How to Exercise a Dog With Arthritis
Does your dog have arthritis? If so you’re not alone. My dog was diagnosed last year at the age of 3, to say I was surprised is a bit of an understatement. An arthritis diagnosis doesn’t mean your dog can’t be active, it’s just a matter of changing up your routine. Here’s some simple tips on how to exercise a dog with arthritis.
80% of Dogs Have Arthritis By The Age of 8
By the time a dog reaches the age of 8 he has an 80% chance of having arthritis; and 20% of dogs are already showing signs of the disease by the age of 1.
By those statistics managing arthritis is something many of us dog owners will have to do at some point in our dogs lives. It’s never a diagnosis anyone wants but it doesn’t mean all the fun activities you once enjoyed are over. And while keeping your arthritic dog active might seem contradictory the right amount of exercise can help keep your dog mobile and in shape.
The Symptoms of Canine Arthritis
Do you suspect your dog might have arthritis? The most common symptoms of canine arthritis are:
- Limping (especially after exercise & at night)
- Difficulty getting up
- Lameness in legs
- Muscle atrophy (losing muscle mass)
Dogs with arthritis also tend to lick their affected limbs more often, and some can develop spinal issues that can lead to a hunched posture. If you suspect your dog may have arthritis make an appointment with your veterinarian.
So How Do You Exercise a Dog With Arthritis?
Exercising a dog with arthritis is a balancing act; too much activity can cause pain, and too little makes the condition worse. Staying active will help keep your dogs muscles strong, as well as improving circulation to those achy joints. Lack of activity leads to the condition worsening, causing joints to become even more achy and stiff.
So how do you figure out what exercises you can still enjoy with your dog? Laika and I have been trying various routines trying to come up with one that doesn’t cause her discomfort or pain. There’s been a lot of trial and error, but I’m finally confident enough to say we’ve come up a pretty good (and fun) exercise routine that doesn’t leave her sore afterward. Here’s how we did it.
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Consult Your Veterinarian First
If you suspect your dog has arthritis you should consult your veterinarian first. Each dog is unique, and your veterinarian will help you come up with a management plan suited for your dog. Treatment options vary depending on where your dog’s arthritis is and how severe it is. Unfortunately there isn’t a cure, but there are many ways to manage pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.
There are a wide variety of management options available. There’s physical therapy, surgery, supplements, exercise routines, anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medications. After a physical examination your vet will discuss which options are best for your dog.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight Helps With Arthritis
If your dog is overweight those extra pounds are causing extra stress on his already achy joints. Proper weight management through exercise & diet changes can help ease many arthritis symptoms.
Numerous studies have been done that show reducing weight leads to significant improvement in quality of life. Ease of activities such as climbing stairs, jumping into a car or truck, and even getting up from a sitting position can improve dramatically with weight loss. – Lawrence Veterinary Hospital
Start With a Warm Up
Many arthritic dogs are particularly stiff when they first get up. You can help them out by starting any exercise with a short, low impact walk to help get those joints moving. Most dogs move around much easier once they’ve walked around for a minute or two.
Introduce New Exercise Routines Slowly
Most of us work during the week and try and cram as much activity into our weekends as possible (aka being a weekend warrior). But when it comes to exercising your arthritic dog those sudden bursts of activity can cause added stress and injury. Try to maintain an exercise program you can do daily (or every other day), rather than one intense workout on the weekend.
I try to keep our walks interesting by switching trails & parks regularly. I also let her stop and smell the roses – but in her case that’s just code for messing with dead animals & poop.
5 Low Impact Exercises for Dogs With Arthritis
Just because your dog has arthritis doesn’t mean they have to stop exercising. There’s plenty of low impact activities you can still enjoy together. Here’s 5 exercises that are great for dogs with arthritis.
1. Swimming
By far the most popular exercise choice due to it’s low impact on joints. Swimming is a non weight bearing exercise that will help increase your dogs range of motion and build up muscle mass. Don’t have a regular place to go swimming? Check to see if there are any canine friendly hydrotherapy centers, pools, public beaches, or dog parks with a water feature available in your area.
2. Leash Walking
Walking around the neighborhood or at a nearby park is an easy way to keep our dogs active. It doesn’t have to be one epic walk a day either; you can take your dog on a couple shorter walks throughout the day to keep them moving.
