Along with proper nutrition, grooming and regular veterinary care, a regular exercise program is essential for all dogs, but is even more important for senior dogs. Why is exercise so important for older dogs? First, it helps maintain your dog’s ideal body weight. Being overweight leads to a host of health problems and puts extra stress on joints, the heart, and more. As dogs age, they often develop arthritis, causing pain and discomfort, making it difficult to get up and move. When this happens, muscles weaken and atrophy, causing more pain and discomfort. Regular exercise helps to keep muscles strong, and can possibly delay the onset of arthritis. Exercise also benefits your elderly dog’s mental health; regular exercise keeps oxygen and other nutrients at optimum levels in the brain.

What can you do to keep your dog exercising into his golden years? Ideally, you begin an exercise regimen when your dog is a pup, and continue it throughout his lifetime. But if you haven’t or if you’ve adopted an older dog, here are some tips for beginning and carrying out an exercise program that will help to keep your senior healthy.

• Before beginning, have a health checkup and discuss an exercise program with your veterinarian.
• Know what activities are suited to your dog’s physical condition. Your dog’s safety is the primary concern.
• Begin slowly, and watch your dog closely. Stop if your dog appears to be tiring easily, seems overheated or is having trouble breathing.
• Work up to longer exercise periods, more days per week, and more strenuous activities as your dog’s endurance improves.
• If your dog suffers from arthritis and appears to be in pain, try a glucosamine supplement. Ask us, we can recommend excellent quality supplements.
• Exercise outside during the cool times of the day. If that’s not possible, consider indoor exercise using a treadmill.
• Consider hydrotherapy. Swimming in a warm water pool is a great form of exercise for all dogs, but is particularly good for elderly dogs because it’s non-weight bearing, and is a full body workout.
• Keep his mind active with games such as hide and seek.

Finally, while not exercise, give your dog regular massages. Just like for humans, massage helps relieve pain, increases circulation, strengthens the immune system, improves joint flexibility, and reduces inflammation in arthritic joints.

Spend this time with your dog and enjoy his golden years. Make exercise a fun activity you both enjoy. You both deserve it!

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888