O/T helping your older dogs get around

Several years ago, our wonderful german shepard mix started having trouble getting around. The vet put him on a supplement called "geriatric formula". It gave him two more good years before we finally had to have him put down.

I will always wonder how much longer he would have had if I had known about this supplement and started him on it before he started having problems (an ounce of prevention...?)

We used advanced Cetyl M and lately just crush up a regular joint supplement in their food. Glucosamine, Choindroitin, and MSM supp same as people use. People, dogs, & horses all can use the same supps.

One dog doesn't jump as good as he used to and another limps every once in a while. The supps seem to help.

I started giving my GS the suppluments when he was about 3, he is 6 now, but he gets sore if you work him hard. Big purebreds are the worst, but what a high performance beast he is!

We have given the glucosomine to our dogs for years. Also a baby aspirin. Really helps with quality of life.

I've worked with K-9s for a long time...and always had full-blood German Shephard-from Germany.
They are much smaller than the American Breeds. -in the U.S. we have a need to screw with perfection and try to make them bigger.
I always have females and have them fixed without ever breeding.
Nearly everyone (around 5 now) make to 10-13 with very minimal hip problems (Displasia). The birthing process is terrible on them as is the Cross breeding on the joints.
How many 7' basketball player are still around in there mid 30's? Same with huge football players. I am a physical therapist and know for a fact that we can increase our muscles through weight training--with increased muscles comes increase ability(torque/stress) to run, jump, push, squat, lift, etc. People don't think that God made your body to be whatever size you are...when you double your mass, or triple and quadriple your efforts of torque and stress-----the joints and tendons are still made for the 190 lb fella you were before the "work out days".
I used to be a catcher for 15 years then started power lifting after my baseball days were through. Two of the stupidest things you can do to your body. Now I'm 43 and still look like a muscle head, but can't stand up without holding on to something.
Sorry, I guess I was just thinkin' about how we are responsible for alot of the dog problems.

We feed our collies Nutro puppy food when young, and Large Breed dog food when they're grown up. They also have a formula for senior dogs. The large dog and senior comes with glucosamine in them. Really noticed a difference in our 8 year old male Jet when we started him on it, and we've stuck with that since then. It just put a really nice bounce in his step again.

A friend of my mom had anoher male collie the same age and she switched first- told us to try it and both dogs felt better than they had in ages.

The theory behind large breed puppy food is to grow them slow, instead of the cheaper foods that grow hem up really fast and their joints don't have enough time to develope.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Rymadil (sp?) helps out towards the end. It is like doggie ibuprohoen.

Might try what we are using for hip dysplasia. Read about some guy in TX who used high dosage of vitamin C. Vet discovered dysplasia in our dog at about one year. Prescribed meds "to keep him comfortable for a couple of years", but we also added vitamin C. He is about three now and you would never know he has dysplasia, but gets his meds faithfully every day. Still tears around like a pup.

Think I read they are doing something like stem cell stuff on animals. Not real cheap.

You just delayed the inevitable,not cured it, German Shepherds are prone to losing use in hind quarters in senior years. I had to put down one this year with the same problem, although you miss them, it is done with a touch of kindness toward your old mate.