Did You Know Swimming Can Help Relieve Joint Pain for Senior Dogs?
If your old friend is struggling with mobility due to joint pain, swimming can be a great way to have fun outdoors. Ultimately, this gives them the exercise they need while staying cool on hotter summer days. Here is a quick guide to helping your dog navigate the waters with ease.
Why is Swimming Good for Joint Pain?
Even if your pup is hurting on walks, they can still benefit from exercise. This is because it helps their weight, heart and lung health, and joint mobility.
Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. For many older dogs who are feeling too much pain to run around or go for long walks like they used to, swimming can be a great substitute. In addition to being good for overall health, swimming is a no-impact activity, thus causing less pain for arthritic joints.
In fact, it can even help alleviate some of the pain your dog might be feeling in their joints. It stimulates circulation and movement in the joint and can strengthen the surrounding ligaments, ultimately having an overall positive impact on arthritis symptoms.
Equipment to Consider
When you’re swimming with your dog, a harness can be helpful especially if they aren’t comfortable in the water at first. You can help them get safely in and out of the water and support and guide them once they’re in until they get the feel for it themselves.
A dog life jacket can be another great accessory to take some of the pressure off your dog to swim constantly to stay afloat. Additionally, flotation devices can make your dog lighter and make swimming easier for them, especially if they are new to the sport.
Get Joy’s Joint+ Supplement
At the end of the day, while swimming can be a great activity, it’s not always feasible to access a body of water regularly. Whether or not swimming works for you and your dog, Get Joy’s Joint+ supplement can offer support and could help minimize degeneration in their joints. We’ve also got you covered with healthy, delicious treats that are developed with veterinarian insight to keep your dog feeling their best.
