Dog arthritis after neutering weight gain

Weight gain after neutering is one of the most common triggers we see for joint stiffness in middle-aged dogs — the extra load lands hard on joints that may already have some wear starting. Most arthritis products for dogs are either underdosed or poorly matched to the dog's specific situation, and size, age, and how the problem developed all change what's actually going to help. To point you in the right direction: what's your Airedale's current weight roughly, and what are you noticing most — is it morning stiffness when he first gets up, reluctance on stairs, or is he slowing down mid-walk and struggling to finish?

That 6kg gain is significant for an Airedale — it's roughly a quarter of his pre-op bodyweight, and joints feel every bit of it. Morning stiffness that eases as he warms up, combined with stair reluctance, is a classic picture of mild-to-moderate joint inflammation rather than end-stage arthritis, which is actually encouraging — it means the right support can make a real difference. Before I recommend a specific product: is he on any medication from the vet at the moment, and are you actively working on getting the weight back down, or is that still in progress?

Good — that 1kg loss is already helping his joints, and you're doing the right things. For a 32kg dog with this kind of stiffness history, the product I'd go with is YuMOVE Joint Care PLUS. It's not the standard YuMOVE — the PLUS version has a significantly higher concentration of TriOmega active green-lipped mussel, which is where the real anti-inflammatory work happens, plus hyaluronic acid and glucosamine at doses that are actually meaningful for a dog his size. The standard formula tends to be underdosed for bigger dogs or more established stiffness, which is exactly the situation you're in. You dose by weight, so at 32kg he'd be in the large dog bracket. Most owners see a noticeable change in morning mobility within four to six weeks. It's widely available on Amazon UK, often in a 360-tablet tub which works out considerably cheaper per dose than the smaller packs.

Start with just the YuMOVE PLUS — layering too many supplements at once makes it impossible to know what's working, and it can get expensive fast. The one thing I would add, which isn't a supplement, is controlled lead walking on flat ground every day rather than off-lead running or steep terrain while he's still losing weight. Short, consistent movement helps lubricate the joints and maintain muscle, which takes load off cartilage better than rest does. Once he's shed another couple of kilos and you've had six weeks on the supplement, you'll have a much clearer picture of where he actually is — and if he still needs more support at that point, that's when a vet conversation about prescription anti-inflammatories becomes worth having.

Great choice — the larger tub is much better value and you'll want to be on it consistently for at least a couple of months to see the full effect. Keep up the steady weight loss alongside it and he should start feeling noticeably better. If things plateau or you're unsure whether it's working after six weeks, come back and we can think about next steps together. Good luck with him.