Canine Exercise Food 4 Thought
By Deb D’Andrea
In warm weather it’s easy to over exert ones self – both human and canine alike. As humans, when we exercise and feel our muscles start to tighten and strain, we know the consequences of pushing through the feeling. But our dogs running, hiking, and swimming by our side will push themselves to please us, stopping only when they can no longer go on.
Every day when I head out with my dogs to exercise, I always give them a good, thorough, brisk massage. This helps warm up their muscles and gets the blood moving, reducing injury potential. The brisk massage prepares their body for the upcoming event, be it a trip to the agility field, hiking the mountains or heading to the dog park. I begin the massage at the back of the neck, briskly massaging down the shoulders, backwards across the ribs and then up to the base of the tail and down the outside of the rear legs. It only takes a couple minutes and looks like I’m ‘frisking’ the dogs. They love it! The pressure I use is light to medium, or between 2 to 5 pounds. For reference, grab a weight scale and push on it to see how much pressure 2 to 5 pounds are. You’ll be surprised at just how little it really is!
Once out on the trail, I keep an eye my pups, constantly watching for the signs of exhaustion or dehydration, checking to see if paw pads are healthy, and stopping at any sign of a limp. As dog’s pads were not designed for the tarmac and concrete which covers many bike trails, they can burn their feet when on these hot surfaces. When I was in Bryce Canyon National Park I witnessed an individual place their puppy on the black pavement while they attended to others in the car. I quickly walked over and picked the puppy up as it was rapidly lifting each paw in an effort to not touch the road. The person had no idea the puppies paws were burning.
Another common surface to be aware of are stone trails which may contain sharp rocks that can easily cause pad blisters during hikes. And, while the flowers are beautiful, the ever present cactus thorns can lodge between the toes and be difficult to find. If after a hike you notice your dog licking in between the toes or pads, give the foot a close inspection to see if a thorn has broken off in there. If left unchecked, the thorns could cause infection. Be sure to make it fun, playful when checking their paws so next time they’ll offer the paw right up!
As one would expect, dogs with thick coats and dark coats are prone to become overheated more quickly than their thin coat and light coated furry friends. If you find yourself out with your dog in the heat of the day on a consistent basis, brushing them ahead of time to remove extra fur is key to helping them stay cool on these hot days. The Love2Pet 2-in-1 Large Pet Grooming Brush is a great addition to your toolbox of items for your pet. You can also wet them down before heading out so they will stay cooler longer.
So the next time you head out the door with your dog, take a moment and give them a good, brisk massage to prepare them for the day’s events, grab some of their favorite treats and water, and enjoy this beautiful countryside!
Deb D’Andrea is a Certified Canine Massage Therapist from the Boulder College of Massage, Canine Massage Program, and has found her passion helping Canines and their companions.
For more information visit: www.4theluvofdogz.com.
