, and neither has been shown to be clearly stronger in dogs, which is why Move combines both rather than relying on a single botanical.

Q: What is boswellia supplements for pets used for?

Joint comfort and mobility support. Boswellia serrata, also known as Indian frankincense, provides boswellic acids studied for their role in normal inflammatory balance, and canine trials have linked boswellia-containing supplements to improvements in owner-assessed mobility.

Q: Can dogs take boswellia every day?

Yes, that's how it's studied and used. The canine trials behind boswellia's joint-comfort evidence gave it daily over weeks to months, consistent with how Move includes it as part of a daily chew rather than an occasional treatment.

Boswellia serrata is safe for dogs at the studied amount, and it supports joint comfort and a normal inflammatory response

Inflammation support

Move

Boswellia serrata for dogs: what the research shows, and how it compares to turmeric

Boswellia serrata, also called Indian frankincense, has one of the better-developed evidence bases of any joint-support botanical in dogs, with multiple placebo-controlled trials behind it, and it's safe for dogs at the amount used in a daily chew, commonly paired with turmeric rather than used as a substitute for it.

What the canine trials found

Three separate randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have tested boswellia-containing supplements in dogs with osteoarthritis or mobility disorders. One found efficacy on owner-assessed measures, a second looked at long-term effects when paired with Cannabis sativa oil after physiotherapy, and a third, more recent cross-over trial evaluated boswellia alongside undenatured type II collagen for mild to moderate mobility disorders.

Across these trials, the consistent finding is improvement in owner-reported mobility and joint comfort, evaluated using the kind of structured, blinded design that carries more weight than anecdote. That's a meaningfully deeper evidence base than many joint-support botanicals have in dogs specifically, rather than being extrapolated from human or in-vitro research.

How much boswellia is safe for a dog

As with turmeric, the safe amount depends on the extract's concentration of boswellic acids and the dog's size, which is why Broono doesn't leave it to guesswork: Move includes a fixed, tested amount of boswellia serrata per serving, in a chew already sized for a dog's daily routine.

If you're considering a boswellia supplement outside a purpose-built product, check the boswellic acid content and the recommended amount with your vet rather than assuming any amount is automatically safe.

Boswellia vs turmeric: why Move uses both

Boswellia and turmeric are frequently searched as alternatives for the same joint-health goal, since both are botanical anti-inflammatories with dog-specific research behind them. They act through different compounds, boswellic acids versus curcuminoids, which is the reasoning behind combining them rather than treating one as a replacement for the other.

Neither has been shown to be categorically stronger than the other in dogs, so the practical choice made in Move's formulation is to use both at researched amounts alongside ginger, glucosamine, and chondroitin, rather than picking a single botanical to carry joint support on its own.

Safety notes

Boswellia is generally well tolerated at supplement amounts in the trials above, with mild digestive upset the most commonly reported issue. As with any new ingredient, introduce it gradually and check with your vet first if your dog is pregnant, nursing, or on other medication.