3 Things Every German Shepherd Owner Should Know About Their Dog’s Joints Before They Start Slowing Down
By Dr. Amir Anwary, Veterinarian
Over the years, I’ve spoken to many German Shepherd owners who only really started thinking about their dog’s joints after they noticed something had changed.
Usually, the first change isn’t anything dramatic. Their dog might seem a bit stiff when getting up after sleeping, hesitate for a moment before jumping into the car, or favour a back leg after an active day.
It’s very easy to explain these things away, especially when the dog is only five or six years old and still seems energetic most of the time. Owners often assume they overdid it the day before, slept awkwardly or are just having an off day.
Sometimes that may be exactly what happened. But when the same changes keep appearing, it naturally raises questions about hip dysplasia, arthritis and what their mobility might look like as they get older.
German Shepherds are one of the breeds whose joints we, as vets, pay particular attention to. Hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopaedic condition that can affect larger breeds, including German Shepherds, and the changes associated with joint disease don’t begin when a dog gets “old.”
That’s why I would much rather have this conversation with owners while their GSD is still moving comfortably.
My goal isn’t to frighten you. I just want you to understand where your dog might be vulnerable and help you make sensible decisions while your dog is still active.
There are three things I think are particularly important for German Shepherd owners to understand.
Over the years, I’ve spoken to many German Shepherd owners who only really started thinking about their dog’s joints after they noticed something had changed.
Usually, the first change isn’t anything dramatic. Their dog might seem a bit stiff when getting up after sleeping, hesitate for a moment before jumping into the car, or favour a back leg after an active day. It’s very easy to explain these things away, especially when the dog is only five or six years old and still seems energetic most of the time. Owners often assume they overdid it the day before, slept awkwardly or are just having an off day.
Sometimes that may be exactly what happened. But when the same changes keep appearing, it naturally raises questions about hip dysplasia, arthritis and what their mobility might look like as they get older.
German Shepherds are one of the breeds whose joints we, as vets, pay particular attention to. Hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopaedic condition that can affect larger breeds, including German Shepherds, and the changes associated with joint disease don’t begin when a dog gets “old.” That’s why I would much rather have this conversation with owners while their GSD is still moving comfortably.
My goal isn’t to frighten you. I just want you to understand where your dog might be vulnerable and help you make sensible decisions while your dog is still active.
There are three things I think are particularly important for German Shepherd owners to understand.
3 Things Every German Shepherd Owner Should Know About Their Dog’s Joints Before They Start Slowing Down
By Dr. Amir Anwary, Veterinarian
Over the years, I’ve spoken to many German Shepherd owners who only really started thinking about their dog’s joints after they noticed something had changed.
Usually, the first change isn’t anything dramatic. Their dog might seem a bit stiff when getting up after sleeping, hesitate for a moment before jumping into the car, or favour a back leg after an active day. It’s very easy to explain these things away, especially when the dog is only five or six years old and still seems energetic most of the time. Owners often assume they overdid it the day before, slept awkwardly or are just having an off day.
Sometimes that may be exactly what happened. But when the same changes keep appearing, it naturally raises questions about hip dysplasia, arthritis and what their mobility might look like as they get older.
German Shepherds are one of the breeds whose joints we, as vets, pay particular attention to. Hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopaedic condition that can affect larger breeds, including German Shepherds, and the changes associated with joint disease don’t begin when a dog gets “old.” That’s why I would much rather have this conversation with owners while their GSD is still moving comfortably.
My goal isn’t to frighten you. I just want you to understand where your dog might be vulnerable and help you make sensible decisions while your dog is still active. There are three things I think are particularly important for German Shepherd owners to understand.
1. Joint problems don’t always begin with an obvious limp
When people picture a dog with joint problems, they often imagine a much older dog struggling to stand or walking with that awkward waddle. By that stage, the change in mobility is difficult to miss.
The earlier changes can be much more subtle.
You might notice your German Shepherd taking a few stiff or awkward steps when they first get up, being more careful on the stairs, or hesitating before jumping into the car. Sometimes it’s an occasional bunny hop or strange gait after hard exercise that disappears again after they’ve rested.
None of these signs automatically mean your dog has arthritis or hip dysplasia. Lameness can have many causes, from relatively minor injuries to orthopaedic or neurological problems, which is why persistent, sudden or recurring changes should be properly assessed by a veterinarian.
