healthy VITALITY

Play is fun, but also helps to keep bones and muscles healthy

A ROUTINE FOR REGULAR play is essential for your dog's physical and psychological well-being. Exercise is an important part of maintaining toned and lean muscles, and promoting a strong skeletal structure. Luckily, dogs tend to be full of energy and are usually eager to exercise.

EXERCISE EVERY DAY
It’s easy for a pet owner to overlook their dog’s health if he appears to be healthy on the outside. However, internal neglect can have expensive and devastating results; which is why it is essential for your dog to get his daily dose of exercise, as well as regular visits to a veterinarian.

Active dogs tend to live longer, have more energy and generally “socialize” better with other dogs and people. Exercise is key in keeping your fury little friend’s internal organs fit.

On average, a dog should get at last 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. This could be in the form of walking, running, swimming or the age-old game of fetch. If you find yourself too busy to do this each day, try asking a family member, friend, or – if it’s in your budget – hire a dog walker.

Daily exercise keeps your dog’s heart in great shape and reduces the likelihood of obesity, as well as developing other diseases of the brain lungs, liver and
kidneys. It can also prevent diabetes, because exercise allows the metabolism to speed up, making it easier for him to breakdown carbohydrates.

HEALTHY BONES
Proper exercise is also important for strong healthy bones. Bones need a little bit of stress in order for them to grow properly.
Unused bones are weak bones, and can possibly lead to degenerative bone diseases and arthritis. In most cases, if a dog does develop arthritis, it can lead to muscle atrophy, where the muscles begin to get loose and hang off the bone. As result, your dog may have a change in his behaviour, becoming less excitable and more prone to laziness due to musculoskeletal pain. So make sure your dog gets plenty of play – but not too rough.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE?
A good way to determine how much exercise your puppy needs is to look at the job for which your dog was bred.

Working breeds and herding breeds such as cattle dogs and border collies, and many of the terrier breeds, need an extraordinary amount of exercise. These dogs need regularly scheduled activities – as well as their daily walks – to meet their needs.

AGING GRACEFULLY
Older dogs should still exercise frequently. A low-key game of fetch is perfect. And if your dog is arthritic, a short swim can provide exercise and go easy on the muscles and joints.

If you are concerned about injuries, consider how you would exercise. Warm up before any activity and cool down afterwards to prevent a build-up of lactic acid.

HELP MUSCLES WITH PROTEIN
There are three major muscle groups in a dog's body, including smooth, cardiac and skeletal.

Protein is the building block of muscle and supplying your dog with adequate protein is important, especially for puppies who still have growing muscles. Protein is also vital for senior dogs, who may be losing muscle mass in older age.