A healthier diet, better exercise or more supportive bed can help joint pain and stiffness in dogs and cats - old, young, big or small.

Beyond that, though, conventional medicine is too often the typical answer, according to HomeoPet LLC based in Westhampton Beach, New York. Potential side effects to those drugs include liver and kidney problems or gastrointestinal irritations.

"HomeoPet Joint Stress is a 100-percent natural, homeopathic remedy that ... has been sold in veterinary clinics for 15 years with no reported adverse events," the company claims.

Safe and non-toxic, the alternative treatment stimulates the body's natural systems to improve mobility and quality of life in both dogs and cats, it says, citing a 78 percent positive response on a survey of dog owners using the product.

Joint Stress may even lead to the reduction of doses of glucosamine and chondroitin - though it is also usable with conventional therapies, if needed, it claims.

Pets Unleashed is not an online billboard, but sometimes ads simply seem worth sharing.

Consult your vet and Homeopet.com if you think this product might be helpful to your loved one.

-- Sandra M. Klepach, SKlepach@News-Herald.com