Tag Archives: dog health

How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need?

Did you know that exercising your dog can have some great benefits? It’s not just about burning off energy or keeping them fit – exercise can also help improve their mental health and well-being.

How much exercise does your dog need? What type of exercise is best? This can vary depending on their age, breed, and health condition.

It’s important to make sure you don’t overdo it, as this can be just as harmful as not exercising them at all. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to get started with exercising your dog safely and effectively.

How much exercise does your dog need?

How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need?

Exercise is important for all dogs, but the amount they need can vary. Generally speaking, younger dogs need more exercise than older dogs. It is important to ensure your dog gets enough exercise to be healthy, but not so much that they’re overdoing it. Signs of over-exercising in dogs include excessive panting, fatigue, and limping.

For younger, active dogs, a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day is recommended. It is best to spread this out throughout the day in short bursts of activity. Breeds such as retrievers and shepherds typically need more than 30 minutes of exercise per day. Older dogs may need a shorter walking duration, but more frequent walks. This will help them keep active without putting too much strain on their joints.

What Type Of Exercise Is Best For Your Dog?

How much exercise does your dog need?

The type of exercise your dog gets is just as important as how much they get. For example, some breeds are not suited to intense physical exercise, such as running, swimming, or agility. Walking is a great exercise for most dogs, particularly those who are less physically active. Other activities you can try include scent games, such as offering your dog treats for finding certain objects in your garden.

For more active breeds, swimming is a great option, as it gives them an aerobic workout without putting too much strain on their joints. Playing fetch and chasing games are also great ways to get your dog exercising. Whatever type of exercise you decide to do with your dog, it is important to make sure they stay physically and mentally stimulated.

Why Is Exercise Important For Your Dog?

how much exercise does your dog need?

Exercise is important for keeping your dog physically fit and their brain engaged. Regular exercise can help your dog shed excess weight and improve their overall health and well-being. It is also important for their mental health. Exercise can help relieve stress, anxiety, and boredom. This can be especially important if your dog is left home alone for extended periods of time.

Regular exercise can also help deepen the bond between you and your fur-friend. Spending time with your dog and playing games with them is a great way to show them how much you care.

How To Get Started With Exercising Your Dog

How much exercise does your dog need?

When it comes to exercise, it’s important to start slowly and build up gradually. Start with short, low-intensity walks and work your way up from there. Make sure your dog is healthy and fit enough for the type of exercise you plan to do. If you’re not sure what level of physical activity is appropriate for your pet, it’s best to consult your vet. Also, make sure your dog is properly hydrated and fuelled with energy-rich snacks before, during, and after exercise.

Tips For Making Exercise Fun For Your Dog

When it comes to exercise, it’s important to make it enjoyable for your dog.

  • Vary your routine and visit different locations to keep your dog stimulated.
  • Offer treats, toys, and praise to reward them for good behaviour during walks and other activities. A tired dog is a happy dog, so make sure they get plenty of rest afterwards.
  • You might also want to consider dog-walking services so your pup has someone to exercise with in between your own walks.

For some more ideas on things to do outside with your dog, check out this article at ASPCApetinsurance.com. It gives 13 different ideas for fun activities to do with your fur-friend.

Of course, sometimes the weather is too bad to have outside fun with your pupper and to that end we have even more ideas for keeping them engaged. This post over at the Pet Stop blog some different things you can do indoors with your dog to keep them active and entertained.

The Benefits Of Exercising Your Dog

How much exercise does your dog need?

The benefits of exercising your four-legged companion are numerous. gular exercise can help them manage their weight, reduce their risk of injuries and other medical issues, and improve quality of life. It is also important for building your relationship with your pet, as it helps to deepen the bond between you. Additionally, exercising your dog is a great way to socialize them and help them build relationships with other dogs, humans, and animals.

Exercising your dog regularly is essential for keeping them happy and healthy.. It is important to make sure you’re doing it in a safe and effective way. With the right approach, you and your pooch can have countless hours of fun exploring the great outdoors.

How much exercise does your dog need?

Posted in: Healthy Dog

First Aid For Dogs Part 2: Performing CPR

By Kelley Kombrinck

A border collie puppy is lying with his belly up on a table, looking happy and cute. There is an unrecognizable veterinarian petting him. She is wearing a stethoscope and blue scrubs inside a veterinarian clinic.
Emergency care for a sick puppy

Welcome back to our three-part series on first aid for dogs and how (and just as importantly, when) to use it. In our first post we discussed some different scenarios where it may be necessary to provide emergency assistance for your beloved four-legged family member. In this installment, we will discuss performing CPR on your dog, how to know when it is necessary, and how to do it.

