By Marcella Durand for The Dog Daily

Getting old is no excuse to become a couch potato—and that goes for dogs, too! As your dog ages, regular exercise keeps its muscles toned, his joints protected, his body trim and his mind sharp. He may no longer be able to slaughter the Frisbee like he used, but an exercise routine tailored to his individual likes and needs will make his remaining years truly golden.

“The most important thing with older dogs is making a routine,” says Nann Dawn, shelter manager at the Oakland Adoption Center in Oakland, California and one of the founders of the shelter’s innovative Silver Muzzle Club, an adoption program for pets eight-years and older. “Make time for exercise every day. They can’t afford at their age to be weekend warriors.”

Whether your dog’s idea of fun is swimming, walking, or playing with other dogs, build up slowly. If it’s walking, start with a few blocks and gradually progress to a couple of miles a day.

Beware of overstraining your pooch. An older dog will want to please you and might end up playing beyond its limits. Monitor the situation closely and make sure your dog doesn’t become dehydrated, overheated or too tired.  “The key is not to push a dog,” says Chuck Keicer, DVM, at the Heartland Veterinary Hospital in Kentucky. “You don’t want to push an animal beyond a comfort zone.”

Steer clear of high-impact activities like jumping which can stress aging joints. Keicer recommends swimming as “absolutely the best” for older dogs because it is low-impact. Walking is a close second for the same reason.  Surprisingly, however, Keicer also likes agility training, which he says can be easily adjusted to suit a senior dog’s ability. “There are lots of ways an agility course can be modified for an older dog,” says Keicer. Lowering jumps is a good example. “It can still be a blast for them to participate.”

Obedience training is another option to get senior dogs moving. “Every adult dog who joins the Silver Muzzle Club goes through obedience work,” says Dawn. “We have yet to find one that doesn’t like a little round of treat training,” she says. And a lot of the senior dogs have gone on to do pet therapy. “Most dogs don’t make it to old age without being really good dogs.  Sometimes they’re really ready to work.”

Dawn also recommends at-home toys, such as Buster Cubes and Kongs filled with kibble, because they keep a senior dog entertained and exercise the jaw muscles. As for social activities, she prefers large dog parks where an older dog might avoid getting bullied or crowded by younger aggressive dogs.  “Older dogs can’t take those adolescent body slams,” she says. “Most of them can’t keep up with the youngsters.”

By knowing your older dog’s likes and limitations, the two of you can develop an exercise regimen that will keep both of you having fun for years to come.

By Brad Kloza for The Dog Daily

As a senior emergency clinician at New York City Veterinary Specialists, Trisha Joyce, DVM, has seen her share of doggie trauma. But she says some of the saddest cases are the least dramatic: dogs suffering from severe arthritis.

“One family brought in their Labrador that was so arthritic he couldn’t even get up to go to the bathroom,” Dr. Joyce says. “His overall health was OK, but he was just too big and too arthritic. The owners came in to euthanize, which was a really hard decision because it’s not like he had a life-threatening disease. But there was no practical way to manage it at home.”

Dog Arthritis Is Common

Scientific studies indicate that 20 percent of middle-aged dogs and 90 percent of older dogs have osteoarthritis in at least one joint. it’s hard to stop the disease once it has set in, according to James Cook, DVM, at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“There are two problems we see in osteoarthritis,” explains Dr. Cook. “One is we don’t have a cure, and the other is that we still see progression of arthritis even after the best treatments. Both of those problems come from the fact that we diagnose it too late.”

A Research Breakthrough

Dr. Cook and his research team, however, may have found the key to early diagnosis. It’s what he calls “the Holy Grail” in the fluid that surrounds and lubricates the joints of both dogs and people. Dr. Cook sampled this fluid from dogs known to have osteoarthritis and from others without the disease. As he wrote in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, when he analyzed the proteins in the fluid, a pattern became evident.

The scientists noticed that quality and quantity of this fluid were altered in arthritic dogs. Examining the fluid even more closely, they identified seven proteins that appear to be linked to arthritis. The proteins increase and decrease in patterns that “are consistently different than [patterns] found in normal patients with no arthritis at all,” notes Dr. Cook.

The Next Steps

Dr. Cook and his team plan to follow healthy dogs over time to see if the pattern can correctly predict which dogs end up getting arthritis. If everything happens as theorized and according to schedule, he hopes that a screening test will be available for young dogs in three to four years.

