so a few weeks ago i started noticing woof limping on his front left paw. i looked under and saw a pad was cracking. looked under the rest and noticed right rear as well. i assumed it was from the salt and ice we've been having. we go for long walks. well i took him to the vet the next day and was informed that he is actually lacking a nutrition in his diet. and pointed out his dry nose. i was a bit shocked. i buy holistic grain free wilderness brands. but unfortunately my parents who live upstairs tend to give him left overs. he begs soo much. well he weighs 73 lbs at almost 7 yrs. i know he is over weight but what i dont get is we walk a good hr a day. he pulls and he looks more muscular that fat. but still i see more weight will cause more pain in his paws. im at a loss. the vet also checked his blood and said he was a tad bit low in thyroid. and said he should be on the pills. yet i keep hearing from others not to put him on it because its a permanent thing. woof though does not act lethargic through out this. pulls on walks constantly loves to be chased so that makes me doubt the blood work. well anyway the vet gave me prescription for the pain in his paws called "prednisone" i gave him his first dose. then read such HORRIBLE reviews on it. so i said screw that and stopped. the vet also insisted "biotine" for skin repair. i read its safe so he has been on that for a few weeks as well as regular vitamins. which he is usually on... for years. anyway looking under his paws they look so much better. but he still limps and now he has a bit trouble getting up. it looks like arthritis. he still pulls a little on shorter walks. but i really want this cold weather to be over already to see if he can loose some weight and warmer weather should help him feel better too. he sleeps inside but loves being outside and if we try to bring him in he will collapse on the floor so we cant. stubborn. i wonder if i should put him on regular joint vitamins from petco in the meantime. i also bought flax oil for myself, but found out it benefits on arthritis as well and looked up if dogs can take it. which they can. so many things run though my head that i dont know what to do exactly. im leaning towards joint vitamins with the flax and hoping weather clears up. hoping he looses weight as well. sorry its so long. can you give me advice on what you would do in my place? thanks. ps, that pic of him was taken a couple of weeks ago. (he also takes off the boots)

A low thyroid level will make dogs, cats and people gain weight, so the medication is probably a good idea, at least to start with to see if it helps his weight. As with the joint pain, glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and fish oil are my go-to joint supplements. Dasuquin and Cosaquin are my personal recommendations, as they are specifically formulated for dogs and are better absorbed. As with any nutritional supplement, immediate response is not going to happen; it takes up to 6-8 weeks to start to see improvements

thanks for the response. and for the recommended supplements. i see they have many good reviews. could i buy them in a store or only online?

You can probably find better deals online, but a lot of vets carry them as well if you want them sooner. (I get Dasuquin from Wag.com with free shipping and it arrives usually the next day) I haven't seen it in an actual store before. I know that Costco sells Cosequin, but the dasuquin is stronger and better suited for more severe cases of arthritis. I usually get the Kirkland sardine oil for Kale, two caps twice a day, with a meal, totaling 4,000mg a day. That's the therapeutic dosage.

wag.com, ok thank you so much. you were such great help! i appreciate it. kale is so beautiful

You could use Musher's Secret on his paw pads also in the meantime to protect his paw pads from the salt.

My boy Storm came to us overweight and borderline hypothyroid. We did put him on a low does of Thyroxine to help him while we worked weight off him. Now his thyroid levels on within normal range and is off thyroid meds. It doesn't cost much and Woof's being overweight may be the cause of his thyroid levels being off.

You could also slowly switch his food to a lower fat, lower calorie food, or mix in something like green beans in his food so you can reduce his food but still create healthy bulk and fiber to help cut on calories.