Senior dogs - you can exercise their mind and body safely

Senior dogs can benefit from daily non-dynamic exercises that will enrich their minds and maintain their muscles.

Age is only a number!

We all know that staying mobile keeps us young and that is no different for your senior dog. Keeping active is the best way to ensure joint and muscle health and reduce the risk of injury.

But, keeping moving doesn’t just mean going for walks. There are many other important aspects of physical fitness that are so very important that you can be doing with your dog, especially your aging dog.

Going for long walks and walking through trails is great for cardiovascular health and mental stimulation but these types of activities do not do much to help reduce muscle loss and maintain flexibility in muscles and other connective tissue.

You see your senior dog is going to start loosing muscle mass just due to the aging process. This is referred to as Sarcopenia. They will begin to loose type II muscle fibers, these muscle fibers are responsible for strength and power. This just happens, but we can do certain things to help preserve muscles, preserve strength and preserve balance, which are all important aspects of mobility and overall quality of life.

We can adjust for this loss of muscle mass by focusing on strengthening our Type I muscle fibers that are responsible for posture and balance. We can challenge the nerve pathways to these muscles and enhance their proprioceptive ability.

By performing simple, non-dynamic exercises daily and managing overall muscle health you can help your dog maintain their flexibility, maintain strength in the muscles that support the joints and prevent injury.

It is important to evaluate the posture of your senior dog to make sure they can stand in proper posture before moving into any other exercise

You may be asking, how is this going to prevent injury?

If we can manage muscle health through massage and stretching, then the muscles can retain their ability to stretch and respond to their necessary action. These actions include flexing the joints and extending the joints as well as responding to slipping and controlling limp positioning in standing and sitting positions. If their muscles begin to undergo damaged due to increase muscle tension and muscle loss then you will begin to notice your dog having more slipping accidents, stumbling when walking, and hesitation when asked to go up and down the stairs. You may also notice other signs such as slow getting up, dropping or plopping when going to lay down and they may not be able to hold a sit position any longer and they prefer to lay down.

Beginner exercises include a stretching exercise such as cookie stretch, a weight shifting exercise such as rhythmic stabilization, a strength exercise such as elevated feet, a balance exercise such as standing and shake a paw and a coordination exercise such as walking backwards.

There are many variables we look at when we are performing these exercise to ensure that we are doing them in a safe manner and a manner where they will be effective. We want to make sure that we keep the spine in alignment when all possible, we want to maintain symmetry in the foot position, we want to make sure we are doing these exercises on a non-slip surface, and that we monitor them for signs of fatigue during the exercises.

Other important things to consider for your senior pets safety is slipping in the house as most people have hardwood floors. You can help them by placing runners in the house so they have safe areas to walk, providing them a rug to stand on at their food bowl so they do not slip while they are eating and using anti-slip products such as Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips to help them with traction on slippery surfaces. This will not only protect them from slip injuries but it will help them regain their confidence.

Early action is the key but it is never too late to begin physical therapy with your senior dog to ensure the best quality of life as they age. Call or email us at touchanimlarehab@gmail.com to set up a consultation and we can set you and your senior dog on the right path so they age gracefully and comfortably.

We invite you to our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/touchrehab, where you can continue to learn more about therapy for your dog.