Sit Down Dog Wheelchairs
How to Keep Your Dog's Hips Healthy
Maintaining your dog’s healthy hips are an important piece of ensuring your dog has a long, active and happy life. Hip Dysplasia is one of the most common hip conditions effecting dogs. Although some factors, including genetics, are unavoidable here are a few tips to keep your dog’s hips healthy.
Feed your dog a healthy diet
Proper nutrition is vital to keeping your pet healthy. Obesity can greatly impact your dog's joint health. And you can greatly reduce the stress on a dog’s hips with regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Pick a well-balanced dog food that is recommended for your dog’s breed and weight. Avoid over feeding, table scraps and other fatty foods.
Exercise and an active lifestyle
Exercise is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Dog’s genetically predisposed to hip dysplasia or arthritis should stay active.
Be aware that your dog getting too much exercise can be just as dangerous as too little. Low impact exercises, such as swimming are an excellent way to promote healthy, strong hips. Avoid exercises or games that include jerky movements or jumping and restrict high impact exercising, especially on hard surfaces like pavement that put additional stress on the body.
Will a dog wheelchair help with hip dysplasia?
A dog wheelchair is extremely beneficial for pets in advanced stage hip dysplasia. Using a cart will reduce the pressure and weight your dog places on their hip joints and make it easier for them to walk.
Walking is is one of the best exercises for dogs with hip dysplasia. Walking is a relatively low-impact exercise that you can do at home to help strengthen the muscles around the dog’s hip joint. Incorporating a hill walk into your dog’s exercise routine can offer additional benefits. An uphill walk at the beginning of your dog’s walk can help with building leg strength, while a downhill walk is easier and the angle can also improve your dog’s hip extension.
If regular exercise tires your dog or the struggle to bear weight on their legs due to hip pain, a dog wheelchair can provide the support they need to run and play.
Promptly treat injuries
Accidents and injuries can happen to any dog. It is vital that any suspected injury receives immediate treatment. Injuries and especially those left untreated, can increase the risk of your dog developing joint problems when they’re older.
Caring for your dog's hip pain & inflammation
There are many different methods of treating dysplasia or arthritis. And your Vet may recommend a combination of different methods. Medication, physiotherapy or in severe cases, surgery are all possible. Since joint issues can affect dogs of any age annual checkups are important. During your pet’s annual exam, your Vet will check their hips and joints for signs of joint disease. If there are signs of hip dysplasia your Vet may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications or even CBD oil, to help relieve joint pain and swelling.
Although, incurable there are many ways to treat your dog's symptoms. Through proper management, medical treatment and care your dog can live a long, happy and active life.
