How to Keep Your Working Dog Happy and Healthy
If you’re the proud pet parent of an agility dog, a working farm dog, a search and rescue hero, a running companion, or just an extremely active furball of kinetic energy, then you’ll know that with great athletic ability comes increased responsibility. Active dog health support hits different. It requires more than just kibble and cuddles. Here’s how to ensure you are giving your working dog everything it needs to thrive.
Author of The Canine Commandments W.R. Pursche once wrote: “Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.” We couldn’t agree more. Of course, some dogs do more for their keep than just lollygag around looking cute and giving admittedly crucial cuddles.
Working dogs, whether herding livestock, assisting in search and rescue missions, or participating in dog sports, run faster, work harder, train more intensely, jump higher, and do trickier tricks. Think of them as the elite athletes of the canine world. But, like their human counterparts, this level of activity also brings unique health considerations. To ensure your active animal or working dog remains happy and healthy, it’s essential to provide them with the right care and support.
Why Active Animal Health Support is Crucial
Active animals and working dogs put their bodies through rigorous physical demands. This can lead to muscle fatigue, joint strain, and overall wear and tear on their bodies. Over time, if not properly cared for, then these issues can result in discomfort, pain, reduced performance, and a lower quality of life for your furry companion.
How To Help
Just like marathoners and other athletes, highly active dogs require a little more support to ensure their limbs stay limber, and their bodies bouncy!
Supplemental Support
Right now, with your highly active working dog operating at Olympian levels, you might find it hard to imagine that your always-ready-to-romp bundle of fur will ever slow down. Let alone suffer from achy, breaky joints. But slow down dogs do… especially the high-energy, highly active dog, who thrives on hours of daily exercise and activity. The achy, breaky joints though? As pet parents we can help our pups avoid those as much as possible with the right supplemental support.
Take ThorneVet’s Joint Support Formula (formerly Arthroplex). Packed with ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and MSM – known to promote joint health and mobility – ThorneVet’s Joint Support Formula is designed to provide:
- comprehensive musculoskeletal support for dogs
- optimization of the normal function of joints and muscles
- nutrients and botanicals that are necessary for
- creating collagen,
- repairing damage, and
- maintaining a healthy inflammatory response
The benefits of using an animal health supplement like Joint Support Formula are a no-brainer for your furry elite athlete!
Regular Controlled Exercise
It might sound counterintuitive, but an active animal needs controlled exercise to maintain their fitness levels. Although certainly free-for-all romping is fun, scheduled and carefully monitored exercise builds muscle strength, increases endurance, and improves overall health.
Side note: always include a proper warmup and cool down in their exercise routine! Just like a human athlete, warming up before intense physical activity and cooling down afterward can help prevent injuries in your dog.
Same goes for rest and recovery! Even if Fido is fidgeting as if he wants to keep going forever, it’s important to teach an active dog to engage their off switch. Adequate sleep and relaxation are essential for muscle recovery and overall well-being.
Balanced Nutrition
This goes without saying, but bears repeating: it’s important to make sure your dog receives a well-balanced diet that meets their specific needs. For example: active animals usually require higher protein levels and extra hydration to support their joints and muscles.
Regular Veterinary Check-up
Be sure to schedule routine check-ups with your veterinarian to monitor your dog’s overall health, catch potential issues early, and receive guidance on their specific needs.
Do Your Homework
Do your research on your pet’s breed-specific and sport-specific needs and any health concerns your furry warrior might face.
With the right approach to active dog health support, including a little bit of help from ThorneVet, your adventures will be many, and their energy just the boost you need to keep on keeping up!
*ThorneVet has been a NASC member since 2002
Dr. Keith Weingardt is a 1999 graduate of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He completed acupuncture certification from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2004 and certification in herbal medicine at the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in 2006. He has started successful integrative veterinary practices in San Diego, CA and Portland, OR. He is a dedicated herbalist and enjoys working with the plants of the Pacific Northwest. Currently, he works as a consultant for ThorneVet, specializing in product development and continuing education.