The problem is that these small changes are easy to overlook when your dog is otherwise active and healthy.
That matters particularly with German Shepherds because of their predisposition to certain hip and joint problems. I don’t think owners need to become anxious about every unusual step their dog takes, but I do think it makes sense to consider joint health before age-related changes become obvious.
If your German Shepherd is four, five or six years old and still running around the garden, climbing stairs easily and jumping into the car without hesitation, that is a good thing. That comfortable movement is what you want to support for as long as you can.
Good mobility support also extends beyond supplements. Keeping your dog at a healthy body condition, providing appropriate regular exercise, maintaining muscle and paying attention to changes in movement all matter. Nutrition can then form another part of that broader approach.
2. When I think about nutritional joint support, I look at two different areas
One of the difficulties owners face is the sheer number of joint supplements available. You can find glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, green-lipped mussel, MSM, fish oil and various combinations of these ingredients. It’s understandable that owners eventually start wondering what their dog actually needs. In practice, I find it more useful to think about what we are actually trying to support.
The first area is the physical joint itself, including the cartilage, connective tissues, cushioning and lubrication involved in comfortable movement. This is where ingredients such as glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly used.
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound associated with cartilage and is widely included in joint supplements as nutritional support for the cartilage. Chondroitin is also found within cartilage and is commonly paired with glucosamine to support cartilage structure and cushioning.
Type II collagen is another ingredient worth understanding because collagen is an important structural component of cartilage. Depending on the form used, collagen ingredients are included in canine joint formulas to provide additional nutritional support for joint structure.
MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is a sulfur-containing compound commonly included to support connective tissues and normal inflammatory processes, while green-lipped mussel naturally provides several nutrients relevant to joint health, including glycosaminoglycans and fatty acids.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in cartilage and synovial fluid, the fluid that helps joints move smoothly, which is why it is often included in more comprehensive joint formulas. Nutrients such as vitamin C and manganese also have supporting roles in normal connective-tissue and collagen-related processes.
I wouldn’t describe any one of these ingredients as a cure for arthritis, nor would I tell an owner that taking a supplement can repair hip dysplasia or guarantee that joint disease will never develop. That isn’t what nutritional support is intended to do. I look at these ingredients because they can form part of a sensible nutritional approach to supporting the structures a German Shepherd relies on every time they stand, walk, run or jump.
The second area I pay attention to is the body’s inflammatory response, and this is so often overlooked by owners and vets alike. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It is a normal and necessary biological process. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It’s a normal and necessary biological process. But as dogs age, inflammatory processes can become increasingly relevant to their joint comfort and overall health. This matters even more in a breed like the German Shepherd, where joint deterioration may already be a concern.
When I’m looking at an omega-3 product, the two fatty acids I pay particular attention to are EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are marine omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, and they become incorporated into cell membranes where they influence signalling involved in the body’s inflammatory response.
There is veterinary research supporting the use of marine omega-3 fatty acids as part of nutritional management for dogs with osteoarthritis, but their relevance isn’t limited to the joints. EPA and DHA have been studied in dogs in connection with other areas of health as well, including skin and coat health, cardiovascular and kidney function, and aspects of brain health during ageing.
That broader role is one reason I tend to think of a quality omega-3 as part of supporting a dog’s overall mobility and longevity rather than simply treating it as another ingredient to add to a joint supplement.
The owners I meet are usually trying very hard to do the right thing for their dogs. The problem is that joint care can quickly become unnecessarily complicated.
Someone recommends glucosamine, so you buy glucosamine. Then you hear about collagen, and add a second product, you start using fish oil after reading about omega-3s, and eventually you find yourself with tonnes of tubs, oils and chews without really knowing what each one is supposed to be doing.
In practice, I prefer keeping the approach as simple as possible because consistency matters. For nutritional mobility support, I look for a comprehensive joint formula that provides support for cartilage, connective tissue, cushioning and lubrication, alongside a quality marine omega-3 that provides meaningful amounts of EPA and DHA.
These two approaches are doing different things. The joint formula is focused primarily on the structures involved in movement, while EPA and DHA provide broader nutritional support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Using them together also makes sense from a practical perspective because consistency matters. A well-designed routine that an owner can give correctly every day is usually more useful than a cupboard full of products that are difficult to dose, remember or even get your dog to eat.
