May 24, 2011
My 9 year old GSD had been having problems with his hips. Would adding raw meat to his food help him?
Full Question:
I have a german shepherd that will be turning 9 soon. For the most part he stays pretty healthy but lately he hasn't been as much.... mostly with his hips. I have been giving him glucosamine chondriton twice a day and that wasn't helping so we went to the vet today and he gave me some medication for him because his hips are so bad. He still runs along the fence line and things like that but he can hardly get up 2 steps and often stumbles. He has also been losing weight. I use to mix raw turkey burger in with his food but when i was given the responsibility of paying for him solely i could no longer afford it. He is small for a shepherd and was at about 75 pounds which was healthy for his size but he has now gone down to 67 but i have been giving him 5 cups of dog food a day. Do you think adding the raw meat again would help with his hips and weight? Thank you for your time. 
Cindy's Answer:
Kibble may be part of his problem. The grains in kibble aggravate joint conditions, by causing inflammation.
Read the article on feeding a raw diet. It’s a work in progress but there is a lot of good information there.
I would also recommend these books, Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats and Raw Dog Food.
You can also go to our Feeding Dogs Page for a list of articles and books that will be helpful to you.
I don’t know what medication your vet prescribed, but if your vet put him on Rimadyl, I would MAKE SURE that your vet also monitors his liver functions.
We also have an extensive health question and answer section.
Read the article on feeding a raw diet. It’s a work in progress but there is a lot of good information there.
I would also recommend these books, Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats and Raw Dog Food.
You can also go to our Feeding Dogs Page for a list of articles and books that will be helpful to you.
I don’t know what medication your vet prescribed, but if your vet put him on Rimadyl, I would MAKE SURE that your vet also monitors his liver functions.
We also have an extensive health question and answer section.
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