Keeping pets active is important, but this importance increases with age and developing health concerns. Midwest winters can limit opportunities for outdoor fun, especially if you or your pet are not a fan of the cold. Activities that are appropriate for each individual pet will depend on their age and pre-existing health conditions. Working with and training your dog has many benefits. It solidifies the bond with the people they train with and proves to be a great enrichment activity that fulfills mental and physical stimulation needs. The good news is that we have some great recommendations to help exert energy for your pet and maintain their summer endurance. Let's explore some ways to keep moving!
Aurora K9 Fit:
A hidden gem within our practice are the rehabilitation services offered through Aurora K9 Fit. Located at our Aurora Veterinary Clinic, treatment is available for both established patients and those referred to us from outside veterinary care. Most owners appreciate the need for rehab after a surgery or injury, but there are opportunities to facilitate weight loss, maintain muscle mass, or start endurance training too. Aurora K9 Fit has a great toolbox of options including underwater treadmill, e-stimulation, and ground exercise equipment to create purposeful movements. All of these are done under the guidance of one of our Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners.
Our underwater treadmill is the most impressive piece of equipment in our toolbox. When used properly, it is a safe modality for puppies, adults, and senior dogs. According to one of our Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners, Lerrissa Schmalzried CCRP, RVT, your pet will be able to burn three times more calories in water versus land. Utilizing the underwater treadmill allows different muscles to be engaged. The buoyancy of the water provides more stability allowing the pet to increase the flexion and extension of their joints as they move. The water temperature is maintained at 85 degrees F which increases circulation and muscle relaxation furthering flexibility of the joints. This magic temperature is great even for our brachycephalic or "smushed face" dogs because it doesn't lead to overheating of their body either!
Customization can take a therapy session and turn it into endurance training. During sessions, adjustment to the speed and incline or utilization of water jets can create more resistance. According to Schmalzried referencing a study, movement at a 20% incline has shown to facilitate muscle building. Traditional swim is available, but is dependent on the dog's weight due to the tank's size. Whether you are looking to facilitate low impact weight loss, alleviate cabin fever, or create and maintain endurance, the underwater treadmill is an amazing tool.
For patients unable to complete purposeful movements, the e-stimulation machine can create a muscle contraction. This simulates the movements the animal cannot create on their own allowing for muscle mass redevelopment and maintenance. Other resources available through our rehabilitation practitioners include ground exercise work via Cavaletti rails, physio balls, and tilt or wobble boards.
What You Can Do At Home:
During a consultation with our rehabilitation practitioners at Aurora K9 Fit, your pet is evaluated to establish their current abilities and muscle mass. From there, a plan and goals can be created. To be successful, the plan must be approachable. Implementing a positive change through physical exercise cannot just happen once a week when you come into our facility; it needs to be worked on at home too! Although we can direct you to traditional but often expensive equipment, we champion using objects you already have. Multiple ways exist to create alternative walking surfaces that activate muscles with weight shifting and balance targeting proprioception. Careful arrangement of memory foam pillows or removing couch cushions to create a stable surface is one example. Gravel that is pebble like, sand, and grass are also great surfaces to utilize for your pet versus hard concrete which is very harsh for the joints.
Cavaletti rails can be created at home with broomsticks and old paint cans to have your pet slowly maneuver over them. Figure 8 arrangements can be made with any objects in your home including chairs, ottomans, boxes, etc. Think of ways to combine the individual exercises into an obstacle course for a challenge as your pet progresses through the treatments. No matter how you implement these exercises, they must be completed slowly or on a leash to keep your pet safe and achieve the desired benefits. Therapy through physical movement is so impactful for your pet.
Other exercises Schmalzried recommends are sit to stand exercises to target thigh muscles, slope walking to target flexion and extension of the front and back legs, using stairs in your home, as well as cookie stretches. Yes cookie stretches are as great as they sound. Put your dog in a sitting position and have them track a cookie or treat as far as they can only moving their neck left, right, up, and down! This stretch targets the cervical portion of the spin i.e. the neck! Just like us, stretching is important.
Nutrition and Weight Loss:
Aurora K9 Fit rehabilitation services extend past exercises, advocating for the importance of nutrition too. When the overall goal is weight loss for your pet, a food calculation provides a tailored recommendation, whether this includes the amount of calories or the type of food, your pet now has a plan. This plan is now coupled with an exercise program designed by our rehab practitioners to utilize low impact exercises and underwater treadmill while your dog is dropping their extra weight. They can take thigh and abdominal circumference measurements to set realistic goals and track progress numerically for your pet. Research done by the Purina Institute has proven that your dog being at an ideal or ideal-lean weight can increase their lifespan by two or more years. Improving fitness through healthy movement will not only make your pet happy but can ultimately increase the years you spend with them.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding our rehabilitation services through Aurora K9 Fit located at the Aurora Veterinary Clinic, nutrition, or weight loss, please give us a call to set up an appointment with one of our veterinarians or Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioners. Remember, our rehab practitioners consult on cases seen by veterinarians outside of our general practice too!