[MissEdie]

That's what I'm thinking, although according to my vet it's past late-middle age. My German Shepperd was supposed to have hip-replacement surgery this summer, but my regular vet has talked me out of it because he's 8 as well. She feels he is too old for the surgery, and that he will risk injuring his other joints during the recovery process. She also said his arthritis would get worse. The surgeon my husband took him to for an orthopedic consult was a bit too much of a champion for surgery. We're going with our regular vet, right now because our dog doesn't seem to be in much pain (he regularly chases squirrels in our backyard) and we have medication on hand to help him if he needs it.

[Tax-chick]

My old cat had arthritis for years. It didn't seem to cause her much discomfort, but she was very slow, and spent a lot of time resting in the sun.