5 easy things to avoid to keep your dog in good muscular health.
Lucy from Pawsitive Touch has been absolutely instrumental in ensuring the design was right for the Reg&Bob harness. It was so important for Reg&Bob to create a harness that didn’t cause more problems than it solved.
Lucy Tyrrell from Pawsitive Tocuh
As a Galen Myotherapist ® Lucy regularly treats dogs with muscular issues, so when I saw her article on every day things to avoid to ensure good muscular health - I thought it would be a great idea to share it here.
Here’s Lucy’s top 5 things to avoid to ensure good muscular health in your dog………
Ball Throwing
I’m amazed at how many people I still see out and about with a ball thrower! They’re throwing the ball at a speed and a distance with the dog zooming after it. I cannot stress enough how much damage this activity can have on a dog’s joints and muscles. These is because:
Unpredictable actions such as braking, landing and twisting can put muscles under stresses they aren’t meant for.
Speed generates force – this force then goes through the joints often causing shoulder issues.
Braking/sudden stopping has a huge impact on the muscles and joints.
Repeated trauma to muscles causes long term joint damage.
Once a joint is compromised it will be prone to further damage .
So what to do instead?
You can still take a ball on the walk with you but hide it and send your dog to retrieve it
Focus on other things instead of the ball on your walk such as training games, letting your dog pick the route, treat searches in woodland or in long grass or try some scent work.
Slippery floors can be like walking on ice
Slippery floors
How would your muscles feel if 80% of your day was on ice? Think how hard those inner thigh muscles would have to work to stop you doing the splits – they would have to work so hard they would become overworked and uncomfortable. A lot of the flooring in our homes is so slippery it’s like your dog having to negotiate their day to day activities on an ice rink. Watch your dog really carefully as they move around on the slippery floors - even little slips will have a negative impact over time.
So what can we do?
Whilst it is impractical to carpet the whole house, here are some easy changes. Look for high slip areas and place non slip mats at this point. If your dog uses the stairs add a mat at the bottom. Ensure that where your dog stands to eat and drink is non slip. Also try and place their bed or main resting place on a non slip surface. Yoga mats work wonders as a temporary measure (do check that your dog won’t chew these.) Otherwise, there’re a wide variety of mats available at varying prices – you don’t have to spend a fortune.
Harnesses
It’s great to see so many dogs wearing a harness as owners are becoming more aware of the damage a collar can do to the vital structures in a dog’s neck.
However, a poorly designed or badly fitted harness can have a really negative impact on a dog’s muscular and joint health - restricting the natural movements of the joints especially the shoulders and elbows.
An ideal shape of harness is a Y shaped harness – here is a link to a harness I designed for Reg&Bob as well as blogs about the design process and some frequently asked questions.
Weekend warriors
If your dog is used to walking a certain distance and on a particular terrain, then that is what their muscles and their overall muscular health will be used to. So if at the weekend you expect your dog to walk a lot further than usual or perhaps exercise/walk on an unfamiliar surface (such as sand) this will be a lot for their muscles to deal with. Overtime they may then have to adapt how they move and use their muscles which can cause compensatory muscular issues.
Instead…..
Take breaks, stop for a sniff (the dog not you!) If walking on sand – try to mainly walk on the firm hard sand.
Certain toys
The correct way to play tug
Tug - I am all for a game of tug with a dog – I think for some dogs it can be really beneficial but ……be careful how you tug. The dog should not be pulling in an upwards direction, so the tugging needs to be at floor level – not always great for our backs but better for the dog!
Frisbees – To me frisbees can be one of the most dangerous toys if thrown for a dog to catch mid air as that jumping and twisting can cause back issues (I’ve seen them) as well as general muscular issues (seen those too.) The only way I would use a frisbee is as something you place/hide and send your dog to retrieve.
And finally……..
The most important thing to remember is REPETITION. Repetitive strain is as common in dogs as it is in humans and where possible should be avoided. Things to think about are not overdoing are jumping, sudden braking, as well as dramatic twisting and swerving. Always walk your dog on both sides of you rather than always walking on one side and make sure you’re not only going in straight lines! Limit the jumping on and off furniture and into the car – where you can - lift them or assist them if possible.
If you have any queries you would like to raise with Lucy feel free to contact here through her website or Instagram
There’s a good soft landing from the favourite chair