Archive for January, 2010

Thanks for visiting! Do you run with your dog? Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or drop me a note to say hi.

You don’t need a vet check for your dog before you start running with him. Do you?

In most cases, you know when your dog is well. He eats normally, isn’t limping and has plenty of enthusiasm and energy.

Even so, it’s a good idea to pop into your vet clinic and have him examined before you start an exercise program with him. This was brought home to me recently on a busy Saturday morning in the vet clinic where I work.

A beautiful lean healthy boxer was brought in for vaccinations. Nothing wrong with him at all, except the owner mentioned in passing that the dog occasionally had funny “turns” after he’d played ball for a while. He stared, seemed quite vacant, staggered a little and got over it very quickly. It wasn’t a problem and he nearly didn’t bring it up.

After much discussion, it turns out this dog quite possibly had a condition called syncope, a genetic heart problem which caused abnormal rhythms, and fainting. Imagine what could have happened if this owner had taken his healthy dog with no obvious problems out for a run?

A more common, but no less serious, condition that could interfere with your dog’s ability to enjoy a run, is obesity. Over 40% of our pet dogs are now overweight, and it can affect their joints, and their heart. Sometimes we’re not sure if our dog is actually overweight or not, so it’s not a bad idea to get a professional opinion. It may save a lot of pain later on.

It’s already well recognised that families with a dog will average at least half an hour more exercise a day than families without a dog. So, there’s already a plus to having a dog in your household.

Are there any advantages to running, compared to walking with your dog? Sure! From your perspective, you will get a better cardiovascular workout, and burn more calories. For your dog, it’s also a high energy workout and depending on the breed, it is almost essential to burn off that energy for them to be happy in suburbia. Examples of such breeds are Australian Cattle Dog, Border Collie and other working dogs.

Running with your dog is safe. Start by having your dog checked by your veterinarian to make sure he’s physically mature enough, and not overweight. Both will result in potential joint injury when you start running. Choose where you run carefully; I like to avoid high traffic areas, and stick to well lit areas with plenty of houses. Having said that, with company, there’s nothing better than a run through the trails with your dog. Lastly, keep your dog on a lead. This may mean you need to do some obedience training to teach your dog to stay close, but it’s by far the best way of preventing unexpected loss or injury.