GSD health issues

Hi Jaye,

That stomach twisting is called bloat, and I've lost a dog to it (a bloodhound), and so have others here. Is the shelter warning you about bloat with this dog? Has she had bloat before? If the dog has had it before then indeed, it is important to feed small meals a few times a day and to keep an eye on her after every meal.

Has the shelter had the dog examined by a vet? If not, then the first thing is to get a good, thorough examination, including fecal (to check for worms) and, if possible, blood panel. That will give you a good idea if the dog has any health issues right now.

I'm sure Glenda will pop in here and be lots more specific about German shepherds, but the only thing I really know of that affects them is hip dysplasia. I think for a mixed dog an x-ray is the best way to check for that if it's not already having trouble walking.

I doubt the shelter would adopt out a dog with acute hip dysplasia anyway! And they've probably had a vet at least do a brief exam.

When I had to bring a dog to the shelter (which I'd gotten from a "rescue" that was really an animal hoarding situation) I made sure they knew that the next owner should definitely call me. Sometimes you can find out things from the previous owners and some people don't mind being contacted, and you can learn good information about the dog. Ask at the shelter if the previous owners would mind being contacted.

And just so no one jumps down my throat....I trained Buddy, the dog I rescued, got him over his terrible, terrible parasite infestations, and then my very ADHD son, who was five, was not able to treat him right. I told my son I'd have to take the dog back if my son didn't treat him right. I had to follow through, and did. The dog was so well-trained (I'd had him for two months) that he was adopted within 4 hours and the new owner called me. "This dog knows everything!" he marveled. So the story has a happy ending. And my son learned a valuable lesson.

Let us know how it goes when you bring her home!

i dont know if they can give me contact on the owner because the dog was abandoned.  but they know the owners are so ill at least ask.  no, the shelter hasnt warned me of any previous health problems with the dog, they really dont know much about her.  ill be adopting her sunday morning, shell be spayed on monday and i can bring her home tuesday.  how soon will i be able to take her out for a walk after being spayed?

since she's being spayed at an older age I'd wait 2 weeks before taking her for a walk.
Molly (GSD) was spayed at 6 months of age and I took her for a short walk after a week cause she was going stir crazy. But I waited 2 weeks before I took her for a good walk.
I had to remind my husband (he wanted to take her for a long walk after a week cause she was acting okay) that a dog has a hysterectomy and a person would be laid up for at least 6 weeks!!!
Don't let her get overweight as that places extra stress on the joints, leading to joint problems.
Lots of socializing so she remains on friendly terms with people and isn't wary.
And most importantly ENJOY!!!! I adore GSDs and had 2 GSD mixes before I got my previous dog, Sadie now at Rainbow Bridge. Then I adopted Molly from Glenda
I look at other breeds and none compare, in my opinion and desires, quite like GSD and GSD mixes do.
Get on good terms with a good vet and ask tons of questions if you have any. Any vet, worth their $$, will willing and honestly answer any questions you have no matter how silly they might be (like me taking Sadie in cause she had a lump and it ended up being her spay scar).