Finding that balance

So Neb - 14.5 and not a GSD, big mutt - loves snow. Has arthritis, and has in the past de-furred his wrist by licking when the arthritis bothered him. Can't be on NSAIDs (kidneys), gabapentin didn't do a thing, don't want tramadol or whatever that 'opiate' is, so we upped his fish oil to 2000mg a day (doubled) and started him on CBD (split over three doses a day).

While I have been highly dubious about claims with CBD - nothing fixes THAT many things - one our vets had just been to a conference where they presented a study that showed promise with CBD and arthritis. Our vet advised on dosing and confirmed 100% CBD (apparently THC+dogs=BAD). Happily the Ontario Cannabis Store sells gummies that are 100% CBD, and perfectly amount for 3x/day dosing for a dog his weight.

He did well, was happily active and trotting about on walks, fur had mostly grown back.

AND THEN

It snowed. Probably because dogs love snow, plus Neb is part husky and part spitz, he looooooves the snow. The first snowfall we did a longer walk, and he kept sprinting, so it was a bit of an interval training walk of bits of normal speed thrown in with bits of running. So happy to see him having so much fun.

Two days later his wrist was without fur again. He's still licking at it sometimes (we just came in from a walk).

So now I have to find that balance. I hate to stop him from running around, but I also want him to not be in pain after. He seems to do a bit better off leash on trail running around, so that's one possibility after snowfalls - take him to High Park and let him run around on the trails.

Anyone have any tips for finding balance? While his wrist is bothering him, should I cut back on the exercise? We didn't walk far this morning at all (I slept in, whoops), just under 1k, and he's bothering his wrist.

But he does need exercise to keep synovial fluid happy and keep up what muscle he has left. Plus mentally it's good for him. He tends to go faster when it's with the other two as opposed to walks where it's just him and I and it's a lot of poking around and sniffing, though since we've started CBD his speed has improved.