3. Short Hikes
Try finding a trail that’s level and doesn’t have much of an incline. Depending on your dogs condition you might want to start off with a few short hikes to make sure they’re comfortable and not showing any signs of discomfort afterwards.
4. Indoor Games & Activities
Indoor games are an easy way to keep our dogs entertained and active, especially when the weather isn’t great. You can teach your dog some basic nose work such as “find the treats,” use interactive toys, or play hide and seek.
5. Short, Gentle Play Sessions
Try some short sessions of tug or fetch. Pay attention to your dog afterwards to watch for any signs of discomfort. If your dog has trouble afterwards switch up the routine to something a little gentler. Many dogs are still able to play tug in short sessions, and some can play fetch indoors if it’s on a softer surface such as carpet.
I play fetch with Laika in the living room; the carpet is a nice soft surface, and I bounce the ball rather than encouraging her to jump and catch it.
Try out a few indoor games to see which activities your dog enjoys. Watch your dog afterwards for any signs of discomfort. If your dog is achy afterwards it means they session was too long, or that the activity itself is too high impact.
Arthritic dogs don’t like to exercise, leading to more weight issues, leading to more arthritis — it’s a vicious circle. But low-impact exercise such as walking combined with a diet is extremely beneficial to arthritic pets. – Dr. Jessica Vogelsang
Avoid Running & Jumping Exercises
Dogs with arthritis should not be encouraged to jump or run around excessively. Although it’s fun to watch our dogs roughhouse and jump around it can cause those joints a lot of stress and pain later.
If your dog has arthritis avoid activities that promote a lot of jumping or running such as frisbee and long distance fetch. You may also want to discourage sitting pretty or having your dog walk on their hind legs since it causes a lot of stress on those joints.
Cool Down Period aka Massage Time
At the end of an exercise take some extra time to relax and concentrate on making your dog comfortable. Heat can help soothe achy joints so I often warm up a heating pad and put it on her hips for 10 minutes. You could also use a hot water bottle, blanket, or any of the store bought heating options available for pets – just make sure it’s not too hot before you place it on your dog.
I also give her a nice doggie massage after the heat treatment. Massages help increase the circulation to those joints and although I don’t know how much it’s helping in the long run I can tell you she really enjoys it.
Don’t Forget to Add in Some Mental Exercises
Keeping your dog fit & healthy isn’t just about adding in more physical exercise to their daily routine. All dogs can benefit from more interactive play and mental stimulation.
So throughout the day add in a few extra games and activities for your dog to enjoy in doors. A few easy ways to give your dog some more mental stimulation is by giving them a puzzle toy, a stuffed Kong, playing a game of tug or simply letting them sniff around & explore while out on your daily walk.
Find a Medication That Relieves Arthritis Pain
Unfortunately arthritis is progressive, and there will still be days when your dog shows discomfort. Even with precautions Laika still has bad days every once in a while. And on those days she gets pain relievers and plenty of rest. (and puppy massages, but that’s optional)
Glucosamine supplements are recommended for arthritic dogs, and they’re widely available at pet stores or online. They relieve inflammation and can help cartilage regeneration. Talk to your veterinarian about pain management options, and find a medication that works for your dog. Some dog’s may benefit from daily medication, while others may only need to take pain relievers on bad days.
Your Arthritic Dog Can Still Be Active & Have Fun
It might take some trial and error to find the right amount of exercise that’s right for your dog. We still go for adventures everyday and play lots of tug. Laika still swims, walks, hikes, tugs, fetches, does nose work, and plays lots of games.
Don’t dwell on what your dog can’t do; think of all the awesome activities you can still enjoy together. It took me awhile to learn that lesson. After awhile I finally realized that Laika doesn’t seem to mind her new routine at all; she’s just as happy and ready to go as she ever was. I was the one dwelling on the past and thinking of the “what ifs.” Engaging in various activities every day is keeping her happy and healthy; not the lack of previous habits.
Dogs teach us various lessons; and living for the moment is one Laika’s taught me.
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. – Chili Davis
What Low Impact Exercises Does Your Dog Enjoy?
How do you exercise your arthritis dog? Do you go swimming a lot with your dog? Do you try and get in a daily walk or two? Did I miss any activities you still enjoy with your arthritic dog?
I am not a veterinarian; please consult a professional if you suspect your dog has arthritis or if you want help coming up with a management plan for the condition. It’s taken a lot of trial and error and we’ve been working closely with our vet the entire time. This post is meant for informational purposes to show that arthritic dogs can (and should) remain active.
