Our vet put Keno on Flexadin plus currently. It is a full supplement that supposedly contains glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, creatine, perna canaliculus, and omega-3 fatty acids (so the package says). It is a chewy bone shaped thing but he won't take it as a treat so I've had to resort to hiding it in his food. If it tastes as strongly as it smells I can see why he doesn't like it. Apparently we could step up to the Advanced version and it is supposed to have some pain killing properties with some added ingredients, but I figured I would start with this. Like you, I would really like to manage without painkillers until I have to. I have this fear of him going through life in a fog and he's had so little life I know that's just no way to be.

Jenn,
I have mentioned this in another post before, but Keno reminds me so much of the very first dog I ever had as a little girl. Her name was Toni, husky/gsd with the same floppy ears and HD as well. Does Keno's ears straighten up when he is listening to something at a distance, just curious, hers did, otherwise floppy. On a hopeful note to you and to Kelly, medicine is leaps and bounds away from the early 80's, the last year of her life was tough, she was 12 when she passed. I remember my mom picking her up and carry her in on her bad days and wrap her in cool, wet sheets in the summer to give her relief. It was very hot that year, and my mom felt that the moisture penetrated her to her core and made it easier for her to walk. Don't know, she was a sweet dog, I would have thought warm and wet would have worked better. Anyway, she was 12 had it terribly bad, but she never fussed about it, girl's best friend.
Renee

His ears never quite make it all the way up unless he's laying down and then the side that is pointed up will straighten. Other than that they just draw up a little taller but the tip, probably two inch worth, stays flopped over. He has been one of the sweetest natured dogs I've run across in a long time and seems to have a real affinity for telling when others are in pain. My husband blew his knee out last weekend and came hobbling into the house after. Keno made a bee line to that side and started sniffing the bad knee and making whimpering noises. He did the same when my blood pressure tanked shortly after I got him. He gets unnaturally concerned. I've been mulling over whether to say anything to my trainer about it. Maybe I could give Keno a purpose.

That may be a great idea, forgot the term, but a dog that goes to hospitals, because of his empathy. Or an alert/companion dog. Don't get me wrong Kenzi is beautiful as well, but sometimes people pass over the mutts, as untrainable, or whatever, but they can indeed be wonderful dogs. You're a wonderful example of successfully adopting, and an ambassador for the mutts.

Aww....thank you. I grew up with mutts and pure breds alike. We always had dogs with purpose or we didn't get them. My mom is like a divining rod for good hunting dogs and sure footed horses and she passed a lot of that along to me. When we first saw Keno I though, hmm...good running partner for Kenzi (mostly based on the breeds they claimed he was), but when I met him I knew that just wouldn't be so. So he couldn't do the job I got him for, doesn't mean there isn't a more worthwhile job out there for him. I think he would be a good therapy dog and potential service dog if we can get his hip issues under a good management system and maybe figure out how to keep him from clearing a table with a wag and a half of that lab tail of his. lol.

We got Ripley certified as a therapy dog actually, the hip issues shouldnt stop him at all on that front. the problem we faced was that this particular organization required a set commitment of hours per week, while I understand the need, its not an easy thing for us to do, so we opted to pass on the thing. Maybe we'll get her re certified with a different organization later that is a bit more flexible.
It has more to do with the dog's temperment than any breed/mix in my opionion. Rip was one of the few mutts in the group being tested, and she was the only mutt to pass. She's just a sweet, calm and loving girl, and they see that more than anything else. Though she almost failed when she tried to jump up at one point, but she jumped on the walker and thankfully not the person so she squeaked by.

Keno won't jump on a person, but he is a bit of a licker. Not sure if that would be a problem. My trainer for kenzi has done many therapy dogs and owns one that he does work with regularly. They also host events at their training center and invite groups to come out and spend time with the dogs in training and those that pass the courses. The time commitment would be tough for me too. Balancing the things I would be doing with him while maintaining my time and responsibilities to Kenzi would be hard since I can't just take her along to events where other dogs might be and my husband isn't going to walk her.

Tika cant go either, she gets too excited when seeing other dogs. and she has a bad tendency to jump though we are trying very hard to break her of the habit (baby steps). Either way I doubt our schedule will be greatly reduced in the coming years, but maybe once we're a bit older (provided Rip is still able) we can visit a few places for therapy, otherwise maybe when Tika gets older and is calmer.