What is CPR? The American Heart Association says, “CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.”  (check HERE for more info on human CPR.)

We’ve all seen it on TV, movies, or even in real life; someone receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or chest compression to keep them going till they can be stabilized. Dog CPR is not dissimilar. It uses artificial respiration and chest compression to try and revive a dog whose heart has stopped, or who has stopped breathing. When the heartbeat or respiration stops, oxygen levels in the blood decrease quickly and quick, decisive action could save your dog’s life.

As always, of course, the best-case scenario in an emergency, is to be able to get your dog immediate professional, medical assistance. Sometimes, however, that is not easily accessible. If you find yourself in a situation where help is not close by, here are some steps you can take to potentially help your fur-friend hold on until help is available.

Assess Your Dog’s Situation:

If possible, before you do anything, call the veterinarian or animal hospital and alert them that you have an emergency and will need help.

Dog has stopped breating and so its owner, who know dog first aid, is performing mouth to mouth resuscitation to save his life.
Dog has stopped breating and so its owner, who know dog first aid, is performing mouth to mouth resuscitation to save his life.

checking to see if your dog is responsive, try to remember, A-B-C, which stands for “Airway, Breathing, Cardiac.”

  • First, check your dog’s airway by opening its mouth and making sure there is nothing obstructing the throat. If something is blocking the airway it can make it difficult or impossible for your dog to breathe and may complicate further CPR efforts. Remove anything that is blocking the airway.
  • Next, ascertain whether your dog is breathing. This can be done by watching for the rise and fall of their chest, or by putting the back of your hand, or your cheek, close to its nostrils to feel the exhalation. If your dog is breathing, and there is nothing blocking the airway, you can stop CPR. However, if you are unable to identify respiration you will want to continue to the third step.
  • Look for a heartbeat. To do this, put your dog onto their right side and push their front elbow to the chest. This area, where the elbow touches the chest, is referred to as the “intercostal space,” and is the approximate location of your dog’s heart. If the heart is beating, you should see some movement. If you don’t see any movement, press your hand or fingers gently against that spot to see if you can feel a heartbeat.

If you find, after going through the A-B-C assessment that your dog is not breathing, or does not appear to have a heartbeat, you should begin CPR.

First aid reanimation on a small shetland sheepdog
First aid reanimation on a small shetland sheepdog

Performing CPR

  • The first step is to get your dog ready to receive artificial respiration. On the floor or a table, line your dog’s head up with their back, and tilt back a bit further. This opens up the airway.
  • Once open, you will put your mouth over the airway. If your dog is small, meaning under 30 lbs. (13.6 kg), place your mouth over both the nose and the mouth. If your dog is any larger than this, only cover their nose with your mouth. For the larger dogs, you also want to try and hold their mouth and jaw shut to prevent air from escaping when you begin respiration.
  • Blow air in through your dog’s nose (or nose and mouth) enough so that you can see the chest rise, then take your mouth away so the air can escape back out. You want to try and do 20 to 30 of these breaths per minute.
  • Now you should begin chest compression. Place your hand over the heart, in the spot we discussed earlier, the intercostal space. Press down firmly so that your dog’s chest depresses to about 1/3 to 1/2 it’s normal depth. Try to do 10 to 12 compressions every 5 seconds, then doing 1 breath. This would mean, one breath—compress the chest 10-12 times to the count of five, then another breath, until you’ve done 20-30 breaths in a minute. This is a lot of intense compression and can be tiring. If possible, it is ideal to have someone else with you that can switch off with you every 2 minutes or so. You should also be checking every 2 minutes to see if your dog has begun breathing again. If respiration begins again on its own, you can stop CPR. If not, continue performing the CPR until you are able to get medical assistance.

Hopefully there will never be a need for you to have to take these steps for your sweet little fur-friend, but knowing how to perform CPR on your dog could possibly make the difference in helping them hold on till help arrives in the case of an emergency.

Check back here at the blog next month, in our 3rd and final installment of our First Aid for Dogs series, we will talk about what to do if your dog is choking, and some items you should have around the house to help care for your dog in an emergency.