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Thanks for this post. I suspect my little dog Phoebe might have arthritis, so I stopped having her jump up on rocks during our walks and don’t take her on our more strenuous hikes anymore. Walking seems to be the best activity for her.
It came on slowly with Laika and I attributed it to normal aging. I was really shocked when she got the diagnosis at the age of 3. But luckily we have an amazing vet whose been extremely helpful in encouraging us to try various treatment options.
What a great article and so timely right now for Haley. She’s always been super active and now that she’s 8 years old and starting to show signs of arthritis, we’ve had to make some adjustments too. The hardest part for me is, she wants to tear around the yard and go crazy and it’s hard to keep her from over-doing it sometimes. I have to limit her off-leash walking time or she’ll run and run, but then limp a little bit later that evening. She loves rough-housing and getting crazy, so I’m learning new ways to play with her so she still has fun but it isn’t quite so strenuous on her knee.
Thanks for the helpful tips here, Haley thanks you too!
Oh I can definitely sympathize; occasionally when Laika gets out in the yard she’ll run around like a crazy dog and it’s so hard to make her stop (and plus they always look like they’re having so much fun) but I know it’ll cause her to limp later on. It’s a lot of trial and error trying to come up ways to entertain them without causing any discomfort later on. I wish you the best with Haley (I’m picturing her running around in the yard and it’s such a cute visual)
My dogs are big on their walks and Sampson does like to run a bit, but usually it’s very limited. I’m working to find some way to ease his discomfort because I know he has some pain issues going on, as he keeps licking his paw. 🙁
I’m using Rejenease (available on Amazon, use HEARTDOG at check out to get 25% off your first order) 😉 and it has really helped his mobility. I am going to look into Adequan injections too. Right now I am doing a liver cleanse to help clean out his body of toxins.
I should look into Rejenease one day; the Inflama Way glucosamine tablets we’re using seem to be working like magic so I’m hesitant to switch until I notice her getting worse. I have heard from multiple people that they love Rejenease though.
My sister Katie loves walking, she is real slow these days, but she still wants to walk. Sadly things are starting to go downhill faster with her and she is having more and more trouble with her back end collapsing, but it doesn’t bother her, just makes Mom real sad.
I’m so sorry to hear that; it’s so tough watching our pets grow older.
Those are great tips. Our dogs enjoy swimming and luckily don’t seem to have much in the way of arthritis.
Swimming is the best isn’t it? So glad none of your dogs show any signs of arthritis; they’re in awesome shape.
Great tips! With 2 senior dogs in the house we are changing things up a bit. Hide n seek is a fav with Sherman and Leroy is digging his new puzzle!
Thanks so much, and it’s definitely challenging to find the right balance. I still find it very odd that Laika’s arthritis doesn’t seem to be triggered by catching bubbles or playing tug, yet a quick game of fetch outdoors can leave her in pain. The hide and seek game is luckily one of Laika’s favorites; she never gets tired of that one 🙂
My dog is 13 , recently he had surgery to take out oxalate stone, now he had arthritis and same symptoms what he had before the surgery. I am confused if he is developing stones again but vet gave him hills prescription diet but I don’t see any difference . I m giving him small dose of rimadyl for pain and that seems to me helping him for pain but I heard it can cause liver or kidney problems. Any tips what can be done to keep my dog healthy and happy. Vet tells me it’s just age so there is not a whole lot can be done but I feel if I can find proper diet and exercise I can keep my dog happy and healthy and long life. If any one has any good tips or idea I will appreciate it. Thanks
Sorry to hear about your dogs surgery; that’s such a stressful situation. As far as finding the right exercise regimen for your dog you’ll probably have to experiment with low impact activities for varying amounts of time until you find a certain routine that doesn’t cause any symptoms afterwards. I don’t have personal experience with treating oxalate stones, but I have read that adding more water to your dog’s diet can help. And as far as Rimadyl goes I’d pay close attention to your dog’s urine; dark urine or urine with a strong odor can indicate kidney problems.
Again I’m sorry to hear about your dog’s arthritis. Managing it is a balancing act between finding the right amount of exercise + rest + diet, but it sounds like you’re on the right track.
