Dog Physical Therapy Series Part 3 – Muscle Strengthening

Exercise helps reduce dog arthritis pain…

If you’re looking for ways to relieve your pet’s pain from dog arthritis and improve his mobility, dog physical therapy may be a way to supplement or replace traditional drug treatment.

Nearly a quarter of all dogs are affected by arthritis but in older dogs it is more like 90%. Arthritis can be very painful for your pet and can result in a number of physical problems and problems with temperament. Some common symptoms of this condition include lameness, irritability, licking or worrying at the joints.

Common medical treatments for dog arthritis include a regimen of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Complementing these drugs with dog physical therapy can help reduce the impact of arthritis on your dog’s mobility and quality of life. Also, some dogs don’t take well to drug therapy, so dog physical therapy may be an effective alternative treatment.

Arthritis pain exercises for canines can be very helpful in reducing discomfort and preventing further damage to their joints. It will also help keep your dog from becoming overweight, which can exacerbate his arthritis.

Types of exercise

There are a few dog arthritis exercises you may want to try to help your canine. Exercise is best undertaken for a few minutes each day, rather than for long periods on weekends. Consistency is key.

A good form of dog physical therapy to work the joints that isn’t too intense is a sit-stand exercise. In a sit-stand exercise, you’ll ask your dog to sit and then stand several times. It’s essentially squats for dogs. These exercises help work the muscles around the joints.

For something a little more challenging, you may want to have your dog pull weights on a small sled or use therapy bands, which provide resistance as a dog moves to build up leg strength.

For mobility purposes, you may want to take your dog on a weaving walk between cones. These exercises are good for strength and stability.

Other good exercises for active dogs include having your dog use hills, ramps and steps. These are fairly low-impact exercises that can help your dog build up strength. Hills are good because they help build up the strength of the back legs on the way up but be careful coming back down as it can be strenuous on the triceps, elbows, shoulder and knees. Tunnels for your dog to crawl through are also great exercise, as are treadmills.

Another great low-impact dog arthritis treatment option to improve strength and flexibility is aquatic therapy making use of swimming or underwater treadmills.

Any exercise program you choose to embark on should be tailored with regard to your dog’s age, health, weight, size and breed. With proper exercise, dog arthritis can be greatly mitigated, allowing your dog to enjoy a happier life.

Watch the video on Dog Physical Therapy Series Part 3 – Muscle Strengthening

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Tags: arthritis pain exercises for canines, Arthritis pain exercises for dogs, dog arthritis, dog arthritis treatment, dog physical therapy

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