How To Exercise Your Dog? Ask Your Veterinarian

Exercising Your Dog
Not only can exercise extend your furry friends' lives, it can also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the living room drapes
Source: www.healthypets.com

YOU know it's good for you. You know that exercise can give you energy, help you maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscles and joints flexible, help you live longer, and above all, make you feel better.

For all the same reasons, your pets need to get up and get moving. Not only can pet exercise extend your furry friends' lives; it may also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the living room drapes.

The thing is, nobody's filled pets in on all of these benefits of exercise. Without someone to lead the way, they're not going to run laps or do leg lifts in their spare time.

So as a wonderful pet parent, part of your job is ensuring your animal family members get safe, enjoyable exercise on a regular basis -- whether they're cats, dogs, turtles, or ferrets! All pets need some physical activity to live a happy, healthy life.

Different pets need different amounts of exercise, so you'll want to talk to your veterinarian before starting your pet's workout program. With your veterinarian's approval, you can embark on an exercise program that won't seem like work at all -- to your pet, it's play.

Dogs on the run
Dogs can be great fun to exercise, because they can get you out and moving yourself. You don't want to hit the ground running with your pooch, though. Just as with any animal -- or person -- you'll want a doctor's okay before you start your dog's fitness routine.

"Begin with a visit to the veterinarian to discuss your plans and ensure your dog has a clean bill of health," says Dr. Jay Geasling, member and past president of the American Animal Hospital Association. "After your veterinarian gives you the go-ahead, start your dog on suitable exercise for beginners."

Just like people who aren't used to exercise, dogs should start off slow. Moderately paced walking and swimming are a good way to start -- they let canine athletes build their cardiovascular and muscle strength without putting undue stress on their joints.

A daily 10- to 15-minute walking or swimming session is a good start; you can build to an hour a day if Rover seems up to it. If, after a few months, he's doing well and can handle long, fast walks without fatigue, he can graduate to jogging with you.

Once he's adapted to the exercise, you and your dog can run and walk to your heart's content, if you take a few precautions:

> Keep a close eye on your dog. Watch for any unusual signs of fatigue or trouble breathing. If your pup wants to stop, let him. Dogs that overdo it can suffer strained tendons or ligaments or other orthopedic problems.

> Don't expect your fuzzy buddy to be a weekend warrior, even if you only get exercise on the weekends yourself. After a long week without exercise, your dog may be ready to get out and burn off energy. But because of their enthusiasm, many of the popular breeds, such as Labrador and Golden Retrievers, will overdo it.
> Safety first -- keep Rover on a leash when you run. Even the best-trained dogs can run into the path of a car or a territorial animal. And if you have to run when it's dark out, put reflectors on your dog's collar as well as on your clothes.

> Concrete and asphalt are tough on the paws, especially on hot days. Try to run on dirt paths or grass as much as possible. Gravel, cinders, and road salt can also irritate paws.

> Take it easy in extreme weather. If it's freezing cold or hot and steamy out, either keep your run short or play a little indoor fetch instead.

> The more active your dog is, the more water he'll need. Make sure he has plenty of fresh water before and after your run. If you're going for a long run, take some water along for him.

If your dog is getting bored with running or walking, take heart: there are other ways to get him the exercise he needs. A 15-minute game of fetch makes for a good workout.

Supervised play with other dogs is a good option too. Tug-of-war is not a good game because it can damage his teeth and may increase aggressive behavior. If you have the time and your dog has the inclination, you could even try running him through some agility obstacle courses, which incorporate a range of activities.

If you're interested, your veterinarian may know of a dog agility organization in your area.

Source: How To Exercise Your Dog? Ask Your Veterinarian

Exercising Your Pets

Whether it's a dog, cat, turtle or bird, this guide to exercising your favourite companion has got you covered

YOU know it's good for you. You know that exercise can give you energy, help you maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscles and joints flexible, help you live longer, and above all, make you feel better. For all the same reasons, your pets need to get up and get moving. Not only can exercise extend your furry friends' lives; it may also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the living room drapes.

The thing is, nobody's filled pets in on all of these benefits of pet exercise. Without someone to lead the way, they're not going to run laps or do leg lifts in their spare time. So as a wonderful pet parent, part of your job is ensuring your animal family members get safe, enjoyable exercise on a regular basis―whether they're cats, dogs, turtles, or ferrets! All pets need some physical activity to live a happy, healthy life.

Read more on how to exercise your pets.

10 Tips for Preventing Pet Behaviour Problems

Source: www.healthypets.com

Make your pet so well-behaved, people will think it went to a Swiss finishing school!

1. Set rules immediately and be consistent.

2. Avoid situations that promote inappropriate behavior.

3. Observe the pet and provide what it needs (food, care, attention and entertainment).

4. Supervise the new pet diligently through undivided individual attention and training, and restrict the pet's access to a limited area of the house until training is completed.

5. Set them up to succeed! Encourage good behavior with praise and attention.

6. Correct bad behaviors by providing positive alternatives (a toy for a slipper, scratching post for the sofa).

7. Never physically punish or force compliance to commands. This may lead to fear biting or aggression.

8. Don't play rough or encourage aggression or play biting.

9. Expose pets to lots of people, animals, and environments where you want them to live.

10. See your veterinarian if serious or unresolved behavior problems exist.

Read more pet stories and pet tips on 88DB Lifestyle.