Until then, here is some practical advice for dog owners worried about, or already dealing with, canine arthritis:

• Warning signs Watch for decreased activity and signs of pain. These may be overt (e.g., limping, lameness, whimpering) or subtle, like a typically pleasant dog becoming snippy. Some arthritic dogs may consistently stop doing only specific activities, such as jumping on the bed or into a car.

• Diagnosis If you think your dog has arthritis, schedule a visit with your veterinarian for a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem. Knowing which joints are affected, and how severely, can greatly help determine which treatment options to consider.

• Treatment Dr. Joyce says that while arthritis is forever and can’t be undone, certain medications can alleviate pain and symptoms. Other considerations include alternative treatments like acupuncture and hydrotherapy. Surgical procedures are an option for extreme cases. Most dogs will achieve a higher quality of life with any of these treatments.

• Activity The best way to treat and prevent arthritis is to help your dog stay in good shape. Maintain its weight in the low end of the normal range and keep your pet active just enough to sustain muscle tone and strength. Start with moderate levels of activity — a brisk walk, limited periods of playing in the park — and work your way up. Through trial and error with careful monitoring, you can find your dog’s “sweet spot” of exercise for optimal joint health.

• Diet A healthy diet is a big part of staying in shape. Dr. Cook recommends going with name brands that commit to putting science into dog food, offer well-balanced nutrition and are tailored to specific breed sizes. He says that while supplements cannot prevent the disease, they can help alleviate pain. “Pet foods with glucosamine and chondroitin or fish oil can help manage the disease because they reduce inflammation and degradation,” he adds.

A Cure on the Horizon

Is the ultimate solution — a cure for arthritis — within reach? Dr. Cook says he hopes his research is starting to point in the direction of a cure. If his pattern of biomarkers can truly predict arthritis, scientists will be closer to determining the root causes of the disease.

“Now we know earlier steps in the process,” he says. “If we can address those steps, we could potentially have a cure. We are getting to the foundation steps, or the critical cogs in the wheel, of what becomes arthritis.”

Brad Kloza is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Discover.

How many times have you left your older dog behind? Perhaps you have a younger dog that is still full of energy and your senior dog can no longer keep up? Or maybe your older dog has too many mobility issues to even make it down the street.

I know this because I live it. I have a 5 year old French Bulldog who is extremely active and I have a 15 year old Pug who suffers from arthritis. I personally can’t look at Mackenzie’s face and leave with just Paige and equally so, I can’t look at Paige and say that we can’t go for a walk today.

The Dogger is the perfect way to help both your dogs. I can walk Paige while Mackenzie rides. He gets out for as much exercise as he can manage and enjoys the ride the rest of the way. It is such an amazing way to keep everyone active – including you

Enjoy the video

Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.

Most of us would like to think that our dogs will never get sick or grow old, however, it is inevitable. The majority of dog owners sincerely care for the well-being and quality of life of their furry friend, but unfortunately, some of them are unaware of the future needs their pets may have.

Dog owners need to gain some background information on some of the diseases that may affect their pets as they get older. The most common geriatric pet disease is dog arthritis. It is important to be properly educated about dog arthritis as there are many misconceptions about it. Here are some of the popular myths around regarding dog arthritis:

1. Dog arthritis is just an old dog’s disease. This is partially true. Older dogs are more susceptible to the disease, but thinking that only old dogs can have dog arthritis is dangerous. Take note that research has yet to fully uncover the mechanisms behind this debilitating disease and all we know are some of the factors that can hasten its progress. With this in mind, dogs with hip dysplasia, overweight dogs and even dogs that compete in dog sports events can develop the disease earlier than expected.
2. Dog arthritis is easy to diagnose. Human arthritis is easy to diagnose since a person can always complain to the doctor that he or she is experiencing pain when using a certain joint. For dogs, it is a bit more complicated.  Dog arthritis is hard to catch in its early stages because dogs instinctively hide their pain. For this reason, dog owners must keep a close eye on any subtle changes in their dog’s mobility. Small modifications in their movement or behavior could mean something is wrong.
3. Exercise makes dog arthritis worse. The logic to this myth is simple; dog arthritis affects the joints and when the dog exercises, the joints are used, resulting in more damage to the joints and more pain for the arthritic dog. Now, although exercise can be painful for the arthritic dog, doing nothing will only aid in the progression of the disease. Without exercise, the joints become stiffer, the nutrient flow is decreased and blood flow to the joint significantly drops. Obesity can also set in, which brings a lot of unwanted complications, including an increased amount of pressure of the joints.
4. Dog arthritis is part of getting old. There is some truth to this statement. However, harboring such an idea brings the mentality that you can’t do anything about it since it’s just a part of the natural ageing process. Realistically, it is a fate that many dogs will share, but dog arthritis can be effectively managed so that your dog can still enjoy a relatively pain-free life even with the disease.
5. Dog arthritis does not need treatment. Dog arthritis does not have a cure. Nonetheless, doing nothing about it is a welfare concern. Dog arthritis causes chronic pain, which can in some cases lead to a poor quality of life.  Veterinary medicine has advanced in leaps and bounds in the past decade and now there are many treatment options that can help alleviate the pain and manage the disease’s progress. You should always consult with your veterinarian to confirm the correct diagnosis of dog arthritis and to rule out anything more sinister before pursuing treatment.

