Hip Dysplasia in Lab/Shepherd Cross

Our four year old female dog, a black lab/Belgian shepherd mix, was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia. The femur and socket on both hips are malformed (flat, not rounded) and per the vet it's probably genetic. She is finishing a round of 8 shots of Adequan and we have seen some improvement. Our vet said we could put her on a prescription diet as it too may help. Are there any herbs we can add to her diet to help her? She's our baby and we love her so much and want to help her so badly!

This is a case that may be best helped through an ongoing relationship with a qualified professional who has experience with both animals and herbs. Such a person may be found through the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (www.vbma.org). However, I will mention a few ideas: many dogs have seen improvement through the use of a good, homemade diet. This usually helps reduce the inflammatory response, improve the immune system and strengthen the body in a general fashion.
Please see the work of Richard Pitcairn, "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst for further details and recipes. In addition supplements such as vitamin C and glucosamine sulphate may help. I have also seen a number of herbs used in hip dysplasia including Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), Celery seed (Apium graveolens), Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Clivers (Galium aparine) amongst others. Combination and amounts would depend on the needs of your dog specifically; this is why the effectiveness of a one-on-one relationship with a practitioner cannot be over-rated.