You just got a new puppy. You know the basics of dog ownership: someplace to sleep, food, training, and exercise and play. But a puppy is not an adult dog, he is still growing physically and still learning mentally. You need to approach each of these areas differently than you would an older dog.

When I see an enthusiastic new dog owner walking a puppy, I mean a little puppy not an almost-year-old-dog, I want to applaud the owner’s commitment but tell hi–scale it back just a notch for a minute. How much exercise and what kind to puppies really need?

All dogs need some movement, but for a puppy, just some playtime with you in the living room will suffice. (Not only is this enough exercise, this is crucial bonding activity to create a connection with the dog, make him feel secure, and establish your dominance.) Good puppy play can be anything unstructured and not too strenuous: chasing, running, playing with dog toys, tugging. For training purposes, you don’t want to encourage biting or gnawing and maybe even start using a command for when playtime is over so he will start to know the difference. Playing with other dogs that are in the house is good for him too, but just watch if you have older dogs. A puppy playing with an adult dog can tend to play hard to keep up, and will be more prone to injuries.

Overdoing it with your puppy can lead to problems later. Things like rough play and jumping is a bad idea for a young pup. A puppy’s bones are soft and spongy. They don’t completely harden until the puppy is 18 months to 2 year depending on your dog’s breed. High jumps, jumping over large objects and jumping out of things like porches or trucks should be discouraged. The stress soft bones, underdeveloped muscles and immature ligaments can create damage–maybe life-long issues.

More than a casual walk is not good for a young puppy either. Besides the issue of her still-developing bones, a puppy’s body is not good at controlling its body temperature, making her more prone to heat stroke. Running, jogging, rollerblading, and biking with you dog should be saved for later.

As your puppy grows, more intensive or longer workouts are fine. Here are some guidelines from Petco on appropriate physical activity for your pup:

Exercise Guidelines for Puppies

6 Weeks to 4 Months

• Short walks on soft terrain
• Playing with soft toys in a contained area, such as a fenced yard
• Swimming in warmer water for short periods

4 to 8 Months

• Longer walks on soft terrain
• Playing with soft toys
• Swimming and playing with toys in the water

8 to 12 Months

• Faster and/or longer walks on soft terrain
• Playing with soft toys
• Swimming and playing with toys in the water for longer periods

12 Months and Up

• Walks on terrain that has been checked for hazards such as unseen glass, holes, ditches, wires, stakes, and metal fragments
• Jogging with you (begin with short distances on softer terrain until endurance is built up)
• Playing with appropriate toys
• Swimming and playing with toys in the water

Remember, generally, you know any exercise is enough for your dog when he or she is laid out at the end of the day. A tired dog is a happy dog.

Canine diabetes may not be curable, but it is manageable in most dogs–if the condition is diagnosed early and treated properly. Only a veterinarian can diagnose this condition in dogs, but treatment will largely fall on the lap of the dog’s owners and it is no small thing. Treating any medical condition is a daily responsibility to be carried out consistently for the rest of the dog’s life. However, knowing the knowing the three components of at-home care  for a diabetic dog–food, medication, and exercise–you can create a schedule that is balanced, not overwhelming. Read the rest of this entry

Lately, when you take your dog to play in the yard or at the dog park or for a run, you may notice a slight limp later. It might not slow her down much, but you wonder if maybe you need to take it easier. What is Dysplasia “Off-and-on lameness is a common sign of degenerative joint disease,” says Dr. Ann Johnson, veterinary orthopedic specialist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. “Dogs show evidence of pain from degenerative joint disease by limping. Lameness can occur suddenly, or gradually increase over time. It can be persistent or intermittent.”

Canine hip dysplasia is an inherited condition where the bones don’t fit well, especially the thigh bone (femur) into the hip socket. This mismatch fit strains the cartilege that acts as a cushion between th bones. This strain leads to this progressive degenerative joint disease.

There are several ways a vet may deal with dysplasia including anti-inflammatory drugs, supplements, surgical procedures such as a total hip replacement, joint arthroplasty (removal of a portion of the bone), or arthrodesis (fusion of the joint). However, one of the first things vets recommend, especially when the condition is mild, is managing dysplasia with moderate exercise.

Why Should You Exercise A Dog with Dysplasia

Even though the joint is improper, you should still exercise your dog-moderately (we’ll talk more about that in a minute). First, exercise will strengthen the muscles around the joint, which lesses some of the stress on a joint.

Second, exercise helps you dog maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight adds stress to the joints and increases pain.

Exercises for Dysplasia

Moderation is the key for exercise. The key is a little exercise often. Even ten minutes, twice a day can help keep strenghthen your dog.

Good exercises for hip dysplasia

• Walks – casual, short walks
• Hikes – leisurely walks on easy trails
• Swimming – if you don’t have a pool or dog friendly pond nearby, look for canine hydrotherapy or rehab facilities
• Obstacle courses – tunnels/chutes, weaving through objects, balancing are fine–just no jumping
• Indoor chasing games – games like chase or hide-and-seek can provide rainy day fun, and prevent an energetic dog from running full out, which they would be feeling later
• Fetching games – easy, non-jumping games of fetch, chase, or catch

Not so good

• Running/jogging
• Sprints like squirrel chasing
• Jumping games

My stepmother wasn’t feeling well a couple of weeks ago and she asked me to pick her dog up from the vet. PIg had been a little lethargic and was drinking a lot of water. My S-Mom thought Pig might have picked up something from the boarding kennel when she and Dad were in Mexico last month. The vet told me nope, the dog has diabetes and started rattling off instructions and a follow-up appointment. When I got Pig home, I don’t think my stepmother really believed a dog could be diabetic and called the vet. I wanted to say–but didn’t–well, S-Mom with a name like Pig….