Of course, supplementation is still only one part of maintaining mobility. I want German Shepherd owners to keep their dogs at an appropriate body condition, provide regular exercise suited to the individual dog, maintain muscle where possible and pay attention when movement begins to change.
3. A good long-term approach should be simple enough to follow consistently
2. When I think about nutritional joint support, I look at two different areas
One of the difficulties owners face is the sheer number of joint supplements available. You can find glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, green-lipped mussel, MSM, fish oil and various combinations of these ingredients. It’s understandable that owners eventually start wondering what their dog actually needs. In practice, I find it more useful to think about what we are actually trying to support.
The first area is the physical joint itself, including the cartilage, connective tissues, cushioning and lubrication involved in comfortable movement. This is where ingredients such as glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly used.
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound associated with cartilage and is widely included in joint supplements as nutritional support for the cartilage. Chondroitin is also found within cartilage and is commonly paired with glucosamine to support cartilage structure and cushioning.
Type II collagen is another ingredient worth understanding because collagen is an important structural component of cartilage. Depending on the form used, collagen ingredients are included in canine joint formulas to provide additional nutritional support for joint structure.
MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is a sulfur-containing compound commonly included to support connective tissues and normal inflammatory processes, while green-lipped mussel naturally provides several nutrients relevant to joint health, including glycosaminoglycans and fatty acids.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in cartilage and synovial fluid, the fluid that helps joints move smoothly, which is why it is often included in more comprehensive joint formulas. Nutrients such as vitamin C and manganese also have supporting roles in normal connective-tissue and collagen-related processes.
I wouldn’t describe any one of these ingredients as a cure for arthritis, nor would I tell an owner that taking a supplement can repair hip dysplasia or guarantee that joint disease will never develop. That isn’t what nutritional support is intended to do. I look at these ingredients because they can form part of a sensible nutritional approach to supporting the structures a German Shepherd relies on every time they stand, walk, run or jump.
The second area I pay attention to is the body’s inflammatory response, and this is so often overlooked by owners and vets alike. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It is a normal and necessary biological process. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It’s a normal and necessary biological process. But as dogs age, inflammatory processes can become increasingly relevant to their joint comfort and overall health. This matters even more in a breed like the German Shepherd, where joint deterioration may already be a concern.
When I’m looking at an omega-3 product, the two fatty acids I pay particular attention to are EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are marine omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, and they become incorporated into cell membranes where they influence signalling involved in the body’s inflammatory response.
There is veterinary research supporting the use of marine omega-3 fatty acids as part of nutritional management for dogs with osteoarthritis, but their relevance isn’t limited to the joints. EPA and DHA have been studied in dogs in connection with other areas of health as well, including skin and coat health, cardiovascular and kidney function, and aspects of brain health during ageing.
That broader role is one reason I tend to think of a quality omega-3 as part of supporting a dog’s overall mobility and longevity rather than simply treating it as another ingredient to add to a joint supplement.
3. A good long-term approach should be simple enough to follow consistently
The owners I meet are usually trying very hard to do the right thing for their dogs. The problem is that joint care can quickly become unnecessarily complicated.
Someone recommends glucosamine, so you buy glucosamine. Then you hear about collagen, and add a second product, you start using fish oil after reading about omega-3s, and eventually you find yourself with tonnes of tubs, oils and chews without really knowing what each one is supposed to be doing.
In practice, I prefer keeping the approach as simple as possible because consistency matters. For nutritional mobility support, I look for a comprehensive joint formula that provides support for cartilage, connective tissue, cushioning and lubrication, alongside a quality marine omega-3 that provides meaningful amounts of EPA and DHA.
These two approaches are doing different things. The joint formula is focused primarily on the structures involved in movement, while EPA and DHA provide broader nutritional support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Using them together also makes sense from a practical perspective because consistency matters. A well-designed routine that an owner can give correctly every day is usually more useful than a cupboard full of products that are difficult to dose, remember or even get your dog to eat.
Of course, supplementation is still only one part of maintaining mobility. I want German Shepherd owners to keep their dogs at an appropriate body condition, provide regular exercise suited to the individual dog, maintain muscle where possible and pay attention when movement begins to change.
