simba Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 The whole topic of canine conditioning is one I hadn't thought of much before. I have a dog who has arthritis (and previous injuries- broken hip, cruciate ligament injuries) in her rear end. We are already getting her to sit up and beg for food, or walk a few steps on her hind legs, and she's much better able to do it than she originally was. I've noticed her balance and her ability to hold those exercises is getting much better. Anyone dealt with anything similar? Have any other suggestions? Some of the exercises I see on googling look too... extreme or fast, or involve handling of her hind legs which I'm reluctant to do if there's an alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sekah Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Swimming is pretty universally considered a good thing to do with your dog, regardless of physical condition. I'd be hesitant to recommend anything specific without the input of a rehab vet or someone similar, as what may help certain dogs may be aggravating to those who have suffered injuries. So, I'd recommend you speak with a professional prior to doing anything new. Generally beg, and then beg -> stand on two feet -> beg is really good for building core and hind end musculature. Backing up, backing up stairs, position changes on uneven surfaces like a mattress could help. Maybe placing your dog's rear between your legs, facing forward, and then stretch him laterally back to his hip (ie, curve him towards you so you're feeding him with his head hear his hip on either side). There's a Facebook group that generally has good advice called Canine Conditioning and Body Awareness. It links to a host of resources around the net, plus posters may be able to offer more specific advice to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Swimming can be excellent exercise but be aware that while some dogs are good swimmers, others tend to be "flailers" and for them, swimming may not be a safe way to exercise if they are experiencing any form of injury, imbalance, or weakness. One of mine, Megan, is a calm and steady, confident swimmer while another, Dan, is a "flailer". While I could easily consider swimming as a recuperative or strengthening exercise for Megan, I would probably avoid it for Dan as I think he might do more harm than good. Of course, if he's sound, swimming is just fine - but his technique is a bit laughable! Easy exercises that don't involved handling the hind end can include walking stairs, cavaletti (step-overs), sit/stands, backwards walking, and just plain old walking. Of course, as Sekah said, it would be best to get advice from a rehab therapist or rehab vet to take into account your dog's medical history and needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 She's not much one for the swimming, but when it gets warmer I will try again with her. Very proud of her at the moment, she did a perfect heel off-leash away from swans. It was dark, she saw them before I did, and I took the chance and walked her past them fast rather than stopping to fumble with the lead. So proud of the dog who (a) is frightened of the dark, and has particular issues with recall in that situation and ( likes to fight things she's frightened of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmbc Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 the suggestions above are good and agree, check with canine rehab specialist. In addition to the suggestions listed above some other good strengthening exercises are targeting with rear feet, standing/walking on wobble board or balance disks, canine water treadmill or regular canine treadmill if you have access to one and just plain walking and stretching. There are some great resources on canine conditioning and I believe there is a "get on the ball" video that is specific for dogs with arthritis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Simba, I had a dog with dysplasia (pretty severe) who was injured in an accident and had her hip dislocated. We discovered later that she probably also had a partial cruciate tear that happened at the same time. We did swim her, but the rehab vet pointed out that swimming can cause hyperextension of the back legs, which could be a problem for a dog with cruciate issues. As Sue pointed out, much depends on the dog's technique. Easy stuff the vet had me do at home to help rehap and restrengthen Jill's hindquarters was to have her pull on walks with a tracking harness on (this prevented her from pulling against a collar around her neck). The pulling with the harness requires them to "dig in" to the ground with their hind legs, which helps to build muscle while remaining low impact. Jill was my one dog who was perfectly trained to NOT pull on a leash, but I found if I walked some of my other dogs off leash ahead of her, I could encourage her to pull. We also did walks across hillsides and some caveletti work (mainly just poles on the ground). This was all before all the extra equipment became popular. Before she retired, my vet did have the peanuts, etc., at the office and she used them, but she was great for coming up with exercises that anyone could do at home without a lot of specialized equipment. You can do balance work even on a thick dog bed that has some squishiness to it. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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