Even veterinarians are also seeing more pets with diabetes. And one of the major causes is obesity. Diabetes in pets is often controlled with a specific diet and medication including insulin. Careful portion control and timing of food intake is important. But exercise is crucial for a three reasons:

• weight loss – Eating healthy and moving more is the basic formula for losing weight. Weight loss helps lower elevated blood glucose levels.
• weight control – Weight control with diabetes is an essential part of successful treatment. Naturally, any weight gain can make diabetes worse. Managing a good weight helps keeps all the body’s systems, including blood sugar levels, in balance.
• better blood circulation – exercise generally causes the blood glucose to decrease as muscles pull energy from blood glucose. So, as the dog exercises, the blood glucose decreases. Exercise also helps your dog to absorb insulin better which also causes the blood glucose to drop. In fact, exercise can increase the rate at which insulin is absorbed.

Exercise Tips for Dogs with Diabetes

These are general tips, but please, always talk to your dog’s vet for the best course of action for your pet.

Pick an exercise your dog will find fun, but is low-key. The activity should be reasonable for your dog’s temperament, age, and health. Walking is always a safe bet, but hiking, swimming, and other low-key activities are fine and provide variety. A low-key activity is something you dog can do without panting.

But don’t go overboard with weight loss–a little bit of activity goes a surprisingly long way. If your dog has been inactive, you definitely need to start small, 10 to 15 minutes at a time. It is better to do a little bit most days, than to cram 30 minutes of workout in a couple of days.

It is important to keep their activity level the same from day to day. Try to exercise at the time of day for the same length of time. It helps you both get into the habit, but it also gives her body time to adjust to the changes. In fact, if your dog’s activity changes drastically one day from the previous, her blood glucose levels can surge and really endanger your dog’s health.

Always, take a little sweetener like Karo syrup with you when you walk or exercise. If your dog over-exercises and her blood sugar drops, you will see strange behavior, anything from dizziness to fatigue to convulsions. If so, give your dog a little sugar, and you should see a difference right away.

Remember, make changes one at a time. Go slow, go gradual. But do go! And watch the diet (Check out this video for ideas).

If you have a dog with arthritis, it can be heartbreaking to see him or her limp in pain. This is not an uncommon condition either. But there are ways to help your pal live a quality life with this condition.

Does My Dog Have Arthritis?
Only a vet can diagnose if a dog has arthritis. You may suspect your dog may have this condition if she has difficulty getting up or walking. Click to read more on canine arthritis.

Once diagnosed, your vet tell you what the best course of action is for the type and progress of arthritis. Whether surgery or medication is used, if your dog has arthritis, he or she needs a lifestyle that helps bring relief including regular exercise.

Exercise For Arthritis?
What?, you may be saying. My dog has arthritis—he’s joints hurt. Taking him walk is the opposite of what I should do. Maybe it will cause even more damage. Actually, moving around a bit can have the opposite effect. Vet and animal specialists recommend exercise for dogs with arthritis for several reasons.

• To manage weight.
  • If you dog is overweight, losing some pounds will provide relief. Excess weight serves to stress the already painful joints causing even more pain and swelling.
  • If you dog is at a healthy weight, continuing to exercise will help maintain the weight and as we said, too much weight adds to joint strain and pain of arthritis.

• The more they lie there, the stiffer they become. Exercise helps increase flexibility and endurance and strengthens muscle around the joints.

• Regular exercise use energy and helps your dog sleep better.

• Exercise helps stave off other health problems such heart disease.

• Exercise likewise helps your dog in dealing with the physical pain. It is an activity that is occupying their mind. It’s something to think about other than discomfort.

• Exercise is still fun. And dogs like to have fun, and fun always improves the quality of life.

How to Exercise With Arthritis
A little bit more often is better than a lot once in a while. For instance, two 10-15 minute daily walks are better than one long walk. A short daily walk is much better than a weekly hike. Joints can eventually be aggravated by excessive activity, but there are definite benefits of some activity. Of course, take cues from your dog. If he wants to run a bit, let him run. If he’s ready to rest, stop and rest. Moderation is the goal: not too much, not too little.

Good Exercises for Arthritic Dogs

• Walking – always a favorite. Choose low-intensity, easy routes. No hills, no rough surfaces, no uphill marches.
• Hiking – like walking, make sure you choose easy smooth trails and go for short hikes.
• Swimming – a great sport that is easy on the joints. Warm water, swimming in cold water will just be uncomfortable later.
• Running games – if your dog is fine with it, some low-key running is OK. For instance, you could have a 10-minute game of hide and seek or fetch. Either one involves a lot of breaks and the “running” can be anything from a fast walk to a trot. Some running games include:
  • Hide and See
  • Fetch
  • Keep-away
  • Soccer
• Agility games – this if fun and challenging if you train just for fun, competition is too intense training for competition. Do the games that are less impact like balance beam, chutes and tunnels, and running around obstacles.

If the weather is cold, keep your dog in. It is not known for sure if cold weather actually makes arthritis worse, but it can make the joints feel worse.

Arthritis does not have to be the end of your dog’s world. Always check with a vet first, but with care and some changes in lifestyle, both you and your pup can get relief.