# Build Muscle w/bad hips?



## LokiTheLady (Dec 7, 2013)

So, Loki's hips aren't the greatest, but they're not the worst. She's still trim and in perfect health, but I've noticed our daily walks/ball sessions/tug sessions are just not cutting it for her. Vet said being trim and muscled would be the best for her in the later years---not sure if that's true, but this vet has worked with Sheps before--only one around me I could find with 'extensive' knowledge. 

I can try swimming, but she's normally not up for that, and it's getting cold quick down my way. I'd be worried about colds/pneumonia and such. We do some light jogging, but anything truly extensive and she starts to bunny hop, and I try to avoid getting her hips into that bad of a situation. There's a local park that I can take her too that allows her to run after her balls, and its a large area, so that where we normally go for our ball sessions. Not much area to hike around here, though. 

She's on Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete, four cups a day. She could maybe loose three or four pounds, but nothing heavy.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Underwater treadmill. Sit-to-stands, hill walking. 

Find a good rehab place and see if they can give you good excersises for her.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Ball play became difficult for Alexis as she got older and the arthritis got worse (she is severely dysplastic) so we did a lot of free walking, hiking, just easy moving around. Now that she is 11.5 if I exercise her too much she is sore and if I don't exercise her enough she is sore. Still do free exercise and I will toss a ball for her a short distance here and there. I don't remember if I ever took her swimming. I think I used to.


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