Do bone or calcium supplements help hip dysplasia in German Shepherds?

Cosequin is a very good joint supplement for dogs. I'd also recommend Dasuquin. It's another good brand. If you are feeding Dasani a high quality dog food, you do not need to add vitamins to her diet. Too many vitamins can lead to toxicity. I hope this helps!

If supplements alone haven't helped, it may be time to add in a pain medication or other joint medications to help relieve Halo's discomfort. Unfortunately, these do require a trip to the vet in order to be prescribed, but it's a good idea to schedule a vet visit anyway to monitor Halo's joint health and any progression of disease. Your vet may recommend regular bloodwork and X-rays to watch the hips for any additional deterioration so that medications and joint supplements can be adjusted as needed. Changing supplement types in addition to this, such as adding in fish oil and vitamin E, Green-Lipped mussel, or another glucosamine/chondroitin combo may also help, however, consulting with your vet first to make sure there is no interaction with other medications is best.

Hello and thank you for choosing Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since glucosamine and chondroitin fall under the category of medications we refer to as nutraceuticals (fancy word for supplements) there is no specific age that is recommended. Generally, we start recommend using these types of medications when pets reach the senior stage (7+ years of age). Since Bella is still young, I would recommend feeding a quality food that is formulated specifically for large breed dogs as it will include all of the beneficial joint health additives. I am personally a fan of Purina foods, but any of the other brands (Hills, Royal Canin, etc) are all excellent foods. This way you don't have to worry about trying to remember giving Bella pills everyday and nothing in her routine has to change. The supplements may be needed further down the road. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

Joint supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM promote joint health by protecting cartilage, reducing or slowing cartilage breakdown and improve joint lubrication. While these supplements do not cure or reverse hip dysplasia, they may slow the progression and provide a measure of pain relief. Please discuss surgical options for Coco with your veterinarian. There are surgical options available.

This X-ray shows she has poor hip conformation or hip dysplasia and hip arthritis. Unfortunately this is a common orthopedic problem in German Shepard dogs and othe large breeds. Most dogs respond well to weight loss if needed and dog arthritis medication prescribed by your veterinarian. By keeping her active and moving she will maintain her muscle mass which will support her hips so there is less bone rubbing, which will result in less pain. Giving joint supplements like Dasuquin or Cosequin can help in addition to Omega 3 or fish oil which will reduce some of the inflammation. Physical therapy with a rehab veterinarian is effective in maintaining her muscles and help reduce the limping. Hip dysplasia can’t be cured but it can be managed so Bella can continue to live an active life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bella.

That product is fine but it is not addressing all the issues with the joints. This is just fish oil (which is fine) but he will need something that contains glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM to be of any real benefit. I think this would be more beneficial although you could do both. http://www.zooplus.com/shop/dogs/supplements_specialty_food/bones_joints/bayer/635754 Hope this helps.

A fully balanced diet such as large breed food formulated for the age of your dog (puppy or adult) would not need to be supplemented with any calcium supplement and indeed over supplementation can also cause problems. I suggest you speak to your local food suppliers to suggest a suitable, balanced diet in order to ensure all his needs are being met, not just calcium and phosphorous