Why owners should think about this earlier
One of the difficult parts of living with a dog is that changes in ageing happen gradually. You see your German Shepherd every day, so you still tend to picture the same dog that has always followed you around the house, appeared the moment you touched the lead and jumped into the car because they knew something interesting was about to happen.
Then one day you notice that they pause before jumping.
Or perhaps it takes them a little longer to get up after sleeping, or the walk you’ve done hundreds of times suddenly seems to tire them more than it used to.
That is often when owners start researching joint health, and I understand why. Once you notice a change, it’s difficult not to watch every step and wonder whether your dog is uncomfortable or whether something is beginning to progress.
As a veterinarian, I would rather owners understood these things before reaching that point.
German Shepherds are active dogs, and movement is a huge part of how they experience their lives. Walking, running, exploring, playing and simply following their family around are all things we tend to take for granted while they can still do them easily.
Supporting mobility doesn’t mean we can control how a dog will age or guarantee that a genetically predisposed dog will never develop joint disease. But it does mean looking after the things we can influence while paying attention to the things we cannot.
1. Joint problems don’t always begin with an obvious limp
When people picture a dog with joint problems, they often imagine a much older dog struggling to stand or walking with that awkward waddle. By that stage, the change in mobility is difficult to miss.
The earlier changes can be much more subtle.
You might notice your German Shepherd taking a few stiff or awkward steps when they first get up, being more careful on the stairs, or hesitating before jumping into the car. Sometimes it’s an occasional bunny hop or strange gait after hard exercise that disappears again after they’ve rested.
None of these signs automatically mean your dog has arthritis or hip dysplasia. Lameness can have many causes, from relatively minor injuries to orthopaedic or neurological problems, which is why persistent, sudden or recurring changes should be properly assessed by a veterinarian.
The problem is that these small changes are easy to overlook when your dog is otherwise active and healthy.
That matters particularly with German Shepherds because of their predisposition to certain hip and joint problems. I don’t think owners need to become anxious about every unusual step their dog takes, but I do think it makes sense to consider joint health before age-related changes become obvious.
If your German Shepherd is four, five or six years old and still running around the garden, climbing stairs easily and jumping into the car without hesitation, that is a good thing. That comfortable movement is what you want to support for as long as you can.
Good mobility support also extends beyond supplements. Keeping your dog at a healthy body condition, providing appropriate regular exercise, maintaining muscle and paying attention to changes in movement all matter. Nutrition can then form another part of that broader approach.
3. A good long-term approach should be simple enough to follow consistently
The owners I meet are usually trying very hard to do the right thing for their dogs. The problem is that joint care can quickly become unnecessarily complicated.
Someone recommends glucosamine, so you buy glucosamine. Then you hear about collagen, and add a second product, you start using fish oil after reading about omega-3s, and eventually you find yourself with tonnes of tubs, oils and chews without really knowing what each one is supposed to be doing.
In practice, I prefer keeping the approach as simple as possible because consistency matters. For nutritional mobility support, I look for a comprehensive joint formula that provides support for cartilage, connective tissue, cushioning and lubrication, alongside a quality marine omega-3 that provides meaningful amounts of EPA and DHA.
These two approaches are doing different things. The joint formula is focused primarily on the structures involved in movement, while EPA and DHA provide broader nutritional support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Using them together also makes sense from a practical perspective because consistency matters. A well-designed routine that an owner can give correctly every day is usually more useful than a cupboard full of products that are difficult to dose, remember or even get your dog to eat.
Of course, supplementation is still only one part of maintaining mobility. I want German Shepherd owners to keep their dogs at an appropriate body condition, provide regular exercise suited to the individual dog, maintain muscle where possible and pay attention when movement begins to change.
Why owners should think about this earlier
One of the difficult parts of living with a dog is that changes in ageing happen gradually. You see your German Shepherd every day, so you still tend to picture the same dog that has always followed you around the house, appeared the moment you touched the lead and jumped into the car because they knew something interesting was about to happen.
Then one day you notice that they pause before jumping.
Or perhaps it takes them a little longer to get up after sleeping, or the walk you’ve done hundreds of times suddenly seems to tire them more than it used to.
