Durable toys

[JoanneF]

The 40 minutes is based on the 5 minutes walk per month of age, to allow his bones and joints to mature without stress. Puppies aren't great at self regulating so you need to monitor it but they can have some play on top of the 5 minute rule. If has has damaged his pads though he is doing too much or playing too rough.

 

[Violet Turner]

I'm using bepanthene plus (vet told me to put it f he ever got a wound). what do you think?

Yeah you can I would recommend it but I obviously haven't seen the area effected, but you can bathe the paw with the salt solution before and after a walk. But if it doesn't get better please take him to the vet!

 

[mdkel]

Yeah you can I would recommend it but I obviously haven't seen the area effected, but you can bathe the paw with the salt solution before and after a walk. But if it doesn't get better please take him to the vet!

It's the second time that it happenned, the first time I took him to the vet, he told me not to worry, gave me th bpanthene and told it was from too much running (sliding and hard turns while running).

 

[Violet Turner]

It's the second time that it happenned, the first time I took him to the vet, he told me not to worry, gave me th bpanthene and told it was from too much running (sliding and hard turns while running).

Grass burns that's your key here he really needs a good sleep

 

[JudyN]

You say 40 min walks, but isnt that low? I usually take him for a 45 min walk in the morning and 1 hour (1,5 hour maybe) in the afternoon . 3 days per week he goes to play with he's mates (1 hour, 2hours, depending). But if I just do the 40min walk twice, he runs like crazy around the house, always playing, always chewing he also get's the zoomies when he eats and when he get's home from a long walk (overtired maybe??)

Yep, the zoomies can intensify if they're overtired, like a toddler after a day at the fair and too much candyfloss! The general guideline is 5 minutes per month of age, twice a day, though it really applies to 'enforced' walking, e.g. on lead or following you as you set the pace. If he's belting around on his own that's fine, but playing with another dog might push him to run beyond when he'd normally stop for a break.

I honestly don't know how much study has been done to come up with these figures though. If he's a leggy breed/type it's more important than if he's smaller and has less growing to do. When mine was young I had to try to stop him jumping on and off sofas, and I carried him up and downstairs till he got too big.

 

[mdkel]

The 40 minutes is based on the 5 minutes walk per month of age, to allow his bones and joints to mature without stress. Puppies aren't great at self regulating so you need to monitor it but they can have some play on top of the 5 minute rule. If has has damaged his pads though he is doing too much or playing too rough.

I understood that, BUT, that means he has to be chained down orin a crate. It's impossible to do that without restraining him. Even when he walks 1,5 hour in a day, he stil runs like crazi in the house while playing. He has tons of energy and is always ready to play. he sleeps a lot too, and eats very very well.

I do not let him run on certain surfaces, or jump to high, or chase cats and other animals. When he runs in the house I always try to play a little tug of war or some puzzles. I just think the 5 minute rule is too subjective

 

[mdkel]

Grass burns that's your key here he really needs a good sleep

Yap, it's more of a burn than it is a wound I think so too, he's snoring a lot now

 

[mdkel]

The 40 minutes is based on the 5 minutes walk per month of age, to allow his bones and joints to mature without stress. Puppies aren't great at self regulating so you need to monitor it but they can have some play on top of the 5 minute rule. If has has damaged his pads though he is doing too much or playing too rough.

C.L.Fries and A.M. Remedios. The pathogenesis and diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia: a review. Can Vet J, 1995;494-502
R.D.Kealy, S.E.Olsson, K.L.Monti, et al. Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1992;857-63.
D.C. Richardson. The Role of nutrition in canine hip dysplasia. Vet Cli North Am Small anim Pract, 1992;529-40

There is then a large unpublished study following pair litter mates of various large breeds where one pup remains with the breeder and the other went to a pet home, this found that in breeder establishments the puts had long periods of free play in large paddocks, but they grow more slowly as their food intake is more tightly controlled, they rarely suffer injury and even with shallow (dysplastic hip sockets) their hips are symmetrical. Pups in pet homes grow, very large, very fast as their food is less controlled, their exercise tends to be confined to short periods of intense activity each day, they often suffer injury and they frequently have assymmetrical hips making expression of hip dysplasia more likely.
All of these studies whilst not 'new' have lead to the opinion that the way we feed are puppies is far more important than the amount of exercise. But the very best way to exercise your puppy is lots of free play during the day rather than set walks.