He LOVES his crate.









He can't contort himself quite as much as Kenzi, but he tries.



Destroying bee legs

Aw! He's so cute! I def see the husky in that upside down pic! I love the third pic from the bottom, he looks so loving and sweet.

Now that Keno has earned his way out of the crate and into the bedroom at night he had to have a second bed since lugging his first bed was a hassle. He seems to have taken to it well. He snores 10x worse in this bed though.



He looks terribly thin in this picture but he really isn't. He has filled to the perfect weight for him. Food time is his favorite time.



Big yawn!



And now a little demonstration of how excited he gets for dinner. He wasn't as vocal this time. Sometimes he dances and "sings".

you got me laughing so hard. Kenzi was like, mom just give the silly boy his food. He looks so good, not thin at all. Thanks for sharing

I will be glad when he starts putting hair back on. My parents were over sunday and dad took one look at him and said "he shrunk". He lost so much hair, I assume clearing out the bad hair from when he was sick and years of being on crappy food. New food, new hair? Kenzi kinda did the same thing after we got her. She lost it all then put it all back on and never lost it the same again.

Hey Jenn and he looks like a great pet - no other purpose, just company (kinda like my silly boy Avalanche!)
I had an old lab a few years back who was having some hip problems - at 12 I wasn't too concerned about getting her looked at but our regular vet suggest glucosamine ... like you I was wondering if it was going to help, but after a while (a month+) I could see that she was getting around easier, jumping up stairs that she had difficulty climbing, getting in the Jeep, etc. It helped her a lot, it just took time.

That first vid where they're dancing with the crate between them was a great example of what dogs who really want to get together and play will do!

Hey, I have noticed a difference since we started him on everything. Rarely do I have to help him up into the car after a walk and he even gets a little too excited sometimes and jumps up on the couch on his own. It's amazing what that stuff can do once it takes hold. I'm hoping it works for him for a long time before we have to step up to stronger stuff. Sometimes I think he gets around better than Kenzi now. Lol.

Since he has slicked off and without his collar he looks like such a long dog sometimes and he really isn't.



And this is how awkward mutts stack. Pure breds be jealous.



And this is what all the hullaballoo was about. Llama!

Ohhh, Jenn, you've done a fantastic job on Keno, nice stacking pick btw, he looks more Alaskan Husky now than gsd/husky. Such wonderful pics, and lol at the llama.

He has such pretty eyes...pretty dog overall of course, but I just love his eyes

He is looking so good. Such a handsome boy.

Is that an alpaca? Lol.

I'm pretty sure it's a Llama. It's pretty big and has the bigger ears. Most people around here get the llamas to protect their cattle since llamas will kill dogs and coyotes and there are a lot of dogs in our area that are allowed to just roam and do what they want.

Thanks guys. He is a sweetheart but a total pain. He's a whole different dog now that he's healthy and acts just like all the husky puppies I see in their terrible teens. Rotten to the core, this one, and we wouldn't change a thing.

So Keno is not liking the new camera. Not sure if he thinks it is a gun or what, but the only time he will somewhat be himself is if he is outside running around.



Maybe if I don't look at it it won't steal my soul.





He has such a strange body structure.

He is so handsome, is it because of his hips that he appears to have longer back legs to his front legs? The next to last pic, his front legs up, is my favorite, omg, he is so adorably cute, not sure what he is about to pounce on, my guess Kenzi. They do make a happy pair.

It could be some due to his hips that he looks taller in the hind end. His hips are mounted below the socket (what tiny bit of a socket there is) so his legs are actually a little lower than the top line of his back than where they should be. A lot though is just the odd mixture of breeds that is in him. He is structurally confused on many levels.

Totally getting ready to pounce on Kenzi in the bunny hop picture. lol.

Keno sometimes gets to play with the neighbor's dog. Her name is apparently Esme, according to the collar she had for a very brief moment in time. We call her Spooky since when we moved in we were pretty sure she was a stray that had been abused because she was afraid of people and deathly thin. She has gotten very comfortable with us since. Kenzi won't be nice to her so she doesn't get play-time with Spooky. Anyone have any thoughts on Spooky's mix?