That is often when owners start researching joint health, and I understand why. Once you notice a change, it’s difficult not to watch every step and wonder whether your dog is uncomfortable or whether something is beginning to progress.
As a veterinarian, I would rather owners understood these things before reaching that point.
German Shepherds are active dogs, and movement is a huge part of how they experience their lives. Walking, running, exploring, playing and simply following their family around are all things we tend to take for granted while they can still do them easily.
Supporting mobility doesn’t mean we can control how a dog will age or guarantee that a genetically predisposed dog will never develop joint disease.
But it does mean looking after the things we can influence while paying attention to the things we cannot.
What I recommend to owners
If you decide you want to support both of these areas nutritionally, you can obviously source a joint formula and a quality omega-3 separately. For owners who would prefer to keep the routine together, one option I recommend is the Vets2Pets Move More Bundle.
It combines a joint-support powder containing ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, type II collagen, MSM, green-lipped mussel and a concentrated marine fish oil that provides EPA and DHA.
What I like about that approach is fairly simple. It brings the two areas I’ve discussed throughout this article into one daily routine: nutritional support for the structures involved in comfortable movement, alongside marine omega-3 support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Both products are added to food at the recommended dosage for your dog’s body weight, which makes the routine relatively straightforward to maintain consistently.
If you have a German Shepherd and would like to read more about the ingredients, serving guidelines and how the two products are used together, you can visit the Vets2Pets website and decide whether it is appropriate for your dog.
2. When I think about nutritional joint support, I look at two different areas
One of the difficulties owners face is the sheer number of joint supplements available. You can find glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, green-lipped mussel, MSM, fish oil and various combinations of these ingredients. It’s understandable that owners eventually start wondering what their dog actually needs. In practice, I find it more useful to think about what we are actually trying to support.
The first area is the physical joint itself, including the cartilage, connective tissues, cushioning and lubrication involved in comfortable movement. This is where ingredients such as glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly used.
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound associated with cartilage and is widely included in joint supplements as nutritional support for the cartilage. Chondroitin is also found within cartilage and is commonly paired with glucosamine to support cartilage structure and cushioning.
Type II collagen is another ingredient worth understanding because collagen is an important structural component of cartilage. Depending on the form used, collagen ingredients are included in canine joint formulas to provide additional nutritional support for joint structure.
MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is a sulfur-containing compound commonly included to support connective tissues and normal inflammatory processes, while green-lipped mussel naturally provides several nutrients relevant to joint health, including glycosaminoglycans and fatty acids.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in cartilage and synovial fluid, the fluid that helps joints move smoothly, which is why it is often included in more comprehensive joint formulas. Nutrients such as vitamin C and manganese also have supporting roles in normal connective-tissue and collagen-related processes.
I wouldn’t describe any one of these ingredients as a cure for arthritis, nor would I tell an owner that taking a supplement can repair hip dysplasia or guarantee that joint disease will never develop. That isn’t what nutritional support is intended to do. I look at these ingredients because they can form part of a sensible nutritional approach to supporting the structures a German Shepherd relies on every time they stand, walk, run or jump.
The second area I pay attention to is the body’s inflammatory response, and this is so often overlooked by owners and vets alike. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It is a normal and necessary biological process. Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily bad. It’s a normal and necessary biological process. But as dogs age, inflammatory processes can become increasingly relevant to their joint comfort and overall health. This matters even more in a breed like the German Shepherd, where joint deterioration may already be a concern.
When I’m looking at an omega-3 product, the two fatty acids I pay particular attention to are EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are marine omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, and they become incorporated into cell membranes where they influence signalling involved in the body’s inflammatory response.
There is veterinary research supporting the use of marine omega-3 fatty acids as part of nutritional management for dogs with osteoarthritis, but their relevance isn’t limited to the joints. EPA and DHA have been studied in dogs in connection with other areas of health as well, including skin and coat health, cardiovascular and kidney function, and aspects of brain health during ageing.
That broader role is one reason I tend to think of a quality omega-3 as part of supporting a dog’s overall mobility and longevity rather than simply treating it as another ingredient to add to a joint supplement.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. Every dog is different — talk to your vet before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is pregnant, nursing, elderly, or on existing medication.
Vets2Pets products are formulated to support general wellbeing and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results vary.
