What are the best exercises for dogs with canine hip dysplasia

Hey there.

I agree that your dog needs to exercise but it is very important to know that you should not force him to exercise a lot.

Here are some simple exercises that your dog can do.

Stretching the hip flexors – those are muscles that enable your dog to move his legs and hips while he is walking or running. To stretch the hip flexors you need to force your dog to stand and grab a back leg above his knee. Very slowly and very gently move the leg back straight out behind the dog’s body.

Hold leg in this position up to 30 seconds and repeat stretch up to three times with each leg.

I think that the best you can do is to let your dog determine how much exercise he can take instead of trying to make him follow your own rhythm.

There is no need to force him to do demanding physical exercise. Just make the walks that you usually take a bit longer.

It is also a good idea to do a scratching exercise from time to time, but don’t exaggerate. And make sure those exercises are suggested to you by your vet.

Dogs with hip dysplasia should not be reinforced to do activities such as jumping or catching frisbees.

They are too demanding.

 I am not so sure that you can let your dog to determine the tempo of exercise. First of all, dogs with hip dysplasia are often in a lot of pain and they are reluctant when you try to make them do any physical activity. But that doesn’t mean you should let them avoid exercise. It is very important for their health since exercise relieves the inflammatory process and maintains muscle tone and strength. It also stabilizes the unstable dysplastic joint.

So what your dog needs to have is controlled exercise and this means that you need to start with activities such as taking a walk on a leash and then increase activities as long as your dog reacts well.

Oshikuru I couldn’t agree more. I am totally aware of the benefits that physical activity and exercise can have for dogs with hip dysplasia, I am not saying that you should not motivate those dogs to exercise. I am just saying that we shouldn’t exaggerate.

I am familiar with more than 5 examples of dog owners who literally force their dogs to do exercises that are too demanding and that leads to even worse symptoms of this disease.

I think it is important to go slowly, like you said, start with some easier activities and then if the dog reacts well, increase them.

Hey there.

There are a couple of exercises that you can do with your dog. But don’t push it too hard because those exercises can have side – effects.

When you are exercising with your dog you should stretch the chest area as well. The muscles of your dog’s chest endure a great deal of strain. When you are doing it, you need to stretch it away from center.

Hold it for a couple of seconds, release it and then repeat. After this exercise you should give a massage to your dog.

Those exercises are simple and you should repeat them twice a day.

Hello. The only person who can determine for how long your dog can exercise is your vet. You should ask him because he can determine it according to the stage of this disease. As a members already told you, there are a lot of exercises but some of them are now allowed for some dogs. That is why you need to consult your vet. This disease is not something that you can play with. Stretching his legs can be very painful for your dog and you need to find the best tempo how to do it. Otherwise you can make it worse.

Hey guys,

Actually, Dog Whisperer, I think that the only "person" that can decide how long can your dog exercise is your dog. 

My opinion is that you shouldn't do anything special when it comes to exercising. Your dog doesn't need stretching if he's walking enough. Take him on his regular walks, and walk with him until you don't feel that he thinks it's enough. It should be easy, he should be looking in the direction in which you live, or he would even move a bit towards that direction while looking at you.

He will find a way to alarm you and let you know that it is enough.