The glucosomine did no good for Kip, but I have heard that it works well for other dogs, so definitely worth trying. They say you have to be giving it for at least a month before expecting to see any improvements.

If you're interested in hydrotherapy, let me know and I'll give you the details of the one in the Borders. (hydro made a huge difference for Kip - I really wished I'd started it earlier)

Be sure to use Glucosamine and Chondroitin combined. the effectiveness of the former is greatly enhanced by the latter.

I give the arthritic ones `Joint Care` which contains glucosamine, chondroitin and msm (there are quite a few online suppliers which is much the cheapest way), plus cod liver oil.
For severe flare-ups my dog used to have acupuncture, which helped tremendoudsly too. (My vet did it)
I also found stopping him getting cold or wet in winter helped.

I hate to write this but dragging her back feet is more likely to be the onset of Degenerative Myelopathy rather than arthritis, especially in GSDs

My aunt gave her GSD Lifetime Fitness canine formula,Its a powder that is mixed with a bit of water a bit like baby milk.. He did great on it for a couple of years.

http://www.fitnfertile.com/prod.asp?id=175

Hope this helps.

Scraping of nails on the back feet is one of the first signs of DM in many dogs. I'd get your friend to get it checked out. At least then she'll be forwarned, though its an odd desease as it progresses at different speeds in different dogs & also can affect one side first or both. There's no cure but at least she could keep up with the latest news on the subject. Having had one dog who was affected fairly rapidly & another who died of something else 3 years after initial diagnosis without it ever progressing to the stage where it really affected him I know this is not a desease where you can say this will happen at this time etc but it is progressive & you do need to know about it.

Hello,

Poor boy!
We use a really good product from Ron Fields Nutrition called silent 4, the really good thing is that its completely herbal so we don't have to worry about side effects. Barney is like a little puppy again its great

Have you though about acupuncture? Our vets offer it and it did wonders for a lab with arthritic joints.

Good luck and i hope he feels better! x

Thanks to everyone for their advice and experiences. I will see how she gets on with the Cortaflex before trying anything else.

Hali - I would like the details of the hydrotherapy pool please. Flame loves swimming

Joedee - I am a bit concerned it might be the onset of CDRM but have tried the test of turning the back feet on the toes and she flips them back each time, so not sure? Is it worth getting the vet to check her out? Would the Cortaflex help in any event?

ClarieandDaisy - Flame loves getting wet and we live right in front of a large reservoir, so she gets plenty of opportunity, but I am making sure I towel and hairdryer her when she gets in. She also seems to like having her back legs massaged, so I am doing that too.

Thanks. I hadn't thought of acupuncture, but will definitely look into it and have a word with our vet.