Make sure you don’t over walk your dog

April 21, 2020

Make sure you don’t over walk your dog

If you’re staying home due to COVID-19 self-isolation or social distancing, it might be tempting to spend newfound free time going on long and energetic walks with your dog. So far so good, but if there’s a whole family and everyone’s looking for an excuse to get out…Can too much exercise be bad for your dog?

The simple answer is yes. Dogs of different breeds and ages, and in different states of health require an exercise routine that’s right for them.

Ask our friendly team for advice on the right amount of exercise for your dog.

Here are some examples where caution is key:

  • When it comes to Puppies, a ratio of 5 minutes of exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) will help protect their growing bones and joints e.g. 15 minutes (up to twice a day) for a 3-month old, 20 minutes at 4 months, etc.
  • Large/Giant Breed Dogs (Great Dane, Greyhound, Boxer, etc) can be prone to joint issues so excessive land-based exercise isn’t always advisable.
  • For Dogs in Recovery post-surgery, injury or illness, you should follow your vet’s guidelines which may include short walks little and often, and limited ‘ball play’.
  • Seniors and Dogs with Health Problems such as heart disease, arthritis, and obesity do need to exercise, but not more than they can manage.

How to safely exercise your dog more

You should increase your dog’s exercise regime gradually, and allow time for a warm-up and cool-down period to avoid health issues. Exercise should be fun, happily tiring, but not exhausting. Remember, extra exercise may require extra food – allow 1 hour before and 2 hours after exercise for big meals.

Mental stimulation is equally important and exercise can include things like agility work, scent training, puzzle games and feeders. Why not try a new walking route or introducing toys to your dog’s routine?

If you have any questions about your dog’s exercise and nutritional needs during these extraordinary times, the Edgewood Veterinary Group team is always happy to help so get in touch.

Strictly Necessary

These cookies are required for our website to operate and include items such as whether or not to display this pop-up box or your session when logging in to the website. These cookies cannot be disabled.

Performance

We use 3rd party services such as Google Analytics to measure the performance of our website. This helps us tailor the site content to our visitors needs.

Functional

From time to time, we may use cookies to store key pieces of information to make our site easier for you to use. Examples of this are remembering selected form options to speed up future uses of them. These cookies are not necessary for the site to work, but may enhance the browsing experience.

Targeting

We may use advertising services that include tracking beacons to allow us to target our visitors with specific adverts on other platforms such as search or social media. These cookies are not required but may improve the services we offer and promote.

Change Settings

Welcome. You can control how we use cookies and 3rd party services below

Change Settings Accept
Learn how we use cookies