German Shepherd care: exercise, diet, and joint health tips?

OK, yeah, early arthritis is likely just an educated guess, but a good one for German Shepherds, because they do tend to get arthritis more commonly. It could be a soft tissue injury or something else causing the limp. A 2/9 BCS is rather surprising. Usually a shelter would not adopt them out at that low of condition. It's best to have a vet confirm the BCS, because we do this all the time. I've known many German Shepherds that are naturally around a 3-4 and do great. The scientific evidence shows u that skinny dogs live longer and are healthier, so if she is otherwise healthy and getting good nutrition, then I would not worry too much. She should have food that is labeled for adult maintenance at this time. If you want to get some muscle on her, then it's going to get her exercise everyday. Start by walking her for 30 minutes a day. If she does that OK (not limping or sluggish afterwards) over a week's time, then start to do a 1 hour walk. If she's handling that well over a week or two, then you can start slowly adding in running and agility. For agility, you will need to find a course and probably a trainer. For running, you can either run with her or find a way to make her run - like chasing a ball or playing at the dog park. Again, start slow - like 15 minutes, then work your way up to 1-3 hours a day. It all really depends on how much time you have. However, these dogs were born to work/exercise, so the more you do, the better it is for her physically and mentally (bored German Shepherds tend to cause a lot of trouble). If you find that she is not gaining muscle with the exercise and is still very thin, then you can try getting a dog food labeled for athletes. This has a considerable amount more calories and is usually only given to working dogs (military, police, sled dogs).

Keeping Bebo normal weight throughout his life is the most important factor in longevity for dogs. Also regular steady exercise without a lot of jumping will protect his joints and reduce painful arthritis as he ages. With German Shepards hip issues can cause problems so the best thing to do is keep his rear legs strong to suppor his hips. I also give omega 3, and a good quality joint supplement in addition to a good quality dog food. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bebo.

Hi there, It's great to hear that the puppy's parents have good OFA certifications! This is the best predictive factor we currently have for good orthopedic health. I do not know of any direct size correlation with orthopedic disease and size. The bone density should be the same either way. The best things you can do to keep any dog from having orthopedic disease over time is appropriate exercise (swimming is great!), keeping the dog lean, and feeding a high quality diet made for large breed dogs. Royal Canin is my personal favorite brand, and they make a diet specifically for German Shepherd health. I would avoid anything marketed as "grain free" or "raw" as these are linked with many nutritional disorders, many of which can be orthopedic related. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Keeping Josie thin and fit will increase her quality of life. Walking once or twice daily will keep her muscles strong and help reduce arthritis discomfort. I prefer to limit jumping and heavy physical activity. Keeping her thin can be a challenge as dogs age. I like to feed a good quality senior food and if she's heavy reduce the amount and add in vegetables like green beans, broccoli or canned pumpkin to fill her up. As far as supplements I recommend a high dose of omega 3 to reduce joint inflammation. She can have up to 6,000 units of fish oil daily, usually I split this morning and night. Other joint supplements are good too. If she's painful and reluctant to exercise then pain medication may be helpful. A big dog like Josie needs to be able to rise to maintain her quality of life so addressing her weight if needed and regular exercise to keep the rear legs strong is the most important thing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Josie.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Halo and your other dog are on a good quality, balanced diet there is no benefit to giving calcium. I'm assuming you mean that they are already on a glucosamine supplement. Glucosamine supplements vary in quality so make sure they are on a quality veterinary product like Dasuquin. Adding in an omega-3 supplement may also be helpful. Nordic Naturals pet products offers a good omega-3 supplement for pets. Finally, it would be a good idea to ask your veterinarian about Adequan injections. These injections can be very helpful managing hip dysplasia and are very safe!

If you can find a safe, enclosed area where he can run free, that would be ideal. Walks are wonderful, of course, but you cannot go fast enough to work him into a good, sustained trot or even suspension gait, which is typical of German Shepherd Dogs. There are bicycle attachments whereby you can ride a bike with him running alongside, without the danger of his crossing in front of or behind you, or getting away. Before you embark on any serious exercise regimen with him, as the vet to look at his hips to be sure they can tolerate it. The vet cannot certify him free of hip dysplasia, but can spot a poor hip joint.

Hello! I recommend feeding a diet that has been established for a long time and has undergone feeding trials and follows AAFCO nutrition standards. Purina, Royal Canin, Hill's, and Iams are all examples of good brands. I would avoid any raw, grain free, other "fad" diets as their lack of scientific evidence often leads to chronic nutritional deficiencies in senior pets that are fed these diets long term. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!