my dog is having trouble getting up

[liltigera1]

my dog is a german shepard great dane and as of late he is having trouble getting off the floor. he is a little over weight. he is scratching himself alot (i think its from dry skin) idk if that could be a reason why he is having trouble. when he is outside playing with my other dog he is fine and he runs around our yard. he was limping a couple of days ago. does anyone know a reason or a thought and what to do

[allfurlove]

Both of his breeds are prone to joint problems, and being overweight certainly doesnt help. Dry skin is probably food-related. What do you feed him? How old is he?
It sounds like he is in some pain. Time for a visit to the vet. They can give you something to help him, pain meds, or a supplement to ease his joints.
Be wary of any diet food they try to sell you. Vet foods tend to be overpriced and low-quality. There is lots of info in the food forum here, and many helpful members.

[liltigera1]

he eats the green bag of iams dog food. he is about 3 and a half years old

[liltigera1]

he had alot of baths last month trying to get rid of flies so i thought thats why he had dry skin

[liltigera1]

This is Liltigera1's stepmom - he is getting a good quality food - and is losing weight now (this time of year he is active and we keep him moving), we are wondering if he should have extra padding to sleep on or if we should be adding something to his food like oil to help combat the dry skin. he likes to sleep on the bare floor when it is hot out.

[allfurlove]

Hi, yes Salmon oil would be great for his dry skin, and for joint problems. When using salmon oil you must also supplement with vitamin E. Here is a really good link about this http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html