Arthritic Husky in a city flat — what helps

A countryside-to-city move at nine years old is genuinely hard on a Husky's body — less space to move freely, no garden to potter around in, and a breed that was built to cover serious ground every day. That combination of reduced movement and age can accelerate joint stiffness quite quickly. Most arthritis supplements are either underdosed for a large dog or too generic to address what's actually going on — size, age, and activity level all change what works. To point you somewhere useful: what are you noticing most — is it morning stiffness when he gets up, reluctance on stairs or in and out of the car, or has he just slowed down noticeably on his city walks?

That warm-up pattern is classic early-to-mid stage arthritis — the joint fluid isn't lubricating properly overnight, so the first few minutes are uncomfortable until circulation gets things moving. The held leg suggests one hip or stifle joint is the main culprit. Before I suggest anything: how much does he weigh, roughly? And is he on any medication from the vet, or are you managing this yourself so far?

That's a sensible place to be — keeping him moving is genuinely the right call, but the joint support piece matters a lot at this stage because you can slow the progression quite meaningfully if you get the nutrition right now rather than waiting. For a 28kg Husky with that morning stiffness pattern, I'd go with YuMOVE PLUS for large dogs. It's a step up from the standard YuMOVE formula — higher concentration of green-lipped mussel, which is the best natural source of omega-3s that specifically reduce joint inflammation, plus glucosamine and hyaluronic acid for cartilage and synovial fluid. The PLUS version is designed for dogs already showing symptoms rather than just as prevention, which is exactly where your boy is. At his weight and with the degree of stiffness you're describing, the large dog dosing matters — a lot of people use the standard formula and under-dose a dog this size without realising it. You should see a difference in the warm-up time within four to six weeks.

Yes, absolutely — and honestly that might be contributing as much as anything else to the morning stiffness. A hard floor with just a blanket means his joints are under pressure all night with no support, and for a dog his size that's significant. A good memory foam orthopaedic bed will keep the pressure off his hips and shoulders while he sleeps, which directly reduces how stiff he is on waking. The supplement works on the joint itself from the inside; the bed reduces the mechanical load overnight. Do both and you'll get a much better result than either alone.

Yes, it's widely available on Amazon UK — search for YuMOVE PLUS Large Dog and make sure you're getting the large breed version rather than the standard. It comes in tablet or soft chew form; most Huskies will take the chews happily as a treat, which makes life easier. Give it consistently every day — it needs to build up in the system, so don't judge it after one week. Six weeks is the real test. With the bed sorted and the supplement dialled in, you should notice him moving much more comfortably in the mornings.