What You Need To Know About Dog Walking

If you own a dog, it's recommended that you walk him regularly. According to experts, there are plenty of benefits that come with it. Some of these benefits include:

Benefits of walking him

Bond strengthening: Since you will be alone with him you have quality time together. Experts report that this time is important in forming a deep and trusting relationship with your dog. The time that you spend together with him also plays a vital role in the development of the behavior.

Weight control: Just like humans, dogs are bound to gain plenty of weight when they lead a sedentary lifestyle. If you live in an apartment four-legged friend has little space to exercise; therefore, it gains weight. During the walk, he burns calories thus bringing about weight loss.

Better mental well-being: If you regularly exercise you can bear witness that you feel much better after the exercise. This is because your body releases hormones that improve your mental well-being. This is the same case with your dog. When the dog exercises he feels better about himself thus becoming a better companion.

More exposure: When you walk him you expose him to new people, experiences, and settings. This helps him to learn new things which are crucial for growth.

Decrease loneliness: If you live alone it means that your friend spends most of his time alone. Just like humans, dogs are social beings. When you are walking him you give him company which aids in getting rid of loneliness.

Longer life: Since dogs that exercise are fitter and healthier, they tend to live longer. Since they have longer lives you enjoy the company of your dog for a longer time.

How to walk him

While many people know that they need to walk their dogs, studies show that few dog owners know how to properly do it. To help you out, here are tips on how to properly walk him:

Always keep him on a leash: When he is on a leash you have full control of him and you are the one who dictates the walk-not the dog. The best way of holding the leash is wrapping it around your hand until there is little space between you and him.

Treat him: It's always recommended that you train your dog during the walk. Some of the training that you can expose him to include: walking, sitting and when to pull on the leash. When he behaves the way that you want you should reward him with his favorite treat.

Make the walk comfortable: There is no way that he will enjoy the walk if it's uncomfortable. You should ensure that the leash is made from a comfortable material. Also, ensure that you apply comfortable pressure on him The time that you walk him determines how comfortable the dog will be. For peace of mind avoid walking him at noon as it might be too hot for him.

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Dogs and Arthritis - The Different Treatments Available

I'm pretty sure you either know some people who have arthritis or you're at least familiar with what arthritis is. But you might not realize that dogs can get arthritis too.

Arthritis in dogs is actually pretty similar to arthritis in people. Several things can cause it, but arthritis is always a painful degenerative disease that leads to stiff, aching joints and muscles. It can vary in severity. Some dogs are lucky and have barely noticeable symptoms. Others, however, are less fortunate and experience a great deal of pain and severely restricted mobility. There isn't any real cure for arthritis, so if your dog is arthritic, you'll want some information on dog arthritis treatments that can help improve his quality of life.

An assortment of treatment options and therapies are available, all of which hope to alleviate the painful symptoms of arthritis and/or increase freedom of movement. These dog arthritis treatments can be loosely categorized into two types - natural and chemical.

Natural Dog Arthritis Treatments

Herbal remedies are one way to treat an arthritic dog naturally. A number of herbs can help ease your dog's pain and can be purchased at natural health care and herbal stores. For example, a daily dose of tea made from fresh or dried alfalfa can help reduce swelling in the joints. Yucca, another herb, can help ease the pain of arthritis because it contains natural steroids. Comfrey leaves are a third example, but other herbs can be also used as natural herbal therapies.

Massage can also ease the pain experienced by dogs with arthritis. You can use just your hands to rub your pet's aching limbs, or you can incorporate an herbal oil, olive oil or sunflower oil into the massage.

Excess weight is a common cause of arthritis in dogs because it causes additional wear and tear on the joints. Weight control is an easy but effective way to help alleviate your dog's suffering, although it probably won't eliminate it totally. Put your dog on a diet of healthy, nutritious food, and once he achieves the proper weight for his size and breed, keep it there.

Gentle, low-impact exercise is very important for dogs suffering from arthritis. The exercise forces the dog to move, which ultimately might further damage the cartilage, but it also stimulates the production of joint-lubricating synovial fluid which can increase mobility.

Acupuncture is yet another natural technique that can be effective for canine arthritis pain. It can increase circulation - and therefore the blood supply - in the vicinity of an arthritic joint. This provides additional oxygen and slows the degeneration of joint tissues. Acupuncture is also helpful for alleviating muscle spasms. It stimulates the nerves and muscles to increase leg strength and causes the secretion of the endorphin hormones which help a dog feel better.

These and other natural dog arthritis treatments can be given alone or combined with prescription and non-prescription medications, depending on your vet's recommendation.

Chemical-Based Dog Arthritis Treatments

A wide assortment of prescription and non-prescription medications can also be used to treat a dog with arthritis. For example, Rimadyl® is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which can alleviate pain and inflammation in joints, but dog owners need to be aware that it carries the risk of liver damage. Although this particular side effect only affects a small percentage of dogs, Rimadyl® (as well as other NSAIDs) also has some pretty nasty other potential side effects, so if you give your dog Rimadyl® and notice any adverse effects, stop the drug immediately and speak with your vet.

Deramaxx® is another prescription NSAID which can be given to dogs for the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Like Rimadyl®, Deramaxx® has a number of potential side effects, including abdominal pain, fatigue, bloody stools, itching, jaundice, skin rashes, weight gain and more. Bring any side effects to your vet's attention promptly.

NSAIDs can be effective, but their potential side effects require them to be used cautiously. The same could be said for prescription steroids, which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and/or kidney disease, muscle atrophy (wasting) and Cushing's disease.

Those chemical-based dog arthritis treatments can have some undesirable and potentially life-threatening side effects if allowed to progress without veterinary intervention. So, what other chemical-based dog arthritis treatments are available?

Well, there's always aspirin, the old standby. It, too, is an NSAID and can be effective against the pain and swelling caused by arthritis. But aspirin also has some potential side effects, including gastrointestinal irritation that can cause liver and kidney damage and the possibility of further damaging a dog's already-degraded joint cartilage. As a result, aspirin should only be given for short-term pain relief, not as a long-term method of controlling pain. Using buffered or enteric (coated) aspirin can help prevent side effects, but only slightly. The standard veterinary dosage of aspirin for a 12-hour period is 5-10 mg per pound of the dog's body weight, given at feeding time.

Glucosamine for Dogs (Vegetarian)

Finally, supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin are products which can help reduce pain and increase mobility by protecting and lubricating arthritic joints. Often taken by people with arthritis, these ingredients have been proven to soothe, rehabilitate and sometimes even regenerate tissue damaged by arthritis. Fortunately, they have virtually no side effects, although once a dog starts taking them they must continue or joint degeneration will resume. In short, glucosamine and chondroitin are providing to be among the safest and most effective dog arthritis treatments available. Often grouped as a chemical-based treatment because they're available in liquid or pill form, glucosamine and chondroitin are actually natural dietary supplements. In the right form and amount, they can provide pain relief and promote joint health within 10 to 30 days after treatment begins.

Glucosamine for Small Dogs

It is such a pain for a dog owner to see his four-legged best friend suffering from Arthritis

It really is heartbreaking however we all know that there is a good chance that one day or another our dog will experience this kind of disorder.

Many dog owners are not aware of all the different ailments that a dog can encounter in his life-span, and most important, the different causes and symptoms that could be very helpful to diagnose these conditions before they become major ones.

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