Husky/malamute

Question
I recently adopted what I was told is a husky/malamute mix. Spayed, overweight 3 year old female. She is gentle and proving to be a wonderful addition to our family. I have noticed during our walks that her rear hips sway more than Mae West on a good day. Is this a sign of hip problems or normal? We are both working on weight loss and getting more exercise. Do you recommend glucosamine for dogs? We lost a  female rott due to hip problems and want to do anything possible to prevent or deal with this if needed

Answer
It's really difficult to tell without seeing the dog in motion and getting hands on to feel the hips and their range of motion.  However, just being overweight and not having exercise may cause some issues that you are seeing, or it may be hip or knee problems.  As a rule, Sibes and Mals are fairly healthy in comparison to other dogs in their size range, so good breeding will often help prevent hip issues, but it's still possible.  My first instinct is that unless the dog is showing signs of pain, to not worry much about it and concentrate on slow and steady exercise and the weight loss to see if that helps.  If you aren't sure if she is showing signs of discomfort or if she is, I would suggest a trip to your vet for a more detailed assessment.  As for glucosamine, I don't see any harm in it and have seen some success with it as well.