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As you know, Stella is officially a therapy dog now. Which means I keep her on her toes, quite literally too. But also since she's 8 years old there are things I have to do like ensure she has a balanced diet, plenty of water, exercise, and attention so she thrives.
Exercise
It may seem silly to try to exercise to make it easier on your bones and joints but the truth is, you need to use them. Stella knows her limits now and she won't push herself beyond them. If she's tired she knows to be careful when she wants to run across the hardwood floor. We do have area rugs every where so she doesn't have to deal with slipping but sometimes she still goes flying through a room and doesn't hit the rugs so I need to make sure she knows when to use and not to use her leg that had ACL issues before. Thank goodness it healed conservatively but it will always need some extra attention.
Supplements
Even though she has a pretty healthy diet, there's nothing wrong with supplements. Stella takes Only Natural Pet Glucosamine + Asta Supplements from Chewy. These tablets contain veterinarian-formulated, joint-nourishing formulas that contain glucosamine to help support joint health and structure. It also contains astaxanthin which is a natural plant pigment found in marine algae that has natural antioxidant properties. This really helps support a healthy inflammatory response through her body and it supports a healthy cardiovascular system and good immunity with muscle soreness. Since Stella's 8, this is important for her slowly aging body. This will help her deal with any joint stiffness or discomfort. She loves the turkey flavor and I don't think she realizes she's technically taking something other than a treat. This supplement works for cats AND dogs and is great for senior pets or even athletic younger ones. And you can even insert these into a pill wrap or just open the capsule and mix it with your pet's food which is what I do for Stella.
Water
Water is so so so important for dogs especially ones like Stella that tend to get hot quickly. Whenever we are lounging around outside there is ALWAYS cool fresh water available in a bowl for the dogs. And inside she always has water with her meals. I take water away around 8 pm since they basically sleep then and I don't need any overnight bathroom accidents.
Rest
Even for a laid back dog like Stella, socializing with humans can be exhausting so if Stella seems stressed or has had a lot of activity recently, I let her just rest and take it easy. This lets her body rest and recharge so she doesn't get sore, achy, and grumpy. If she wants to sleep all day, she can. If she wants to ignore house guests, she can. I don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do.
How do you take care of your dogs joints?
As you know, Stella is officially a therapy dog now. Which means I keep her on her toes, quite literally too. But also since she's 8 years old there are things I have to do like ensure she has a balanced diet, plenty of water, exercise, and attention so she thrives.
Exercise
It may seem silly to try to exercise to make it easier on your bones and joints but the truth is, you need to use them. Stella knows her limits now and she won't push herself beyond them. If she's tired she knows to be careful when she wants to run across the hardwood floor. We do have area rugs every where so she doesn't have to deal with slipping but sometimes she still goes flying through a room and doesn't hit the rugs so I need to make sure she knows when to use and not to use her leg that had ACL issues before. Thank goodness it healed conservatively but it will always need some extra attention.
Supplements
Even though she has a pretty healthy diet, there's nothing wrong with supplements. Stella takes Only Natural Pet Glucosamine + Asta Supplements from Chewy. These tablets contain veterinarian-formulated, joint-nourishing formulas that contain glucosamine to help support joint health and structure. It also contains astaxanthin which is a natural plant pigment found in marine algae that has natural antioxidant properties. This really helps support a healthy inflammatory response through her body and it supports a healthy cardiovascular system and good immunity with muscle soreness. Since Stella's 8, this is important for her slowly aging body. This will help her deal with any joint stiffness or discomfort. She loves the turkey flavor and I don't think she realizes she's technically taking something other than a treat. This supplement works for cats AND dogs and is great for senior pets or even athletic younger ones. And you can even insert these into a pill wrap or just open the capsule and mix it with your pet's food which is what I do for Stella.
Water
Water is so so so important for dogs especially ones like Stella that tend to get hot quickly. Whenever we are lounging around outside there is ALWAYS cool fresh water available in a bowl for the dogs. And inside she always has water with her meals. I take water away around 8 pm since they basically sleep then and I don't need any overnight bathroom accidents.
Rest
Even for a laid back dog like Stella, socializing with humans can be exhausting so if Stella seems stressed or has had a lot of activity recently, I let her just rest and take it easy. This lets her body rest and recharge so she doesn't get sore, achy, and grumpy. If she wants to sleep all day, she can. If she wants to ignore house guests, she can. I don't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do.
How do you take care of your dogs joints?
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