Jennifer,
I'm sorry for Teagans' woes. You're dealing with it wonderfully. I only want to give you some moral support if I can.
My last GSD had an unattached anconal(spelling?) in her right front elbow, and was diagnosed with mid to sever hip dysplasia from her first xray. And looking at the pictures I certainly beleived them and still do, her joints looked nonexistent. Because of her elbow, she was on glucosamine from a very early age and before the hips came to light.
I can not say enough about what I feel glucosamine did for her. To the day she died the vets kept telling me about how she was going to have problems with her hips and by tacit extention if I cared I would have it attended to now. But she never showed any outwards signs of having any problems. In fact minus the front elbow issue (because I didn't want to pound it) I certainly would have had her in agility. The most agile 80 pound I've ever seen before or since! We did alot of walking, alot of swiming wheather permiting, hered some sheep now and then, and I let her run when ever (it is nice to have voice command), but she never showed any hip problems, and I'm sure she owes that to glucosamine.
Give the suppliment a chance. Do the building dosage, give the high maintaince dosage for awhile, and cut back alittle at a time until you notice she isn't moving quit right, increase, back off, etc, until you find what is the right amount for her.
Give it a few weeks, you'll see the difference.

Randy

thanks randy, that's really nice of you. i really appreciate it!

i'm really glad to hear how well the glucosamine worked for your dog. i realized to that i will have to build up the supplements, i'm especially doing that with the ester c.

it's also really good to hear your girl was still active - i've really been going 'what activity am i supposed to be doing w/teagan now that will be good for her hips!?' ....i'm thinking maybe tracking? it seems relatively low-impact.

she was bunny hopping down the hall after her toys last night, i hate seeing it but she so obviously doesn't care b/c she's focused on the toy - she's started jumping the baby gate into the den so she can go death stare at the rabbits (i knew it was only a matter of time til she figured that out). and she can spend a couple of hours shaking and 'breaking the neck' of her now mute cuz (i tried explaining to her it was the undead, but she still keeps trying to kill it - what can i say, she's enjoying herself ). she's still showing high prey drive, but it also looks to me now that she pushes herself when maybe she shouldn't (bunny hopping all over the place, jumping baby gates) b/c she focuses on her toy or prey to the exclusion of what's happening to her physically. i don't know if that makes sense or not, and i might be wrong.

While I'm no expert, the bunny hopping wouldn't consern me so much. Happy does that to a dog sometimes and sometimes footing. I'd watch the way she gets up from a prone position. I'd watch the effort it takes to just walk and how long it takes to tire her. Are stairs a hassel? You know, the small everyday stuff. (you keep live food for the dog in the house?)(I must say thats taking things a bit far) Just kidding Jennifer.
On the incontinence front. Don't know if it helps, but my afore mentioned GSD would only have those kind of issues if she had eaten too much snow (believe it or not). Not too much water, too much snow.

Give Teagan a kiss on the nose for me. I know Luc is to manly for that sort of thing, so give him a good ear scratch from me.
Randy

 Quote: randy allen

While I'm no expert, the bunny hopping wouldn't consern me so much. Happy does that to a dog sometimes and sometimes footing. I'd watch the way she gets up from a prone position. I'd watch the effort it takes to just walk and how long it takes to tire her. Are stairs a hassel? You know, the small everyday stuff. (you keep live food for the dog in the house?)(I must say thats taking things a bit far) Just kidding Jennifer.

nothing beats fresh food, what can i say

it is true i've noticed the bunny hopping only when she plays in the hall (floor is a bit slidier).

with walking it depends - sometimes she obviously wants to walk slow, but i don't always notice it. i've also conciously slowed down my walking pace, and i've been doing the short walks (more) rather than fewer long walks.

i do worry about the stairs though. i live on the second floor of a house, so they're a part of our life - she seems mostly okay, though i now of course notice her hips swaying/slightly odd gait going down - but if i notice pain, i guess i'll just put her in the harness with the handle and carry her down. i am hoping to move, and get a place without stairs, which should just eliminate that as an issue.

 Quote: randy allen

On the incontinence front. Don't know if it helps, but my afore mentioned GSD would only have those kind of issues if she had eaten too much snow (believe it or not). Not too much water, too much snow.

Give Teagan a kiss on the nose for me. I know Luc is to manly for that sort of thing, so give him a good ear scratch from me.
Randy

LOL! luc will be thrilled with his scratch, and the recognition of his manliness! thanks from teagan too!

she actually hasn't had an accident for about 36 hours now (much to my relief since i put a new bed in her crate). she got her first dose of metacam last night, i'm really hoping this will help make a difference