 

[Violet Turner]

Yap, it's more of a burn than it is a wound I think so too, he's snoring a lot now

Awe Bless Him! I also think the 5 min rule is subjective because Olive is approximately 2 years old (shes a rescue) and I walk her for 2 hour in the morning and 2 hours back.

 

[JudyN]

Violet, the 5-minute rule only applies in the first year of life (though large dogs will still be growing so you still shouldn't suddenly increase the length of the walks). And signs of damage may well not appear till old age.

Interesting studies, mdkel, thanks for posting them. Though they suggest that feeding is more important than exercise, not that exercise isn't important. I must see if I can find a decent study that focuses on exercise - it might be a bit like 'eat 5 portions of fruit & veg' or 'walk 10,000 steps a day' which were largely figures plucked out of the air.

If you want to play safe, you might want to teach Ziggy a few 'mental' games, and encouraging sniffing. Even chucking a handful of kibble into long grass could keep him occupied without walking/running for a while. And brain work can tire out dogs more effectively than physical exercise.

How is he today?

 

[arealhuman]

You can get a lotion for sore pads, seen it online when looking for something else. I can't recommend a brand or type of usage as we've never used it. Might be worth mentioning to your vet if you still have concerns.

 

[Violet Turner]

‘HomeoPet Healing Cream’ I have used this on olives wounds when we got her from Spain. It’s not too expensive and is usually shipped quickly. It works well from my pov.

 

[mdkel]

Violet, the 5-minute rule only applies in the first year of life (though large dogs will still be growing so you still shouldn't suddenly increase the length of the walks). And signs of damage may well not appear till old age.

Interesting studies, mdkel, thanks for posting them. Though they suggest that feeding is more important than exercise, not that exercise isn't important. I must see if I can find a decent study that focuses on exercise - it might be a bit like 'eat 5 portions of fruit & veg' or 'walk 10,000 steps a day' which were largely figures plucked out of the air.

If you want to play safe, you might want to teach Ziggy a few 'mental' games, and encouraging sniffing. Even chucking a handful of kibble into long grass could keep him occupied without walking/running for a while. And brain work can tire out dogs more effectively than physical exercise.

How is he today?

Today he's back to his normal self, was just exhausted I guess

He still limps a bit, I drove him to the vet, did an xray, everything is fine, but he's right paw (the fingers) hurt a bit, he's on pills for 4 days and will see, but he's playful, eatin very well and very active (too active haha).

Dont get me wrong, I just posted the studyes with the intention of a "good reading". I think the 5 minute "rule" is not very good, as a chiuahua is different from a greyhound or a german shepperd. I do not over tire zappa (not ziggy ), but I'll try and reduce a bit his walks. I think the studies just enphatize that the 5 minute rule isnot to be taking too seriously, as in, you should walk him, but not too much, he can run but not too much etc etc... I've just learned that zappa gets too tired after 1,5 hour, wont let it happen again

 

[Violet Turner]

That's good to here , What pills? Pain relief tablets?

 

[JudyN]

I do not over tire zappa (not ziggy ), but I'll try and reduce a bit his walks.

Oops sorry, I posted before the caffeine kicked in and got my musical legends mixed up Yes, I quite understand what you're saying - I often come across people who walk very young pups for miles because they haven't heard of the 'rule', and I think it's important for people at least to be aware of it so they can decide how far they want to follow it based on their own dog and research. I tried to stick to it with J as he's a large and very long-legged dog, but I hadn't yet got familiar with the local walks and kept getting lost

Good to hear that Zappa is on the mend

 

[mdkel]

That's good to here , What pills? Pain relief tablets?

Anti inflammatory pill, just half a pill, the vet thinks it's from playing to rough, probably a "luxation" (I dont know the english word for it).

 

[JudyN]

probably a "luxation" (I dont know the english word for it).

From Wikipedia: 'A joint dislocation, also called luxation, occurs when there is an abnormal separation in the joint, where two or more bones meet. A partial dislocation is referred to as a subluxation. Dislocations are often caused by sudden trauma on the joint like an impact or fall.'

 

[Violet Turner]

Anti inflammatory pill, just half a pill, the vet thinks it's from playing to rough, probably a "luxation" (I dont know the english word for it).

Ah okay, Just wondering!

 

[mdkel]

From Wikipedia: 'A joint dislocation, also called luxation, occurs when there is an abnormal separation in the joint, where two or more bones meet. A partial dislocation is referred to as a subluxation. Dislocations are often caused by sudden trauma on the joint like an impact or fall.'

My english is better than I though great... and thanks