Healing Pets With A Holistic Approach

With so many people using alternative medicine, the demand for products and information on holistic veterinarian medicine has increased. Pawsitive Sensations’ Zoe Gan tells us how it works

HOLISTIC medicine is a practice that involves all aspects of the patients’ life when diagnosing and treating a particular condition. It is not a method of treatment but rather an approach to how treatment should be applied.

Just as holistic medicine applies to humans, it can also be a tool to treat animals. With so many people using alternative medicine, the demand for products and information on holistic veterinarian medicine has increased.

Zoe Gan, 29, an Engineering graduate who holds a certificate on dog massage from the Ohio-based PetMassage Training and Research Institute, is the owner of Pawsitive Sensations (which dubs itself Singapore’s First Holistic Canine Care Centre).

Pawsitive Sensations was started in California, USA, in 2004 to provide professional and qualified canine massage techniques to the numerous dog lovers in Silicon Valley. Zoe says, “having moved back to Singapore, we hope to provide to Singaporeans what many dog loving owners in America have taken advantage of for so many years.”

She opened her shop near Turf City in September and now treats an average of 15 dogs a week - including her youngest client, a three-month-old puppy.

Read more about alternative medicine for pets.

Curing Your Dog’s Blues, Temper and Tantrums

It all comes down to love, actually.
by Stephanie Marilyn Martin

You return home from a hard day’s work to find that the house is in a chaotic mess. Torn newspaper strewn all over, the cushions in shreds and basically everything out of place. In the midst of it all, sits your proudly triumphant pooch.

Now you don’t want to find yourself in such a position because it could only mean an endless repetition of the same scenario for months to come. To save yourself the undeserved stress, learn to recognize early symptoms of stress and temper-related problems in your dog and nip it in the bud.

Like humans, dogs suffer from emotional trauma as well. There are many factors contributing to emotional trauma in dogs, most of them being reasons which stem from the canine’s growing years.

Read more on dog training and pet discipline.

There's More To Dog Massage Than Pampering

Rhythmic strokes, joint movements and deep kneading-yes, dogs deserve a massage too, whether it's for therapy or relaxation, and they can get it at Pawsitive Sensations, $25 for 30 minutes
By James P. Ong

MONTY is an 11-year-old corgi who has been going for his weekly 40-minute dog massage since March 2007. The moment he enters the doors of Pawsitive Sensations, he goes straight to the dog massage room and assumes the lying position in front of owner and therapist Zoe Gan, who begins the session with long strokes on Monty’s body, and then progresses to rhythmic strokes, joint movements and deep kneading.

While Monty lies on his side, two ladies wait after him: Gemma, his master, and a helper. Every so often, the two pluck out fresh tissues from a plastic container and wipe the drool off Monty, who is fast falling asleep despite the constant rumble caused by two other dogs in the room.

For canine owners in Singapore, dog massage is something whose time has come. As more and more single people acquire dogs as a companion, those with a considerable dispensable income would like to pamper their bundles of joy not just with toys and accessories but also services.

Read more on There's More To Dog Massage Than Pampering.

Exercise Your Dog In S’pore? Can!

Most take their dogs for a walk when what’s really needed is a workout
By Mavis Ang

EVEN if your pet dog is not obese, exercise should still be an essential routine for him or her. Most owners like taking their dogs for walks when what they really need is the right amount of workout.

According to veterinarians, besides the benefit to their mental and physical health, regular exercise makes sure that dogs don’t develop destructive habits like ripping up sofas and chewing shoes.

The reason behind these frustrating actions is the same for most children: they simply have too much energy.

To read more about dog exercises, visit 88DB Lifestyle now!

Is Your Pet Obese?

It's hard to say no to the pleading eyes of a pet, but someone's got to do it.
By Stephanie Marilyn Martin

JUST how much pet food should you be serving your pet dog or pet cat? As pet owners, we tend to make the mistake of overfeeding our furry friends because we feel guilty for not being able to spend a lot of time with them. Such practice is definitely not healthy.

Why? Because overfeeding your pet poses health risks — including arthritis, respiratory problems, heart complications and a greatly shortened life span. As with human beings, obesity leads to illnesses that don’t manifest until the later years.

Since you see your pet everyday, it can be hard to tell the difference if he’s already putting on extra flab. A simple test for obesity would be for you to lightly run your hands over your pet. If you can’t feel his ribs or backbone when you do this, it’s highly likely that your pet is overweight.

It’s hard to say no to the pleading eyes of an adoring pet begging for more pet food. When this happens, keep in mind the suffering you and your pet will have endure when he falls prey to obesity-related illnesses.

Here are a few tips to avoid obesity in your pets:

Do not feed your dog the “free-food” way. Leaving pet food out for your pet all day long is one of the surest ways to over-eating.

Don’t always follow feeding guides. When feeding your pet, always use your better judgment. The guidelines written behind your pet’s food packaging may not always be appropriate. Amount to feed depends on each individual pet’s age, size, and activity level.

Exercise your pet. Make sure to fit a slot in your busy schedule to play with your pet. Train your pet to have a daily run or you can even hire a pet sitter to exercise your pet for you. Not only will this shed the extra kilos, it will also keep your pet energetic and in better spirits all day long. Every effort counts.

Take him to the vet. Severe or sudden weight gain (even weight loss, for that matter), should always be checked by the veterinarian. Your veterinarian will also be able to prescribe your pet with a better diet and nutrition plan.

Age equals slower metabolism. For the older Joes, slower metabolism could be triggering the weight gain. There are various low-calorie, high-quality pet food available in the market. To know what’s best for your pet, ask a professional.