Senior Ridgeback in a flat — joint care advice

A 10-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback moving from a house to a flat is actually a situation worth thinking through carefully — reduced daily movement at that age can quietly accelerate joint stiffness, even in a dog that still seems fine on the surface. Senior dogs do need adjustments across nutrition, joint support, dental care, and sometimes sleep quality, but how urgent and which areas matter most really depends on the individual dog. To give you something useful: does your Ridgeback have any existing joint issues or a diagnosis like arthritis, and have you noticed any changes in how he or she moves since the transition — stiffness getting up, reluctance on stairs, that kind of thing?

That morning stiffness combined with what your vet described in her hips tells me her joints are already under some load — and the reduced movement will mean less natural lubrication from activity, which can make that worse over time. Ridgebacks are a big, deep-chested breed and they carry a lot of weight through those hips even at rest. Two shorter walks is fine, but the joint support side needs to be doing more of the work now. Can I ask what she's currently eating — is it a senior-formula food, standard adult, or something else? And is she on anything at all for her joints right now?

That's actually a really common gap — vets often flag it without directing you anywhere concrete, and owners end up not acting on it. Given Zara's age, her hip wear, the breed size, and the drop in movement, I'd make joint supplementation the first priority. The product I'd point you to is YuMOVE Advanced for Large Dogs — it's a well-evidenced glucosamine and HA supplement with green-lipped mussel as the active joint-support ingredient, and it's specifically formulated for dogs with existing stiffness rather than just prevention. It's widely used by vets in the UK and the large-breed dose is appropriate for a Ridgeback. Most owners notice a difference in morning movement within four to six weeks. On food, switching to a senior formula with lower calories and added joint nutrients would also be worth doing alongside — but the supplement is the more immediate lever for what you're describing.

Indefinitely — joint supplements only work while you're giving them. They're not fixing structural damage, they're supporting the tissue and reducing inflammation on an ongoing basis. Think of it like a daily maintenance job rather than a treatment course. The good news is YuMOVE comes as a tablet that most dogs take as a treat, so compliance is usually easy. Start on the loading dose for the first month — that's double the maintenance amount — then drop to the standard daily dose after that. Given the flat living situation, I'd also think about a good orthopedic bed if she doesn't already have one. Hard floors are harder on arthritic hips than gardens are, and a supportive surface makes a real difference overnight.