Degenerative Disk Disease in the GSD - Page 2

Then why does the standard call for a straight back, Jonah? The written standard is the benchmark for the GSD and it doesn't ask for a slight roach. Plenty of GSD's as well as dogs of most other breeds have strong straight backs without any hint of a roach. A roach is incorrect for all breeds other than a few coarsing hounds that are required to take off after game like a shot out of a cannon and turn on a dime. Not only is a roach back structurally unsound it is just plain ugly LOL. Why do handlers set up their dogs to look roachy for the Urma photos? I've seen some dogs in person that have no roach when standing free and gaiting yet their Urma photos (and those taken by other photographers) show a distinct roach.

Blitzen, The standard calls for many things that are selectively interpreted. In the case of the straight back bear in mind that a straight spine will still have the outward appearance of a slight curve. A correct dog shows high withers as a function of shoulder position, a short firm back, and a long croup set at around 23 degrees out of level. This whole assembly is covered by thick muscle as well as a dense coat which additionally rounds the outward appearance. It remains quite true that a large number of dogs today not only have incorrect backs, but are also over angulated in the rear and are very steep in the croup. Unfortunately if we breed only on the basis of a correct back we will inevitably lose some other trait in the process. So I guess we will all just make the most of the genetics at our disposal. Best Wishes, Jonah

My Lily had a similar thing, she had woken up one morning completely paralysed & the UK's top orthopaedic specialist told me a colleague of his had done some research & found that giving L-carnitine & B-Complex helped. I gave about 500mg L-Carnitine twice daily (tablet form) & I think 75mg of B-Complex twice daily. I also gave her Vit C gradually building up over weeks from 100mg to about 3000mg (bowel tolerance) all from Holland & Barret if you are in the UK. I also did T-touch massages & leg & paw stretching on her each eveing, Over a few months she got much better & was soon getting two walks a day again. She was never quite the same, but as she was nine when it happened & had suffered from severe HD & arthritis from a year old it was a better result than expected. She lived to nearly 13 & was active until the end. The best dog in the world!! Aren't they all!!