German Sheperd showing signs of arthritis. What to do?!

[mum2be]

Our beautiful 8-year-old German Sheperd is having a hard time with his hips lately. After he's been laying down (he likes to lay with his head up, but his legs tucked to one side) he gets up and his hips seem to be "stuck" in the position he was laying down in. I know hip displaysia is common is GSDs, but Mac is too old to all of a sudden have it. He doesn't appear to be in pain, but turns his head around to look at his hips after they've been stuck, kind of looking like he's wondering what's happening to them.

What can I give him to help this? I bought some dog food for large breeds with glucosamine and condroitin (sp?) in it, but there must be something else I can do?

Any ideas? I would greatly appreciate them

[shannon0218]

It sounds to me more like his lower back than the actual hips just the way you describe it. Gently feel around all the lower vertebrae in from the kidney area down and see if you get to one that is obviously tender.
Food with Gluc and condr is good but really doesn't provide enough of these supplements to do much good--especially for symptom relief, I think it's great as a preventative. You should put him on some separate, also put him on MSM, if it's his back that will help more than the gluc.
Consider taking him to a chiro that does animals, sometimes it's a vet who's taken the chiro course or sometimes it's a human chiro who's taken the animal course. We have one here that has her full DVM and DC, she's wonderful and I get Havoc and Bedlam in to see her twice a year but in between that they get adjusted by my chiro.
Being proactive and treating before it gets worse is always best--if it's his back chiro can fix it now, meds will only relieve the pain but his spine will continue to degenerate.
He's unfortunately not too old for dsyplasia to suddenly rear it's ugly head, especially in a GSD. I've seen many a GSD with bad dysplasia but a pain threshold so high that we don't see anything outwardly until they're older. Does he bunny hop when he runs? Does he walk with his knees straight? Does he have huge muscles around his shoulders but not much in his back end?

[mum2be]

Thank you so much I never even thought of taking him to a chiro. I've got a woman's number and I'm going to call her today to bring Mac in!


Thanks

[mamamillet]

Has the vet confirmed arthritis? I thought my dog was showing some signs of arthritis that got suddenly worse and after an x-ray discovered it was spondylosis...I would get an x-ray before anything...just my 2 cents

[shannon0218]

spond also responds extremely well to chiropractic, especially in the early stages before it will even show on x-ray. A good chiro should be able to tell by feeling whether it's arthritis or spondo. TBH, by the op's first post, I'm guessing early spondo as well, so the earlier the better for chiro!