For more first aid for dogs, you can read part 1 of this 3 part series HERE where we cover the basics of first aid for dogs. And for even more dog safety tips that could maybe help prevent some of these emergency situations, go back and see our blog on the foods dogs can’t eat, HERE.

miling mature woman giving her cog a big hug while sitting together outside on her patio in her back yard

Posted in: dog safety, Healthy Dog

First-Aid For Dogs

Part 1: Emergency Care

By Kelley Kombrinck

First Aid for Dogs
Veterinarian wrapping bandage around a dog’s leg

One of the things that charms us so much about dogs is their curiosity. They are inquisitive and explorative creatures who want to understand and interact with their surroundings. It is a very relatable, human trait that we find endearing. However, from time to time, it can also lead to our furry friends getting themselves into situations that could be potentially dangerous, or even life threatening.

Of course, any obvious, severe injuries, sickness or emergencies should be left to the expertise of your veterinarian, but sometimes quick action at home can help your dog be more comfortable and potentially stable until they can be seen by the vet. Occasionally too, there will be minor incidents that don’t require a trip to the animal clinic, but can, and should, be attended to at home.

In this 3-part series we will go over how to identify an emergency, some things you can do to help, pet CPR, and supplies you should keep around the house, just in case.

How to Know an Emergency

How to Know an Emergency
How to Know an Emergency

As always (and we will mention this more than once throughout this post), if there is any doubt, call the vet. They are trained to know what to look for and how to handle threats to your animal’s health.

It is important to know what constitutes an “emergency,” for your dog. The first part of identifying the severity level of a situation with your dog, is knowing what is normal for them. You should be familiar with their appetite, sleep habits, temperament, and bathroom habits. Any significant and ongoing change in any of these can be a sign that something is wrong. This is particularly true of their bowel movements. Changes in frequency, appearance or even odor can be indicators of serious problems.

However, sometimes there is an obvious problem that needs immediate attention from a professional. Below is a list of situations where you should seek veterinary assistance as soon as possible. If your dog(s) are experiencing anything from the list below, get them to the vet.

  • aren’t breathing or have trouble breathing
  • are unresponsive
  • have collapsed and can’t seem get up
  • having a seizure
  • may have broken bones
  • not moving as well as usual or lacking normal coordination
  • have possibly ingested something toxic
  • experience vomiting or diarrhea for over than 24 hours.

With that in mind, there are some things you can do to help your dog hang in there and be more comfortable until they’re able to be seen (if the problem is immediate and cannot totally wait).

Checking Your Dog’s Pulse

Checking Your Dog’s Pulse
Checking Your Dog’s Pulse

There may come a time when you will need to check for your dog’s pulse. The vet on the phone may ask you if you can find it, and if so, what is the heartrate (beats per minute).

To find the dog’s pulse quickly, check the along their thigh, somewhere in the upper third. Place your hand over the top of their thigh and gently squeeze or press your fingers just underneath their leg, on the inside of the thigh. You should be able to feel a pulse.  NOTE: Try not to locate your dog’s pulse using your thumb. Your thumb also has a pulse and could mislead you on what your dog’s pulse actually is. Once you’ve found the pulse, time it for 15 seconds. You can then multiply by 4 to get the beats per minute.

Taking Care of Burns

Taking Care of Burns
Taking Care of Burns

Burns can happen in a variety of ways. If your dog gets a semi-serious to severe burn, the first step is to make sure you cool the wound/burn with water for about 10 minutes.  You don’t want to apply any dressings that will stick to the burn and if you are crating your dog on the way to the vet, just make sure you have a clean, smooth plastic surface for them to rest on. Sheets and blankies can also stick to burnt skin and will complicate treatment. Also, it is not recommended to use cling film with your dog.

Bleeding Claw

Bleeding Claw
Bleeding Claw

It’s important to care for your dog’s claws and clipping them can be tricky. It’s easy to clip them too far up and cause bleeding. If you have accidentally nicked the claw too far up and it starts bleeding, put an absorbent dressing over the paw and wrap the bandage securely (but not too tight) as far up their leg as you can so the dressing stays in place. Keep a close eye on your dog’s paw and if the bleeding doesn’t seem to be slowing or stopping, contact your vet.

These are just a few tips for helping keep your dog happy and healthy in case of an unfortunate injury or accident. You can find more safety tips on the Pet Stop blog in our article from 2012 HERE and be sure to check back in next month for part two of our dog First Aid series where we will discuss how to administer CPR to your pet and some other helpful hints.

