Is there any difference between the two of them besides the price? Both are made by Nutramax.
A couple of months ago I was wondering the same thing. Then I instead chose Dr Foster and Smiths Joint Care 2 , at a buy one get one free price, and my cat who is 17 and arthritic could not be happier.
Dasuquin has added ingredients and per most vets I’ve spoken with, is much more effective. My senior kitty did 2 clinical trials at NCSU for feline arthritis, one was a Dasuquin vs. placebo trial, so I’ve spent a good bit of time discussing it’s merits with vets. However, my cat was one of the few on the study to show no benefit.
What did help was Trixsyn. So much so that I bought it in the horse version (Hyaluronex) because it dropped the cost from $30/month to $50 for a 480 day supply! Exact same company, exact same ingredients, but marketed for horse-dosing and horse-people budgets. I think the horse-size would have lasted a horse ~1-2 months, but since my cat was only 12lbs… 
Well my cat has never been in any study. But we were thinking of having him put down, that is how bad he WAS. So this stuff must have been good enough for him as he is now jumping around like a young cat. Some animals don’t need the best on teh market. Joint care 2 also had other ingredients. MSM, Vit c, manganese, and something Im forgetting, in addition to the Gluscosamine and Chrondroitan. Paid $47 for 360.
The glucosamine/chondroitin in the products is the same, but the Dasuquin also has avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU).
There have been quite a few studies done in people with osteoarthritis and the benefits of ASU. Apparently, it can help with pain and folks who use it are often able to take less pain medication. I googled really quickly for some studies specific to cats, but didn’t find them right off the bat.
From the company’s website: http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/index.php/products-by-health-type/faqs
ASU stands for avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, an ingredient concentrated directly from avocados and soybeans that is used for joint health. ASU has been shown to improve joint function and comfort levels. Studies using cartilage cells have shown that ASU lowers the expression or production of several compounds involved in the process of cartilage breakdown in joints. ASU complements the positive effects of the other active ingredients in Dasuquin. The glucosamine in Dasuquin is synergistic with low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate and has been shown in cartilage cell studies to be synergistic with ASU. Having ASU in the Dasuquin formula is also beneficial as NMX1000® avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, FCHG49 glucosamine hydrochloride and TRH122 low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate together were shown in cell studies to be better than the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone at inhibiting expression of several agents involved in the breakdown of cartilage. The highly absorbable tea is rich in antioxidants, which have a positive effect on cartilage as well as on overall body defenses.
I am sure these other things ARE beneficial. I am only saying that what I happened to choose did exactly what I was hoping it would. It turned my severly arthritic cat back into a happy, able to jump again and do anything he wants in a normal fashion, cat. That is what I wanted it to do and it did.
Maybe others need the other product. Maybe I would try one of those if the one I bought hadn’t of worked. But it did and costs much less as well. That’s all.
I have severe arthritis in my spine as well as several other spine conditions and I would give anything to snap around like my cat has. UNfortunately I’ve never found the thing to do it. I am SO happy that he has. I will miss those big bright blue eyes when they are gone. I have his full sister too.
Dasuquin did jack diddly for my arthritic cat-- before she was truly crippled.
Make of that what you will. The sample size in my study was 1.
ETA: This was for hip arthritis that made her pace rather than walk and had cause some muscle atrophy over her hips. No X-rays were taken.
Waning Moon–I don’t think anyone is discounting your experience. The OP was asking about Dasuquin vs Cosequin and my answer addressed the added ingredients in D vs. C. Sounds like you and I both found other options that worked for our cats which is great. Nothing works for every cat and I, for one, think that the more options the OP has is nothing but helpful. Please don’t think I was dismissing the DF&S product. On the contrary, I’m quite intrigued as after 2 years on the Hyaluronex, it’s no longer working enough for my senior so I’m exploring options.
