I have a 22 month old boxer diagnosed with hip displasy level D and disk problems level 3. What can I do to prevent her condition to get worse over the years?

Hi Cindy,

First of all, thanks for all the wonderful information on your site, books (4 of them), and your DVDs (I have 5 already) as well the nice training equipment you sell.

I have a 22 month old boxer diagnosed with hip dysplasia level D and disk problems level 3. The x-ray were taken at the age of 16 months.

The father and grand-fathers were free of hip dysplasia, the female ancestors didn't have x-ray certificates.

I just found your website this last year so I made some mistakes with this dog, and one was over exercise. This dog is a typical "dog from hell" tons and tons of all the drives. Until she was 16 months she wouldn't even sleep during the day, she would only want to run, jump and play on my big garden and backyard all day. To make it worse I would take her, for 1 hour, every day for a off leash walk on the woods to "discharge" the energy, and she spent all those hours running and jumping like crazy.

She has never been overweight, in fact she has always been quite slim, and a bit smaller than other boxer females; she is on RMB since she was 10 months and I give Omega 3 as supplement; and no more vaccination after the first ones, I do titer tests do.

The only symptom she displays (from 14 months old) is a slight movement inflection when she gets up from being laying down for a while. Besides that she is "healthy as a horse."

So now I am doing everything I can: smaller walks without the other dog, walking boards on stairs, no jumps, a "leerburg style" dog house (also I live in a tempered climate).

My question is, what else can I do to prevent her condition to get worse over the years? Do you think supplementing with a good glucosamine/condriotine product is OK?

Many, many thanks and keep up the outstanding job

Luis
Portugal