A happy, healthy, beautiful dog
A happy, healthy, beautiful dog

Posted in: dog safety, Healthy Dog

Dogs and Covid-19

By Kelley Kombrinck

Dogs and Covid-19

2020 brought a lot of unrest and anxiety to people all over the globe, and the events that shaped that unease came in many shapes and sizes. One of the most harrowing for us humans has been the worldwide pandemic caused by Covid-19, otherwise known as SARS-Cov 2 or Coronavirus. It is an extremely contagious and infectious disease that can seemingly attack any system in the body. The effects can fall anywhere on a broad spectrum of severity that includes having no symptoms at all, feeling like one has a mild flu, or in the worst cases, death from complications caused by the virus. Social and physical distancing has become phrases we’ve come to hear almost daily. Humans are social animals and so it’s no surprise that we’ve had difficulty adjusting to this situation as a species. It’s hard for us to stay away from one another and to stay indoors. We crave face-to-face interaction and experiences beyond our front doors. What about other species’, however? When it comes to our dogs and Covid-19, what do we need to know? How has the coronavirus affected our animal friends and how do we protect them? Experts believe that Covid-19 originated in an animal (most likely a bat, according to the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html), but can it be spread from humans back to animals? Could we be spreading the virus to our pets? Can they, in turn, infect us?

The good news is the likelihood of us contracting Covid-19 from our dogs is very slim. The virus seems mostly transmitted through respiratory droplets, spread it via sneezes, coughs and talking in close proximity to one another. From the same page on the CDC website linked above:

“Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.”

What about us passing it on to our beloved fur-babies? What is the risk there?

In May of 2020, a German Shepherd named Buddy became the first dog in the US to test positive for Covid-19. His owner had contracted the coronavirus the previous month and noticed that the dog was showing signs of illness. A veterinarian was able to confirm that Buddy did indeed have the virus. Sadly, in July of 2020, Buddy passed away from lymphoma, but vets were unable to determine whether this was related to the virus, or if complications from his cancer were coincidental to the infection.

We love our dogs

This story and a few other like it sent cold tendrils of panic slipping down the spines of dog lovers everywhere. It was hard enough worrying about infecting our most vulnerable human family and friends, but now it seems, we may also have to worry about making our pets sick.

Steps to Keep Your Dog Safe

The information we have is obviously limited and the story grows and changes every day, but the CDC advises treating pets similarly to humans in regard to distancing. They’ve released some general guidelines about how best to avoid spreading the coronavirus to our dogs.

Walking your dog during covid
Walk your dogs on a leash when you take them out
  • Practice good pet hygiene. Wash your hands frequently, particularly after handling your dogs or their food, Physically distance. Just like we’ve done with other people, it’s advised to keep our animal friends separated from people outside of their home.
  • Walk your dogs on a leash when you take them out and try to keep them distanced (at least six feet) from other animals and people who may be out doing the same. Also, try to avoid public places where a large number of people and dogs may gather, including busy, social dog parks. If possible, exercise them in their own yard (a great way of doing this, if you are worried about them staying put, is to install an invisible pet fence).
  • The CDC states that there is no evidence that the virus can be contracted from the skin, fur or hair of pets so please don’t try to “disinfect” them by wiping or cleaning them with alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes, or other industrial or surface cleaners. Again, this does nothing to help and could very definitely be harmful, or deadly, to your beloved dog. It is perfectly fine to wipe the pads of their paws with warm, water. You can use a pet safe soap but if you do, be sure to rinse your dog’s paws thoroughly to be sure it is all gone. Even soaps meant for pets can be dangerous if left on the skin. Also, never use soaps meant for humans on your pets–the chemicals can cause serious health problems or even death.
  • Of course, the best way we can prevent our dog friends from getting infected with Covid-19 is to stay healthy ourselves. If you do contract Covid-19, or even think that you have, limit contact with your pet as much as possible. If you can, try to have someone else care for your dog(s) if you are infected.
  • If no one else is available to help you care for your animals, avoid prolonged contact such as petting, kisses, being licked and snuggling (definitely the hardest part but so necessary).
  • When it’s necessary to feed them or be near them, make sure you are wearing a mask.
  • There are also a couple of things you should not do, in trying to protect your dog from the coronavirus.
  • First, don’t put a mask on your dog. Their mouths and noses are built completely different from ours and the mask will not protect them, and in fact could actually harm them.
  • As with all matters relating to the health of your pet, consult your veterinarian if you have questions about how best to keep your animal friends safe.
keep your dog healthy

We all want the best for our dogs, they are special and precious, and we strive to do what we can to keep them safe and healthy. Thankfully, it seems that doesn’t seem very common to spread the virus to our pets, but it can, and does, happen from time to time. We are learning more as time goes on about how the coronavirus spreads and the effects it can have on both humans and animals. To stay up to date on coronavirus as it applies to our animal friends, consult the CDC page HERE.

Do what you can to keep yourself safe and healthy, and you will be going a long way to ensure the same for your dog.

Posted in: dog safety, petstop