Why owners should think about this earlier
What I recommend to owners
One of the difficult parts of living with a dog is that changes in ageing happen gradually.
You see your German Shepherd every day, so you still tend to picture the same dog that has always followed you around the house, appeared the moment you touched the lead and jumped into the car because they knew something interesting was about to happen.
Then one day you notice that they pause before jumping.
Or perhaps it takes them a little longer to get up after sleeping, or the walk you’ve done hundreds of times suddenly seems to tire them more than it used to.
That is often when owners start researching joint health, and I understand why. Once you notice a change, it’s difficult not to watch every step and wonder whether your dog is uncomfortable or whether something is beginning to progress.
As a veterinarian, I would rather owners understood these things before reaching that point.
German Shepherds are active dogs, and movement is a huge part of how they experience their lives. Walking, running, exploring, playing and simply following their family around are all things we tend to take for granted while they can still do them easily.
Supporting mobility doesn’t mean we can control how a dog will age or guarantee that a genetically predisposed dog will never develop joint disease.
But it does mean looking after the things we can influence while paying attention to the things we cannot.
If you decide you want to support both of these areas nutritionally, you can obviously source a joint formula and a quality omega-3 separately. For owners who would prefer to keep the routine together, one option I recommend is the Vets2Pets Move More Bundle.
It combines a joint-support powder containing ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, type II collagen, MSM, green-lipped mussel and a concentrated marine fish oil that provides EPA and DHA.
What I like about that approach is fairly simple. It brings the two areas I’ve discussed throughout this article into one daily routine: nutritional support for the structures involved in comfortable movement, alongside marine omega-3 support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Both products are added to food at the recommended dosage for your dog’s body weight, which makes the routine relatively straightforward to maintain consistently.
If you have a German Shepherd and would like to read more about the ingredients, serving guidelines and how the two products are used together, you can visit the Vets2Pets website and decide whether it is appropriate for your dog.
What I recommend to owners
1. Joint problems don’t always begin with an obvious limp
If you decide you want to support both of these areas nutritionally, you can obviously source a joint formula and a quality omega-3 separately. For owners who would prefer to keep the routine together, one option I recommend is the Vets2Pets Move More Bundle.
It combines a joint-support powder containing ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, type II collagen, MSM, green-lipped mussel and a concentrated marine fish oil that provides EPA and DHA.
What I like about that approach is fairly simple. It brings the two areas I’ve discussed throughout this article into one daily routine: nutritional support for the structures involved in comfortable movement, alongside marine omega-3 support for a healthy inflammatory response.
Both products are added to food at the recommended dosage for your dog’s body weight, which makes the routine relatively straightforward to maintain consistently.
If you have a German Shepherd and would like to read more about the ingredients, serving guidelines and how the two products are used together, you can visit the Vets2Pets website and decide whether it is appropriate for your dog.
When people picture a dog with joint problems, they often imagine a much older dog struggling to stand or walking with that awkward waddle. By that stage, the change in mobility is difficult to miss.
The earlier changes can be much more subtle.
You might notice your German Shepherd taking a few stiff or awkward steps when they first get up, being more careful on the stairs, or hesitating before jumping into the car. Sometimes it’s an occasional bunny hop or strange gait after hard exercise that disappears again after they’ve rested.
None of these signs automatically mean your dog has arthritis or hip dysplasia. Lameness can have many causes, from relatively minor injuries to orthopaedic or neurological problems, which is why persistent, sudden or recurring changes should be properly assessed by a veterinarian.
The problem is that these small changes are easy to overlook when your dog is otherwise active and healthy.
That matters particularly with German Shepherds because of their predisposition to certain hip and joint problems. I don’t think owners need to become anxious about every unusual step their dog takes, but I do think it makes sense to consider joint health before age-related changes become obvious.
If your German Shepherd is four, five or six years old and still running around the garden, climbing stairs easily and jumping into the car without hesitation, that is a good thing. That comfortable movement is what you want to support for as long as you can.
Good mobility support also extends beyond supplements. Keeping your dog at a healthy body condition, providing appropriate regular exercise, maintaining muscle and paying attention to changes in movement all matter. Nutrition can then form another part of that broader approach.
3 Things Every German Shepherd Owner Should Know About Their Dog’s Joints Before They Start Slowing Down
By Dr. Amir Anwary, Veterinarian