How to help my German Shepherd live a long and healthy life?

It is very important that your dog is fully vaccinated for hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, distemper, and rabies, and should have regular boosters throughout his life. He will need flea treatment, heartworm treatment, and deworming also on a regular basis. GSDs are very active dogs, and they will need at least 45 minutes of vigorous exercise twice a day. He should receive a high quality dog food, such as Royal Canin or Hills, and do not give him any human food, as many are toxic to dogs. The only food he will need be healthy is his dog food, and the only liquid he needs is water.

It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job of caring for her! She's a lucky girl. Regarding running- I agree with your vet. Just let her set the pace and don't get too far from home in case she starts to have troubles. Regarding kibble- there are a lot of high quality foods available and I think you will find kibble a great option over raw. Is there a particular reason you are wanting grain free and potato free? Carnilove looks like it would be a fine choice, so go ahead with that! There are some prescription diets designed to help keep joints healthy, (not specifically hip dysplasia, but designed for joint health) and they really are very good. Here is one by Royal Canin, which I believe is available in Finland. https://www.royalcanin.com/products/vet/mobility-support Hill's also has a good one which is available there: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-jd-canine-dry Neither of those diets are grain free, however if there is no known allergy or sensitivity for you dog specifically, you don't necessarily gain much from grain free, and there are some concerns that it may actually NOT be the best choice. Here is an article about some recent research into a possible link to heart disease-http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/06/a-broken-heart-risk-of-heart-disease-in-boutique-or-grain-free-diets-and-exotic-ingredients/ Playing tug of war is fine, just don't be really rough about it. She can be in a fenced outside area (make sure the fence is high enough that she can't jump over it) for however long she enjoys, as long as the weather is good and she's got shelter in case of bad weather, fresh water readily available. Don't leave her outside for more than an hour if the temperature is over 80 F or less than 40 F or so. (not a hard and fast rule, but a good guideline). Good job on the daily obedience training! "sit to stand" exercises would be great for keeping her back legs strong. Here's a demo of this exercise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2DofIWDxI I hope that helps you ! Good luck with her, I can tell she is in good hands. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

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!

Hello. As long as you feed Hadli the best quality food you can, keep her up to date on her vaccinations, keep her on heartworm preventative there is not much else for you to do but supply plenty of love. Where people get into trouble is when they try to over-supplement a pet & thus introduce imbalances. Do not let your pet become obese, give her plenty of exercise, & follow your veterinarians recommendations for any testing that might be appropriate as she ages. Just like they recommend for you & me, eating a healthy balanced diet is far more important than any supplements you can buy. 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.

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.

An average life span of a GSD is 12-15 years. Health issues in GSDs include hip dysplasia, bloat, pancreatitis insufficiency, epilepsy, and cancer. Cancer is a middle aged to older dog disease, but it's really hard to see at what age they die from illness as it can vary within the breed. Some GSDs can live longer than others. It's important to make sure Bruno is a health weight, he is exercised daily, is kept up to date with his vaccines, and if you have any health concerns or questions, take him into the vet right away.