Senior Dog Comfort & Care

There is an old saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.” The same concept applies to a senior dog’s activity. Exercise is critical to keeping them agile, and it helps with digestion, weight management, sleep, and mental health. The key is that it must be done consistently and slowly.

Take short, slow walks — even if it’s only 5 minutes several times a day. Or go on a sniffari, where your dog meanders on a long leash, at their pace, following their nose (Tip #61). When indoors, you can have them walk up and down a hallway or play easy games of fetch on non-slippery surfaces — anything so that their body is in motion. Even just getting up and lying down stimulates and helps stretch stiff muscles. A veterinarian or a veterinary physical therapist can teach you passive range of motion (PROM) techniques to help keep their body limber and their balance intact. There are PROM videos online that you can learn from. Check out the rest of this chapter and Chapter 9 for exercise ideas.