Exercise for Dogs with Arthritis

Just like humans, arthritis is a dog’s worst nightmare as it almost incapacitates them. If you take proper pet health care then there is a chance that when your dog grows old, he or she might not go through the painful medical condition called arthritis. To better equip your self, you should always ask the veterinarian as many dog health questions as possible. Asking dog health questions will make you better informed and you will be able to diagnose a medical condition from the symptoms.

Arthritis is prevalent mostly in large dogs especially when they age. Arthritis doesn’t have a miraculous cure but regular pet health care can prevent it and even reduce the chances as he or she grows old. Prevention and high standards of pet health care can ensure that dogs have a comfortable life especially after they have grown old.

You can ask your vet any dog health questions you might have regarding arthritis. One of the best options is regular exercise, which will not only keep your dog fit and healthy but also keep arthritis away from him. Exercise is an integral part of pet health care along with nutritious diets. You need to also ensure that your dog doesn’t become overweight because then it will increase the chances of arthritis as well as heart diseases. Overweight dogs will also shirk exercise and this can well aggravate or worsen their existing arthritic condition.

Exercises For Arthritis

There are different types of exercises that your dog can do to keep his weight normal and over long-term, these exercises will protect him from the potential risk of arthritis. Most animal specialists as well as vets recommend different types of exercises for dogs so that they can be in a better condition where arthritis is concerned and of course with good pet health care they will be able to lead a good life.

Some of the top exercises that your dog can indulge in if he is arthritic or even otherwise include:

• Walking: This is a dog’s favorite exercise because they don’t have to work too hard and a walk can do wonders. You can start with low to moderate intensity routes to begin with and then stretch the number of miles from 1-5 as your dog gets used to it. Try to avoid climbing up hills and rough surfaces.
• Swimming: Dogs can swim but not all dogs will love water. So if your dog is a Labrador or retriever then you can take him out for a nice swim. Swimming is an exercise that will be easy on his joints.
• Fetching games: Dogs like to fetch but some dogs just love it!  If your pet loves to fetch then you can indulge him in running and fetching but ensure that you don’t make him run too hard. Dog parks are a great place for playing fetching games. Some of the other games that involve running include:

a)            Soccer

b)            Catch the Frisbee/ball

c)            Jumping over small barriers

d)            Jumping small fences