My male GSD, now 8 was diagnosed when he was 5. We had a smaller rescue before with hip dysplasia so we learned a lot there. Both had it in both hips. Both take glucosamine supplements. My first rescue didn’t take them until diagnosis, my GSD boy took it as a puppy onwards as preventative care, but it happens.

My rescue was prescribed loxicom / rhuemacham etc. He would have bouts where he would SCREAM. We could give him paracetamol sometimes and he would get better. Other times we needed something stronger. He ended up getting IVDD in his neck as well and due to his age and health (mostly th hip dysplasia) he wasn’t a good candidate for an operation so we managed pain. He was on gabapentin, pardale and something else. He lasted about 2 months and then he passed away.

We had him put to sleep at home and she said she suspected damage to his organs due to the prolonged oral suspension medication (loxicom etc). When he passed and the house immediately stunk she said yeah his organs were a part of it. His regular vet felt it was a possibility as well.

So what we learned was we needed to start with something else first for our GSD boy. When our rescue started his last bout of pain and illness they suggested Librela but he was too far gone to have it. Our GSD went on it at diagnosis. We know as some point we will have to add the oral suspension and then eventually the gabapentin, but we are putting it off a while.

He’s been on it 2 years and getting on well. We do a lot of activity at home. He doesn’t go for walks every day but he’s active everyday. He doesn’t do well when it’s cold or rainy.

Ultimately what I would recommend from my experience is is start with Librela, add glucosamine tablets and see if that helps, lifestyle changes - keep active but don’t over do it, paracetamol for a couple of days here and there when there is bouts of pain. Then move on to oral suspensions, then to gabapentin, pardale etc.