The lighter evenings are thankfully upon us and the weather is gradually beginning to improve which means for many dog owners the chance to enjoy more walking time with their canine friend. Maintaining a regular and appropriate exercise level ensures our dogs keep in great health, but any increase of exercise should be managed gradually and with a level of planning to prevent injury.
Scientific Nutritional Products takes a look in our latest blog.
Firstly dog owners should ensure any exercise goals are age and health appropriate. Young puppies, especially the larger breeds should not be over-walked early in their development as some of the large breeds can take until two years old to be fully developed!
When increasing walk duration this should be done gradually building up the distance covered or the amount of short walks taken week-by-week. It can be helpful to keep a diary to monitor this as well as timing your walks. It is important to consider the terrain you are walking over and whether your walks take you and your dog over flat or hilly ground as undulating surfaces naturally will be more testing to your dog’s fitness and flexibility.
A fun and timesaving way to work on your dog’s muscle tone and strength can be as simple as working on your dog's obedience skills. This can be done at home, and in the garden as well as on walks. Dog owners can simply ask their canine friends to alternate between the standing position, sitting, laying down and back to standing again. Alternative play based fitness and strength training can include creating a way to jump, teaching your dog to stand on a box or similar, or playing with a tug toy.
If you have an older dog working on their flexibility by helping to encourage them to stretch can be highly beneficial and many can benefit from working with a physical therapist such as a massage therapist or physiotherapist to keep them feeling in tip-top. Including a balanced diet of quality food which is nutrient rich in protein and fat is also vital alongside including a supplement in the diet to support joints and enjoying an active lifestyle.
Finally, body condition is important as dogs are not designed to carry excess bodyweight as it can be damaging to their joints as well as their general health and well-being. If your dog needs to lose weight speak with your veterinarian to get a tailored diet and exercise plan.
Scientific Nutritional Products manufacture Canine Joint Right which is a Dog Joint Supplement containing optimum Glucosamine for Dogs, Chondroitin, MSM, Hyaluronic Acid and Omega 3 ideal for dogs in order to keep a healthy, active lifestyle. If your dog is enjoying an increase in exercise or needs support with stiffer joints then Canine Joint Right is the ideal supplement. For more information visit www.horsesupplementsdirect.co.uk or contact the team on Freephone 0800 032 7774
