Exercising A Dog With Hd

[Kaz]

I have two dogs here with HD, my own, a 2 yr old rottiex with bilateral hip and elbow dysplasia, and a foster rottie with quite advanced HD.

I have never been game to take them for more than a leisurely 10 minute walk.

Is this enough? or am I playing it too safe?

thanks in advance

[ILuvAmstaffs]

My goodness, what bad luck to have both ED & HD!

Personally I would be slowly working the amount of exercise up (if you want to) and gauging how they go. I don't think there are any hard and fast rules, but it is important to keep the dogs muscle tone up. After my boys op for ED we started off on short walks of about 5 minutes & rather than increase the distance, just increased the frequency of walks over time. Now he can happily walk for 45 mins without pulling up lame afterwards...

If your concerned, perhaps you could try swimming them as an alternative?

[cavNrott]

Kaz, the vet told me to walk a HD and ED dog for exactly the same period of time every day. Faith started off with a 10 minute walk and now we walk for 20 minutes. I won't increase the time because 20 minutes is all she can handle safely.

ETA: I guess it depends on the age of the dog and the severity of the problem too.

Edited December 9, 2007 by cavNrott

[Kaz]

Thanks Cav - was hoping you'd be on

I don't know about the new rottie - I'll try and work her up to a 20 min walk.

I have always been very careful with my own boy as his problems are so very obvious. He walks like a crab.

Unfortunately there is no way of stopping him bouncing all over the garden

[cavNrott]

I know what you mean Kaz. Faith is the same, she spends at least 20 hours a day on the couch but if I bring out the tennis ball, she thinks she's an athlete, jumping and running around. She and Sophie play tag and they know whose turn it is to fetch the ball.

I have to shut Faith in the house after a couple of ball runs because I know she won't be able to get off the couch until mid day the next day. As it is, she has her breakfast on the couch because she won't get up and come over to the to part of the kitchen where she eats. She's always a bit stiff and sore in the mornings.

I walk her for exactly 10 minutes and then turn back so she gets her full 20 minute walk. This regime is working well for her. We did start off at 5 minutes either way but she can now handle a longer walk. It knocks her out for the rest of the day and she's back on the couch until dinner time.

To see the way she wolfs her food you would never believe this was a dog with a poor appetite.

[Poodle wrangler]

I suspect there's something wrong with my standard poodle's hips and/or knees- he has grade1 bilateral luxating patellas diagnosed by vet.

Vet didn't want to XRay hips at 9 months.

Either he's going through another growth spurt or missing his regular walking each day (15-20 minutes) has made a real difference.

I've noticed an improvement over 2 weeks- walk each day, usually on sand or grass.

No weight change- actually slightly leaner (has never been fat) on breeder's recommendation.

I know with humans with osteoarthritis (bone rubbing on bone) gentle exercise e.g. swimming, walking is much better than inactivity- less pain and better function.

After a week at his breeder's, I noticed he dislocated his knee a couple of times and really slowed at the end of a 15 minute walk with me a few days after he came home. No diet change, only no walks for a week (play in backyard only). Interesting.

[sandgrubber]

I've been told that swimming is much better than walking for building up muscle tone on a dog with joint problems (as it is for humans). Is there any way you could organise an occasional swim, eg is there a hydrotherapy center near you?

[Di*]

I've been told that swimming is much better than walking for building up muscle tone on a dog with joint problems (as it is for humans). Is there any way you could organise an occasional swim, eg is there a hydrotherapy center near you?

I also have a dog with probs--but in my case luxating patellas. My vet said that once a week hydrotherapy would not be sufficient, it would need to be more regular/frequent and would therefore be quite costly. She suggested as an alternative to walk my dog through a child's paddle pool to get the benefit of resistance against the water.

Good luck with the exercise program--my guy also is much worse if we ever have to reduce his exercise.

Di