How to Treat a German Shepherd's Soft Back Legs

There are many causes for a German Shepherd's soft back legs. If the dog is suffering from malnutrition due to an imbalanced diet, such as calcium deficiency or other trace elements and vitamins, it can lead to weakened back legs. In this case, supplements are needed to replenish the dog's nutrients. If the cause is due to trauma or disease, targeted treatment is required.

Treatment for Soft Back Legs

You can improve a German Shepherd's weak back legs by following these methods: Appropriately supplement your dog with dog-specific calcium tablets or feed them foods rich in calcium, such as beef femur bones and beef bone broth. Also, expose your dog to more sunlight. Supplying the dog with vitamin D can increase their calcium absorption rate. Giving your dog leg massages can enhance muscle contractions in the back legs.

Causes of Soft Back Legs in German Shepherds

Dogs with soft and unstable back legs usually occur in puppies. This is because puppies' bone and muscle development is not yet fully formed, leading to these issues. Additionally, calcium and vitamin deficiencies can cause poor bone development in dogs. Foreign object trauma can also cause a dog to lose balance. Arthritis is another possibility. If touching the dog's joints causes pain, it may be due to arthritis-induced instability. In this case, you can treat your dog with glucosamine, chondroitin, anti-inflammatory medication, and calcium and phosphorus supplements.

What to Feed a German Shepherd for Calcium Supplementation

It is recommended to feed German Shepherds liquid calcium, as it is more easily absorbed than calcium tablets and has less of an irritating effect on the intestines. Calcium supplementation is only considered for young German Shepherds, as they usually exhibit wobbly walking and poor balance when suffering from calcium deficiency. Adult German Shepherds generally do not need separate calcium supplementation, unless they are diagnosed with certain diseases.