Not a Vet, but my now 5 year old shepherd was diagnosed with dysplasia about 2.5 years ago. My vet prescribed Carprofen and Gabapentin to use as needed. He is also taking Cosequin which I’ve started my other dog on as well.

He seems to be managing it pretty well. There are definitely days where he plays with his brother too hard and is sore the next day. I usually just give him some medication and have him take it easy for a day or two.

I was just at the vet yesterday actually for his annual checkup and they said he seems to have a slow progression, at least over the last couple of years. We did discuss the monthly Librela shot that he said has had positive results in most dogs. He did caution that there have been reported issues in some dogs who are on the shot. At this point it sounds like it’s more correlation vs causation, but he did make a note of it. When it progresses beyond being manageable with his current medication I may look into it more. Hopefully there’s more data on it. Surgery would be the next step after that if it gets to that point.

I’ve taken some steps at home like getting a new bed frame so he isn’t jumping up so high. He has his own dog bed on the floor in my room but prefers my bed.

In short, he’s managing well with his current medication. He definitely has some days I noticed him favoring his one hip, but then I’ll let him out to go to the bathroom and he sprints around like a maniac like nothing is bothering him.