As your German Shepherd ages, you may notice his stamina isn't quite what it used to be. Perhaps he loved going for a ride, but now he struggles to get in and out of the car. Or, on any given afternoon, you would typically find him up on the sofa taking a nap, but lately, he's been lying on the floor. These are all signs that your senior German Shepherd may be experiencing discomfort due to arthritis, an ongoing battle with hip/elbow dysplasia, or perhaps he has disk disease that prohibits him from enjoying his life to the fullest.
As he ages, the reasons become more significant for why he may not be as spry as he once was, even though we try our best to keep him active and comfortable. Like us, time takes its toll on our fur friend's joints.
Fortunately, there are several tools we can utilize to combat his discomfort, from different therapies to better food sources to supplements and even pharmaceuticals.
We here at the sanctuary recognize there is a time and place for everything. So even though we try to treat our senior German Shepherd residents as holistically as possible, there comes a time when we WILL use pharmaceuticals such as NSAIDs and even stronger medications to help with moderate to severe pain, with the potential side effects in mind.
But until we get to that point, we have several tools in our arsenal to help combat achy joints in our old fur friends, such as high-quality, full-spectrum CBD oil (we use Dr. HempDog, Antinol (green-lipped mussel), turmeric golden paste, and occasionally a few other supplements.
We've used turmeric the longest and have seen notable results in several of our senior German Shepherd residents.
In case you don't know, Curcumin is the active compound in turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory, pain relief, and antioxidant properties, particularly when mixed with coconut oil and black pepper. Turmeric is a fat-soluble spice, so to reap the benefits, it must be mixed with a medium-chain triglyceride such as coconut oil so the body can absorb it. Additionally, black pepper is used to also aid in absorption.
So how do we give our senior German Shepherd residents turmeric? Sometimes we incorporate it in their home-cooked food, but other times when we don't cook, we make golden paste in advance and put it in with their kibble and topper. Here's our recipe for golden past:
Ingredients:
2 cup water
1 cup Organic Turmeric
1/2 cup Organic, cold-pressed & unrefined coconut oil
3 teaspoons black pepper
(This recipe can be halved.....we have a lot of residents, so we make a bigger batch.)
Directions:
1. Combine water and turmeric in a medium pot. Stir the mixture continuously to a c creamy paste over medium to low heat for approximately 8 - 10 minutes.
2. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and proceed to mix
in the coconut oil and black pepper until thoroughly blended.
3. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, pour or ladle into a heat-proof glass canning jar, such as a Mason jar. Place lid on jar.
4. Keep in the refrigerator upon cooling. Golden paste stays fresh for up to 3 weeks. If you are not using it right away, you can freeze the golden paste in an ice cube tray or silicone mold.
You can watch how we make it on YouTube:
Notes:
* Start your dog off with 1/4 tsp per meal. After that, larger dogs can have 1 TBSP. with each meal.
* Turmeric stains, so use caution when making this recipe.
* If your dog has gallbladder issues, diabetes, or issues with thin blood, DO NOT use this recipe.
(Right-click to download or screenshot)
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