My 3 year old Catahoula was diagnosed with athritis 6 weeks ago. He was limping for a few weeks every other day. I thought it was a pulled muscle at first and then possibly a fracture later on but no :(. The vet gave him some rimadyl to help him through the bad days, only a few. It helped him tons. Unfortunately it has progressed and the rimadyl helped him about the first two weeks (I even lowered the dose to spread it out). It’s all gone and through research there is a reason why rimadyl is not good long term for their bodies so I don’t want him to have anymore (I mean I do because it makes him like his old self but I dont…). He went from a lively and overbearing baby to waking me up in the middle of the night crying with his leg locked out within a few months. He’s on glucosamine (sp?), about 2000mg for a few days now but he’s lost a lot of weight… He was close to 100lbs and now he’s down to 75. Vet said he’s still in the healthy range when he was at 75 but I know the weight is dropping still because he doesnt want to move even to eat and I know him like the back of my hand. The vet said surgery was an option but futile as it comes back. I’m heartbroken by his deterioration. He no longer puts weight on that leg. Imagine one of your best 4 legged friends trying to play with another dog on his good day and seeing his leg go almost straight to the side and yelp over and over and stare at you in the middle of the field until you pick him up! Im at a loss. I’m sad and scared for him. Sorry for the rant but he means the world to me. If we can’t find a combination of health supplements to get him at least active before winter comes (we are in ND) I have to face the possibility of…. you know.
It is heartbreaking, and I wish I knew the answer to keeping him pain free. I’ve also read the studies about the long term effects of Rimadyl and it is scary. We tried a few glucosamine supplements before we found one that seemed to work pretty well, but unfortunately we still have our ups and downs. The waking up in the middle of the night is something we go through as well, I wish I knew the answer. It’s a horrible disease, and it’s heartbreaking that your dog is already going through all this at such a young age. Wishing you the best of luck.
I figured you wouldn’t mind an update… His new vet recommended an amputation, me and my husband accepted it. He was dropped off (hard to do.. both me and my Cat have separation anxiety from each other). She called the morning of and cancelled the amputation due to the fact she gave him rimadyl and he was “fine” which I told her I wasnt comfortable with him living on but I digress. He now has a steady supply of anti-inflammatory/pain meds and still limps and sleeps all day. I tried to update her and was told he needed orthopedic surgey, so I called around and was quoted $4-5k, I called the vet back and told her we couldn’t afford it and was the response was “Do you want a dog or do you want him?”
That sucked.
Oh my goodness, so sorry to hear you’ve been going through all this. It has to be so disappointing to be so close to the surgery & then nothing.. I certainly hope you are able to get a better quote on that, I’m not sure what the cost difference is when it’s called orthopedic vs general amputation.
My hounds hate swimming, or maybe they’re just too lazy. 🙂
We’ve found that short, frequent walks were the answer. (As opposed to the long daily ones we used to take.)
Also, CanineActiv has been a huge help. Before we started taking that, it was a struggle to even get the dogs off the couch.
This is a great post! My dog has HD, so these exercise are great for her!!
Love x
In my case it’s been shorter walks more frequently throughout the day, keeping my dog lean, turmeric supplements for joint protection, and using an Ortocanis dog knee brace on both of my boxer’s arthritic knees on higher activity level days, or days where I can notice a more significant limp/pain. Arthritis is a normal thing at her age (she’s 12), so we’re just trying to accept the diagnosis and keep us all moving forward .. literally!!
I feel for you. It’s a tough diagnosis since you have to spend so much of your time figuring out what the new normal should be, or what activities at what levels are still acceptable.
I don’t know if it will help your dog or not but on the days when Laika’s limping I use a heating pad on her back legs; I don’t know for sure if it’s actually helping the pain or if she sticks with because she loves the heat. Either way it’s an easy way for me to get her to lay down on the couch for awhile and rest.
Probably can’t hurt! I’ve never tried heat but I do have a heating pad lying around somewhere at home.. next time I can tell she’s in pain I’ll try using it and see what happens. Thanks for the tip!
My german shepherd has a multitude of problems; HD, arthritis, and broken bones that were not treated and have splintered causing small pieces of bone to cause pain in the joints. He is a rescue dog and I want to make his new life as good as possible. I have tried a multitude of remedies over time and, although he will always need pain killers, I have found an enormous difference in his mobility since my vet gave him HyalOral which helps with joint mobility. It is primarily for horses, but a teaspoon a day on his food has had a miraculous results within 4 days. As you suggest we now do 3 short walks per day rather than one long one. HyalOral has no harmful effects on dogs, so we also give a spoonful to our labrador even though she shows no sign of arthritis.
