Being a dog owner is a serious role.
Getting a dog is for sure an exciting decision that leads to an active lifetime. However, this decisions come with many obligations and responsibilities.
Having a dog means that you need to take care of your dog’s nutrition, exercise needs, health, and happiness. Once you get a dog you are directly responsible for the dog’s health.
To keep your dog strong and healthy as long as possible, you need to put his health as your priority.
Dogs are sensitive beings, and just like humans, they are prone to specific health conditions that occur at one period of their life.
For example, joint and hip issues are common in a dog’s life. Moreover, they are expected as your dog gets older.
You may have noticed that senior dogs tend to move slowly, to avoid jumping, or overall moving as if they are in pain. This usually looks like this, because they are in pain.
Maintaining your dog’s hips strong and healthy is a massive piece of ensuring your dog has a long and healthy life. Hyp dysplasia is one of the most common conditions in dogs.
Some breeds are more prone to hip and elbow dysplasia than others.
Hip issues will lead to other health issues, will demand special care, and treating hip-related issues will be costly. Luckily, there are certain ways to keep a dog’s hips healthy and strong. Here is how.
But First… Nutrition
Proper nutrition is everything when it comes to a dog’s health condition. In fact, proper nutrition goes beyond hip conditions but is always linked with it.
For example, extra weight can lead to hip pressure and create massive joint pressure.
Obesity in dogs is a problem on the rise, and it’s up to dog owners to maintain their dog’s weight and keep them fit.
Keeping a healthy weight is crucial when it comes to his well-being. Always choose a food that is proper for the dog’s age, and feed him the right amount.
Pick a well-balanced dog food that’s recommended for your dog’s breed, weight, and age.
Whenever possible, try to avoid feeding him table scraps, fatty and human foods. Learn which human foods are safe and which should be avoided no matter what.
Never give your dog human chocolate, grape, onion, and fruit or veegtable with seeds in it.
Provide Active Lifestyle
If you truly want to keep your dog healthy, you should provide enough exercise. In fact, exercise is the best way to keep your dog engaged, active, and ahppy. Dogs thrive both on mental and physical stimulation.
Plus, exercise is a great way to keep your dog healthier longer. It’s common for dogs to develop joint issues throughout life, but there are no reasons not to postpone that.
That being said, exercise is a great way to make dogs’ joints stronger. Dogs can only benefit from regular exercise.
It makes their joints stronger, keeps obesity away, and lowers the chances of arthritis.
If you have a puppy make sure that you don’t overdo it with exercise. Puppies grow slow and their joints develop over time, which is why they should be put in situations that could physically harm them.
Make sure that you avoid exercises or games that include heavy jumping, high-impact exercises, especially if they are performed on hard surfaces, such as pavement. Avoid any ground that could create and put additional stress on the body.
Body Massage
Nothing like a good massage to get that energy flowing and bring life into your body, right? It works similarly for dogs as well. Dogs do enjoy a good massage as well.
They can benefit tremendously from this relaxing experience, as long as it’s done right. Performing regular massages on their hips can help keep them in great shape and make them stronger.
Older dogs with arthritic history benefit from the extra blood flow that a good massage can provide.
For more information on the dog massage talk to your veterinarian and do not perform this practice on your dog before you were given proper guidelines on how to do it safely.
Think About Ramps and Gates
Dogs love exploring. Even a well-known living room can be a real adventure when your canine is bored.
Stairs are especially appealing, especially to dogs who love to run and jump. However, endless staircases around the house can be a real pain in a dog’s life.
Of course, multi-level homes cannot be without stairs, but you can make things safer by simply blocking off dogs’ access to certain areas.
Gates at the bottom of the steps can help the dog move around without less pressure on his legs.
Make Your House Warmer
If you ever had back pain, you must know how much stress cold weather can enhance your lower back pain or any other pain in fact. Similar works with dogs.
Cold weather can put additional stress on a dog’s hips and other muscles in the body, so make sure that you keep a warm temperature throughout the chilly months.
This is especially important for his bedding area. If needed use a heated pad or simply move his bed next to a heater.
Healthy Diet Is Always A Good Idea
Is your dog on high-quality food? Are you satisfied with your dog’s weight? Or he could lose a few pounds?
Obesity in dogs is a serious issue, and if your canine is obese, it will take you months to get that weight in order.
Always do your best to help your dog maintain a healthy weight throughout his entire life. Proper weight will keep the stress on joints and hips away, and help your dog move faster and easier.
Always feed your dog the right amount of food and food that is appropriate for his age and health conditions.
Double-check the food label if you have a puppy because you need food that your puppy will easily digest – that food is usually packed with carbs and protein, next to other necessary nutrients that will support the dog’s health.