Overall, it is recommended that dog owners be well informed and up-to-date with the recommended treatment options for dog arthritis so that your dog can stay happier for longer. You can visit my blog www.dogarthritisblog.info for much more information on this very important dog disease.

Dr. Christoper Durin is a veterinarian and creator of Dog Arthritis Blog, the authority site for dog arthritis.

It is never easy to watch your dog get older and often times people feel powerless because they are not sure how to help. In the past when a dog lost their mobility the common decision was to euthanize. People felt that the quality of life for their dog was so compromised that letting them go was the only way to provide them with relief. Now there are options. You can help your dog re-gain their mobility AND improve the quality of their life.

Despite their existence for the past 40 years or more many people are still in the dark about the life changing power that comes with a dog wheelchair. While there are dog wheelchairs (also called dog carts) for just about every type of mobility issue, the most common type is the 2 wheel cart for dogs suffering from rear legs problems. The extent of the rear leg issues can range from some mobility to complete rear leg paralysis.

But how do you know if a dog wheelchair is right for your dog? Here are some tips to help you in making your decision:

1. Your dog must be able to walk strongly on its front legs, with its back held in a level position. You can test this out with a simple “towel test” to make sure your dog is comfortable propelling him or herself with their front legs. If you have a small dog you can take an old towel, cut two holes in it, and place the legs through the holes. Remembering to keep the back level, see if your dog will walk normally. This action simulates the cart support system. If you have a large dog, a towel under each hind leg is an easier way to do the “towel test”.
2. Your dog needs to have enough spirit to want to be mobile again. Attitude is a huge factor in the success of a dog and their wheelchair. Is your dog bright, alert and full of life despite their mobility challenges?  If your dog has the will then you are halfway there.
3. While a dog wheelchair can be used indoors, it is more practical for outdoor use, so it is important to assess your location to determine whether you will have enough space to accommodate a dog wheelchair. These carts are quite rugged and can be used over most terrains, but the bigger the dog the wider the wheelchair, so availability of space should be a factor.

There are several medical conditions where a dog wheelchair can offer significant mobility, relief and at times, recovery.

Thoracolumbar Disc Degenerative Disease: This is the most common medical condition for which a dog may need a dog wheelchair. A dog wheelchair can aid in a dog’s rehabilitation whether he or she has had IVDD surgery or not.

Degenerative Myelopathy: This is the second most common condition for which dogs need a wheelchair. It generally starts off with knuckling of one hind paw, leading to both paws, and a swaying gait in the rear, very often with legs crossing. There is no pain associated with this condition. Unfortunately, it usually travels up the spinal cord and affects the front legs. A dog wheelchair can help to delay this process as this will take stress and strain off both the rear and front legs and keep your dog active and happy. Your dog can still use its rear legs as long as he or she is able.

Knee: Dogs with knee, or ACL, problems generally have surgery to correct this. Post surgery, a dog wheelchair will aid in taking stress off the surgically repaired limb, while preventing breakdown of the other leg. This is particularly applicable to overweight dogs.

Arithritis: If the arthritis is controlled with medication, and is in the rear limbs, then a dog wheelchair will aid mobility by taking stress off the hind limbs.

Ophilia gets her life back again

Paralysis: Whether it is due to injury or other spinal difficulties, a dog with rear leg paralysis can find mobility again with a dog wheelchair. Their rear legs can be suspended above ground with rear slings allowing the wheels to do what their legs can no longer provide. Just because your dog has lost the use of his or her rear legs, it doesn’t mean that they can’t enjoy life.

It doesn’t matter how tiny or how big your dog is, or whether you go with a custom cart or prefer something adjustable, there is a dog wheelchair to suit your needs.

Do you have a life changing story to share?

Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.