Thanks so much for the suggestion.
I have a 10 year old bc who will be 11 in sept. I adopted him in 2012 at 4.5yrs old. Up until now we’ve been running but after some time off for a few months last sept he sometimes develops a limp but most of the time is pain free. He acts and looks like a puppy still and often outruns me.
Im trying to cut it off at the pass with adequan or its cheaper generic and chondrotin with msm.
Our 4-year-old Sadie, a rescue (Schipperke & Boston Terrier Plus) was diagnosed with “severe” arthritis just an hour ago. I found this site almost immediately. Thank you for the information– just what I was heeded, I will focus on her best life and NOT on her illness. She’s usually so rambunctious, but we noticed her sleeping a lot the past week. Where do I learn to perform a “doggie massage”? I know Sadie would love this! And I would love to do this for her. Wishing all the best to you and Laika (Sadie was almost Laika, BTW!).
I’m sorry to hear about Sadie’s diagnosis. As far as massage goes here’s a couple of the videos I used to learn the basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kbO2krzr0g & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjFf2zNWcEc
And here’s a massage video specifically for dogs with arthritis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHR0n2hjoWU_
I have a Labrador who is now 15 and 1/4. She was diagnosed 26 months ago with Hemangiosarcoma and given 2-3 months to live, but with diet changes and holistic supplements plus 24/7 care, she’s still here!!! My worry now tho is that she’s losing weight because of muscle loss and she’s having some rear end weakness with her back legs going down when she stands still now. I take her for slow, short walks each day but I found a patch of longish grass near my house where the ground is spongy underfoot. I’ve been making her walk around back and forth on that for a few minutes each day. Plus I live on a lake and when the tide is out I’ve been getting her to walk/paddle in shallow water too. She doesn’t enjoy exercise as much now because she tires very easily with a big tumour on her spleen. I want to make a soft sand exercise strip for her in our back yard but I’m not sure if I’ll be aggravating the inflammation orhelping her. What do you think about the soft sand idea – or the spongy grass exercise or paddling walking in shallow water? I don’t want to make her arthritis worse. I just need to build some muscle mass up on her back quarters again so she can stand better. She’s only 48.5 lbs now. I don’t have a hydrotherapy place nearby plus she’d hate that anyway, I suspect. I have her on quite a few natural joint supplements too. Would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.
Swimming is a great way to exercise dogs with arthritis. My dog is off of pain meds now that she has been swimming for a few months. She doesn’t love to swim. We acclimated and motivated her with hot dogs. We also give her a daily joint supplement. Also keeping the weight down is important. An orthopedic dog bed can also help, as can keep them warm in the winter. Arthritic dogs might experience more pain on cold, wet days, so walks may need to be shorter. As long as your dog is willing and able, you should continue to offer walks, However, it’s important to watch for signs of resistance, such as hanging back on the leash, whining, or sitting and refusing to move. “Never wander too far from home base,.“This is your dog’s time, not yours,” So treat your dog with love and understanding. They will walk slower, get up slowly, climb stairs slower (or eventually not at all), and then more serious decisions have to be made.
Hi, just wanting feedback on how everyone’s dog is going? My almost 3 year old mini poodle has arthritis in her knees and I suspect back. The X-ray wasn’t clear, but they saw calcification in the lower spine. She’s grumpy with our other dog and lays on the sofa most of the day. Please be honest, what’s everyone’s experience? Will she spiral downwards quickly or just be A low energy dog. She gets excited for food, walks on her lead behind me.. almost rolling her eyes at me “can we go home now”. Thanks in advance. Taryn from New Zealand
My rescue German Shepherd Rocky was diagnosed with “the worst arthritis the vet had ever seen” at the age of 5 🙁 he also has a spine issue as well that caused a lot of pain. The vet recommended I have him put to sleep, but I tried some supplements first to help with inflammation and pain and Rocky has done really well the last 4 years! He turned 9 this year and is still peppy and active and gets around great. I’m hoping I can keep him doing okay for a good long time! Sucks that we can’t play fetch as much as we used to anymore tho 🙁 he used to play fetch in the yard with me for like an hour at a time, but now he can only fetch his ball a couple of times before he’s done.