5 tips to keep your dog active in old age

October 31, 2018

On this week’s episode of ‘For the Love of Dogs’, sponsored by Lintbells YuMOVE, we met Felicity, a gorgeous elderly Yorkie at Battersea Dogs Home struggling to stay as active as she used to be. In honour of little Felicity, we’ve put together 5 simple tips to help you keep your dogs active as they age. And don’t forget, we’re giving you 25% off all YuMOVE supplements to celebrate our sponsorship with discount code CEL25 - read on to find out more.

1. Give them a helping hand

It might sound simple, but it’s the little things that go a long way. Help your pup make their way up the stairs or onto the sofa if they’re having difficulty (and if they’re allowed!). It also might be worth considering buying a ramp or a little set of steps to assist them.

2. Keep up the exercise

As dogs age, it’s normal for them to become a little slower, but it’s still important to give them regular exercise to keep them healthy and happy. Mental exercise is beneficial too - they’ll still like to play, and a dog is never too old to be taught new tricks! A good idea would be to try ‘treat toys’ that encourage and reward play. Swimming is also a low impact activity and helpful for dogs recovering from injury, or those with significant stiffness.

3. Adapt

Keeping your dog active in old age doesn’t have to be difficult, and usually just requires small changes. Your walks might need to be shorter, but more frequent, and it could mean researching a route that’s flatter and easier for your four-legged friend to navigate.

4. Adjust their diet

Older dogs need different nutrients to young, active pooches, and so your dog’s dietary requirements will change as they grow older. Speak to your vet to understand when your dog moves into a ‘senior life stage’, this will vary depending on a dog’s breed and size.

5. Support their joints

Just like us humans, a dog’s joints can become stiff at any age. Luckily, we’ve worked on a joint supplement range specifically for canine friends at every stage in life YuMOVE, that’s proven to work in just six weeks. Not only does it promote mobility, but also soothes stiff joints and aids the body’s anti-inflammatory process. YuMOVE is a great option to help support joints before they show signs of stiffness too. Find out more about our YuMOVE range here.

If you’re inspired by the pogdogs, and the great work of Battersea Dogs Home in keeping senior pets active while waiting for their forever home, then now might be the time to try YuMOVE for your pet. You can also get 25% off iMove – our human joint supplement, so both owners and their pooches can enjoy walkies together. Let us know how you get on in the comments below or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Watch ITV’s For the Love of Dogs every Wednesday on ITV at 8pm.