Whenever possible avoid really cheap food unless they really have really great ingredients that are well-balanced.
Supplement
If you don’t think that your dog is getting enough from his regular food, talk to your veterinarian about supplements. Promoting healthy hips is much easier when you use the right support.
The pet market is flooded with countless chews and treats that are available for your dog and ready to boost your dog’s health. However, choosing the right one is tricky, which is why having the right guidance can be so beneficial.
Talk with your veterinarian about supplements in general, what they are, how they work, and how to choose the best one.
All in all, when chosen right, supplements can help you enable the best for your dog in years to come.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Sometimes a regular walk isn’t enough. Sure, you could be walking three times per day for 20 minutes, and you may think that’s enough for your pooch in terms of physical activity.
However, this may vary from breed to breed. Some breeds are less active than others, while some breeds such as Border Collie and Dalmatian are extremely active and need hours of exercise.
Do you know how much exercise your dog needs?
If your dog needs a lot of exercises, but he refuses to participate in different activities, you might want to consult your veterinarian.
In some rare cases, dogs may refuse physical activity when they are in pain or an underlying medical issue is happening. If your dog already has hip dysplasia, you need to be very careful during playtime.
Limit your dog’s activity to shorter walks, avoid jumping, and try to keep your dog active as much as possible, in a way that won’t disturb his health.
For dogs who suffer from hyp dysplasia already, swimming is a great alternative to stay active and keep their hips stronger.
Support Your Dog’s Hips
At some point, some dogs need additional support to keep their hips in balance. This is the main reason why many dog owners choose to invest in high-quality hip braces that is usually beneficial for dogs with bad hips.
This specially designed item can relieve canine hip pain. They are available for dogs of any size and usually come with different attachments to make them more customized to suit the dog’s treatment plan.
In fact, hip braces are perfect for hip subluxations, hind leg crossing, decubitus ulcer treatment, and even as additional support for dogs with a rear amputation.
The hip brace can help your dog stay comfortable and mobile while enjoying everyday activities.
If regular exercises are too much for your dog due to hip pain, maybe you should think about investing in a dog wheelchair that will provide the needed support to play and run.
Caring for Your Dog’s Hip Pain & Inflammation
It’s common for dogs to have hip problems, and to suffer from arthritis. Luckily, animal experts are well-informed about this and they do their best to provide the best care possible.
In fact, your veterinarian is your best friend in this case. Your veterinarian will recommend you a combination of different methods that may help you and your dog provide a better environment and healthier moments.
Since joint issues can appear at any age, regular checkups are crucial. During your pet’s annual exam, your veterinarians will check the dog’s hips and joints for even the smallest signs of joint disease.
If there are any signs of hip dysplasia your veterinarian may prescribe, as a first step, anti-inflammatory medications or even CBD oil, to help relieve joint pain and swelling.
Add to regular checkups tips listed above and you will manage to keep the dog’s hip-related painful symptoms under control.
Only through proper management, medical treatment, and care your dog can live a truly happy and active life.
Simple Ways to Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Keeping your dog’s hips healthy and strong isn’t an easy task, but isn’t an impossible one.
You will have to plan exercise time, provide proper nutrition, and maintain regular veterinarian check-ups next to regular walks. This can sound overwhelming but isn’t a lot of stress if you manage to organize well.
Plus, if you have family members available you should have no problems with managing all of this and keeping your Fido healthy.
Next to regular hip exercises, massage, and proper care, some simple steps can help you keep your dog’s hips healthy and strong for years to come.
- Provide high-quality food. Just like humans dogs thrive on high-quality food.
It doesn’t have to be organic all the time, but it should be of proper nutritional standards.
Learn to read pet food labels and learn how much you should feed your dog based on his size, age, and exercise need.
- Provide fresh water. This may sound too basic, but you might be surprised to learn just how much simple things can help when it comes to a dog’s health.
- Maintain proper body weight. Obesity in dogs is on the rise across the States. Once you bring your dog home, you are directly responsible for his weight.
- Be regular with check-ups. Make sure that you take your dog to the veterinarian’s office at least once a year. This is a bare minimum that should happen based on a vaccination schedule.
Taking your dog to the vet’s is the best way to provide necessary prevention in all areas health-related. Last, but not least…
A Happy Dog is A Tired Dog
Providing enough exercise is the best thing that you can do for your dog.
Talk to your veterinarian to understand better the dog’s need for exercise and how much exercise you should provide on a daily level. This is especially important if your dog already has hip-related issues.
If your dog, after the walk, falls over and sleeps for the rest of the day, you probably overdid it. Be careful about that. You don’t want to expose your dog to additional stress.
