i'm just wondering if people have found there are limitations w/respect to exercise w/their dysplasic dogs, regardless of how slowly the dogs are built up.

basically - even if i build teagan up to a level of activity, will it be bad for her in the long run? how much do her hips need to be babied?

currently she's walked about 5k/day. i'd like her to be walking about double that.
(i would say her weight loss has plateaued, so for that reason, and to just keep her in good condition, also, she is one of those dogs that's always doing something/can't stay still and it might help to tire her out)

but i don't want to go overboard. obviously i'd add on the extra distance slowly. i'm just wondering if there is a limit i'm going to have to be aware of, that maybe she'd seem okay for now but there could be long-term consequences not immediately apparent.

just hoping people have some experience/thoughts here. i don't want to do this wrong and end up hurting her.

(we're not swimming for a couple of weeks until i recover from the unexpected 'we're moving' expenses of stuff like deposits, i need to buy a lot of paint, etc....but i do think this move will be good for her as it's into a bungalow. when we do start again, i would keep her mileage down on swimming days)

I don't know of any limit. All 4 DVMs I spoke to when my dog was diagnosed told me to avoid jarring movements on hard surfaces and leaping (no agility and no frisbee). They all said exercise and keeping a dog thin is important.

Being tuned into your dog is key. She'll have good days and bad days, particularly when she gets older. You'll know when Teagan has overdone it and you'll need to make adjustments for those days.

thanks sarah. the one vet said i could run w/her if she was comfortable, to do anything as long as she's comfortable, but i'm way to nervous to take her for runs.

....i also worry b/c i know for myself - while runners actually have less incidence of osteoarthritis than the general population, i have a bad knee (patella sublexation and partially torn patellar tendon, neither from running) that i've had mild arthritis in since i was 19. that knee can pop up and start giving me trouble at the most random moments.

that's my choice and i can deal w/it in myself, but i don't want to do something similar to teagan by accident. and i've noticed that teagan, when she gets into drive, will bunnyhop or otherwise look like there are gait issues but not act like there's any pain, but i'm not sure if that's just b/c she's past acknowleging it at that point. so i want to be careful w/her.

Hi Jennifer,

My opinion is that each individual dog is different and some may be able to tolerate going longer distances then others. If your dog is doing okay at the present distance then you could probable slowly build her up to go a little farther, but if she resists or acts stiff or sore after or the next day then I wouldn’t push it. Not much help I know but I don’t think anyone can actually give an exact distance that Teagan can walk before it become a problem for her.

Walking is a good exercise for her since it’s not a bone jarring exercise and it doesn’t cause the popping in the hips like jogging does. The progression of this disease is just going to be different for each dog.

I walk Buddy between 30-45 minutes a day and allow him to run and play as much as he wants the rest of the day. The only time I stop him is if he gets running back and forth at the fence with the neighbors puppy, I worry that the action of stopping and turning too fast wouldn’t be good for him so only let him do it a few times.

Good Question though, will be interested in what others have to say.

thanks peggy. i figured most walking would probably be safe, but i really am just nervous.

and even though the one vet told me i could run her - yeah, it can be jarring, especially on sidewalk. and she also has a bone chip in her left hip - i just think it seems like a potentially bad idea. but i want to get her more exercised.

when we move we'll have a yard, which'll be a good place to play in, and fairly soft for her to run about in.

(i'll have to work on the fencing, as right now the only non-plastic fencing - which looks really gross IMO and not very secure - is a chainlink fence shared w/neighbours who have a staffy. i'm going to need to put something there to block teagan's view or i can see her getting all uppity, even though it's supposed to be a sweet dog. also, her owner tosses the dogs who are there now treats over the fence to try to get them to stop barking (they're out there unsupervised)....yech!)