Doc0075: To the other question, Bonnie was 12 when she died and passed peacefully in her sleep.
supplementscene: That really is a good age for such a big dog. How were her legs towards the end? I know Alsation's are bread by breeders to have a sloping back because it looks 'nice'. And unfortunately it puts undue pressure on their hips and they collapse or limp for much of their lives. If you can find one that doesn't have a sloped back they'll have a happier life.
My business is nutritional supplements and I can get you Dog MSM, Glucosamine and Condroitin Joint Formula at cost price, which will be typically 5% of the costs of the price vets will charge you if you ever need it. I was shocked how much they'd charge my grandad before I started giving him it for free. It's also in a disolvable powder formula that mixes easily into dog food unlike the pills vets will give you that were never designed for dogs and are a nightmare to mix in their food. You probably won't need it for a few years but feel free to add me as a friend on gog in the meantime.
BTW I feel sorry for your paper boy ;)
Thank you for the offer, I'll keep it in mind. Thankfully most German Shepherds, in the UK at least, don't have the sloped back and my Bonnie didn't either. Her legs were very good for her age, as was her general health. It was a bit of a shock when she passed away but at least she didn't suffer.
We're very lucky in this country to have the NHS to look after us if we have health problems but aren't particularly well off.
Vets on the other hand are a major rip-off. Many people have gone into debt trying to cover vet bills and it needs to be looked at by those in power.