Looking for experiences/advice: Left gluteus tendinopathy, mild stifle effusion, and hind limb muscle atrophy in my dog

Hi everyone,

My 5-year-old Golden Retriever, Ollie, has been dealing with some noticeable stiffness and weight-shifting in his back legs recently (right worse than left). We just got his X-ray results back, and they showed a few specific things contributing to his discomfort:

Chronic calcifying insertional tendinopathy in his left gluteus medius muscle.

Minimal bilateral stifle joint effusion (fluid/swelling in both knees, with the left being slightly worse).

Mild muscle atrophy in his right hind limb, which the vet thinks it’s from him chronically compensating and favoring that side.

Our vet told us our options are: an orthopedic evaluation, physical rehabilitation, or anti-inflammatory therapies with rest.

While we get that scheduled, I wanted to reach out here. Has anyone else’s dog dealt with calcifying tendinopathy or knee effusion? What did your management or physical rehab routine look like, and what helped your dog regain comfort and muscle mass? What therapies, supplements, or lifestyle adjustments made the biggest difference for their mobility?

Thank you so much in advance for any insights or stories.