Can dog shoes help my German Shepherd puppy on slippery tile floors?

Lay down lots of rugs and runners to that Pitch has plenty of options for traction. Also make sure that Pitch remains a good weight as getting heavy will stress his joints. Lastly, feed pitch a high quality diet meant for large breed dogs. I recommend a diet called Royal Canin that makes a food specific for German Shepherds. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there, It's great to hear that the puppy's parents have good OFA certifications! This is the best predictive factor we currently have for good orthopedic health. I do not know of any direct size correlation with orthopedic disease and size. The bone density should be the same either way. The best things you can do to keep any dog from having orthopedic disease over time is appropriate exercise (swimming is great!), keeping the dog lean, and feeding a high quality diet made for large breed dogs. Royal Canin is my personal favorite brand, and they make a diet specifically for German Shepherd health. I would avoid anything marketed as "grain free" or "raw" as these are linked with many nutritional disorders, many of which can be orthopedic related. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That is very unusual to hear of weak hind legs. There are two primary causes: poor genetics or poor nutrition. I recommend to work closely with a veterinarian to figure out the cause and start this ASAP before things get worse. Nutrition can be remedied by feeding a high quality diet meant for growing, large breed puppies. I recommend Royal Canin large breed puppy or Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy. It's hard to know if poor nutrition will have a lasting impact at this point. Genetic causes may be corrected with surgery and physical therapy. Baron likely needs radiographs to look at his bones and joints. It is also important to make sure Baron is regularly checked for worms and parasites as well as treated. These will steal his nutrition. I hope this helps.

It is vital to have an active growing puppy on a specialised, large breed puppy food, especially if there is evidence of any growing pains or irregularities. A tight balance of minerals (especially calcium and phosphorous) as well as vitamin d, protein levels and energy levels will promote healthy growth and development. An unbalanced or inappropriate diet can lead to over rapid growth of bone, cartilage or muscle and development of muscle and bone development issues. If there is any pain or discomfort you should have a full vet check arranged as soon as possible to rule out inflammation or injury

Unfortunately, it's hard to know how best to advise you without being able to examine Rocky. Sometimes physical therapy can to strengthen the leg muscles and back. If this is suspected to be congenital, there may not be much of anything you can do. German Shepherds are prone to many orthopedic conditions as a breed. Proper nutrition is also needed to ensure appropriate growth. Rarely, surgery may be an option if it is related to abnormal bone growth. It sounds like Rocky needs a second opinion and radiographs. Hopefully you can get more information. I hope this helps.

A diet consisting of primarily boiled chicken is not balanced and is lacking in vitamins, fatty acids, fiber and minerals. Proper nutrition, prevention of parasites and disease and genetics are what affects the over-all adult size. She may not get much bigger due to her age (the window of growth closes). I recommend to feed her Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy until 15 months of age and then switch her to the adult version. German Shepherds can have some unique dietary needs and the diet is formulated specifically for them to address these needs. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for choosing Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since glucosamine and chondroitin fall under the category of medications we refer to as nutraceuticals (fancy word for supplements) there is no specific age that is recommended. Generally, we start recommend using these types of medications when pets reach the senior stage (7+ years of age). Since Bella is still young, I would recommend feeding a quality food that is formulated specifically for large breed dogs as it will include all of the beneficial joint health additives. I am personally a fan of Purina foods, but any of the other brands (Hills, Royal Canin, etc) are all excellent foods. This way you don't have to worry about trying to remember giving Bella pills everyday and nothing in her routine has to change. The supplements may be needed further down the road. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you and Bella!