Are large German Shepherd puppies more prone to hip and elbow issues?

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!

The biggest concern we have with puppies is repetitive pounding on concrete, so I don't recommend any running on concrete until their growth plates are closed (around 12-18 monhts). Walks are fine on any surface, so you can walk Pharah for as long as she is able to walk as she is growing without any concerns. And running on soft grassy areas is fine. I have not seen any studies on stairs with growing puppies, but it certainly can't hurt to train her to go down the stairs slowly to minimize the repetitive pounding on her joints as she goes down the stairs. I wouldn't worry about going up the stairs, or jumping off the couch or out of the car. We don't know if any of these things affect hips, but we do know that keeping a dog lean is very protective of hip problems, so keep Pharah thin. Congrats on your new baby! I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach The British Veterinary Association (BVA) uses a scoring system where each hip is evaluated and assigned points based on degree 9 criteria of hip dysplasia in each hip. Each hip is then scored independently and given a number from 0 (best) to 53 (worst). So, a dog may get a total value from 0 to 106, with lower scores being better. A "good" score is anything lower than the breed average, which can fluctuate a bit over time. The current average score for German Shepherds is 18, so anything lower than 18 is a better-than-average score. (Of course, the average is only taking into account those dogs who have been submitted to receive a score, which I would expect to be better than the population at large, since the dogs being submitted are generally those being shown or bred). If your paperwork is indicating that one of your pup's parents received a total of 6 and the other a 3, I would consider those very good scores. Alternatively, it might be indicating that one of those dogs received a 6 in one hip and a 3 in the other hip, for a total of 9...which would still be well below (and therefore better than) the breed average. Either way, I'd say those look like good scores. :-) Hope this helps!

Thanks for asking PetCoach!! Confusing is putting it mildly when trying to sort through good, scientific based information regarding nutrition for our pets. First of all, for large breed dogs, keep them on a good large breed puppy food until AT LEAST 12 months of age. For a German Shepherd, sometime between 12-15 months would be a good time to transition. (larger breeds do more growing for a longer period of time than small breeds, so need puppy food longer, which in a way seems counter-intuitive as they "age" faster than smaller breeds!) http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/04/when-your-baby-isnt-such-a-baby-anymore-when-to-switch-to-adult-foods/ As far as he Ca:P ratio, while still important, my recommendation would be to stick with something around 1.2:1. For large breed adult foods vs regular adult foods, the difference tends to be more geared towards long term skeletal and joint health; meaning in large breed adult foods you're more likely to find glucosamine/chondroitin supplementation built in, extra fatty Omegas, etc. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for asking PetCoach! https://www.petcoach.co/article/calcium-phosphorous-requirements-for-dogs/

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.

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.