On that memorable morning (the morning of the big wipe out) Mother Nature had treated the landscape to about three inches of beautiful snow overnight, but had followed that with several hours of morning misty rain, turning the snow to slush.

I can still picture it. I'd stayed straight on the path, heading down towards the creek, while my German shorthaired pointer Lozen had made a sweep to the left, longing to find birds in one of the training fields. When I got about 20 yards along down the path, I called her and she came flying. She was taking the turn too fast for the conditions, and (I think) trying to avoid running into me. The big wipeout was punctuated by her one sharp yelp of pain as she slid and tumbled end-over-end, breaking a small sapling during her final slide.And she came up onto her feet holding her left hind leg in what I know now is the classic sign of an ACL injury. No weight on the leg, paw curled. I was sick with worry.Later that day, my veterinarian Dr. Ron Bernhard, Ringtown Valley Vet Hospital, looked up from his manipulations of Lozen's knee joint. "Well," he said, "it's an ACL but not a full tear."He treated Lozen with weekly shots of a product called Adequan (also known as Flexiquin). I followed instructions, keeping her on a check cord for exercise. I'm happy to report that she has fully recovered, but it took a year and a half. She's 10 years old now, and was about six when the injury occurred.First, let's do a quick review of Fundamentals of Anatomy, human and canine. Our bones are held together by a mesh of joints, intervertebral discs and ligaments. Muscles are connected to bones by tendons. In other words, there are plenty of places where injuries can occur.Complicating the diagnosis of joint injuries is the usual stoicism of the dog. Most have quite a tolerance for pain. For this reason, we might not know when an injury first occurs. Meanwhile, the dog's immune system is fighting back against the inflammation, and if that inflammation is not fixed and continues, degenerative joint disease begins.According to the Canine Health Foundation (www.akcchf.org), tendon injuries often progress undiagnosed and can result in chronic lameness and pain. In addition to fall hunting, Lozen and I had participated in American Kennel Club events, both hunt tests and field trials. In the trials, from a horse, I'd often marveled at her speed and agility - but when she was young never thought of adding a joint supplement to her care. I thought that was something you added when your dog got old, when arthritis began.Not true. While older dogs do benefit from joint supplements, dogs can reap those benefits at all life stages, according to the CHF. When you're shopping, there are a couple key ingredients you should be seeking, according to the CHF and other pet industry leaders."Joint health supplements that have been shown by clinical trial research to provide a benefit for dogs with joint issues, particularly with osteoarthritis, include fish oil or a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate," said Brian Zanghi, Research Nutritionist at Nestle Purina PetCare. "Healthy and physically active dogs may also benefit from the use of these types of supplements by enriching the levels already present in the dog's food, and it is also ideal to consider these joint supplements as a precautionary strategy - especially dogs that have had a lifetime of being physically active."Dogs that are overweight, even by as little as five pounds, are putting extra stress on joints that aren't designed to handle it. The Canine Health Foundation - which is currently conducting research to establish body mass guidelines which are breed specific - names "lean condition" as one of the most important aspects of injury prevention.No matter what the dog's age, owners need to be cautious as the activity begins. Remember that for most dogs, when they're turned loose for a walk or to hunt, the pace is all-out."You don't want to just turn the dog loose," said Bob West, Purina's former director of Nestle/Purina Sporting Dog Programs, now busier than ever as a retiree. "Snap on a lead and walk the dog around as a warm-up, no matter what the age of the dog."