Can my dog use a treadmill safely? What are other exercise options?

Hello, good questions. Just like in people, dogs are healthier and on average will live longer, healthier lives if they are kept active, lean, and fit. No one can predict if a dog will get liver/kidney/heart disease down the road, but keeping them active is an important component to helping them stay healthy in general. Getting dogs out for walks is also important to their mental stimulation, as it allows them to see, smell, and hear a variety of things. Some people do successfully exercise their dogs on a treadmill, but there are absolutely dangers to this, and doing so requires careful training. A typical dog's first response to being on a treadmill will be to run away (it's scary when the ground moves from under you!), and they can get hurt in the process. I would not recommend attempting to put Bruno on a treadmill unless you are an experienced dog trainer and are comfortable with doing so in a safe and positive way. If Bruno likes chasing balls, throwing a ball for him is a much safer way for many owners to give their dogs some good exercise and mental stimulation. Just as human athletes need to gradually increase their workouts, you may gradually lengthen Bruno's play/running sessions as he appears comfortable. I would start with 15 minutes of running and increase the time according to his enthusiasm and energy level. A very fit dog can run for hours, as long as the weather is cool and there are frequent stops to drink water!

It depends on the type of heart condition, as there are many. Tests to evaluate heart disease can include x-rays, ultrasound, or electrocardiogram to check his heart rhythm and electrical activity. Depending on the condition it may be beneficial to avoid strenuous exercise. I'd recommend discussing it with your veterinarian.

Dogs do not develop arthrosclerosis and therefore cannot have heart attacks like people do. However, that can develop a number of heart conditions including Congestive Heart Failure especially as they get older. Regular veterinary visits will help with early identification of heart murmurs and x-rays could help identify if there are changes in the size and shape of the heart. Keeping Bruno at an ideal weight and on a high-quality pet food as well as exercising him regularly will help him stay as healthy as possible. Omega 3 fatty acids are a great nutritional supplement as well.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Restricting activity completely is something I only recommend if the dog is severely affected by the heart disease. Regular mild to moderate exercise it actually thought to be beneficial for dogs that have only mild signs or symptoms of heart disease. I think it is ok for you to take Odin on walks and let him run for short periods of time. If you notice he is tired or breathing heavier, stop exercising him and allow him to rest. If he develops signs of severe heart failure, then exercise could potentially push his heart into cardiac arrest and he could pass away from over exercising. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Hi and thanks for posting! Managing activity and stress level is very important with cardiac disease patients. Short leashed walks to go to the bathroom and around the block should be okay. I would try and minimize long walks and running. A harness that goes around the chest should be used to minimize pressure on the trachea which could exacerbate her condition. Minimizing stressful situations can be helpful as well. For example, if going to the vet's office is stressful and causes her to collapse, then you may want to consider having a house call visit instead which may be much less stressful for her. I hope this helps!

It is helpful to keep him fit but without overexertion. regular lead walking is preferable as this will not massively increase the strain on his heart, if he is panting or breathless you should reduce the speed and distance. Indoor fetch or playing hide/seek rather than throwing the ball long distance is preferable to repeated sprinting for a toy which can be high intensity exercise

Most of the parameters that are reading outside the normal range on this lab work are not likely to be significant and I can list what is abnormal and tell you what that could mean: 1. Slightly elevated leukocytes (white blood cells): while this can be a sign of infection or inflammation a slight elevation is more commonly seen with mild stress and may not be significant 2. Mild elevation in PCV (packed cell volume or red blood cells): this can be seen with dehydration or in very rare cases bone marrow disease; it is also common for some dogs to run slightly high for no significant reason 3. Elevated MCHC (mean cell hemoglobin concentration) only significant if the red blood cell level is low 4. Elevated ALP (alkaline phosphatase, a liver enzyme): can increase with liver or gallbladder disease, increases in cortisol, or bone lesions, but more commonly will be non-specific finding 5. Mildly elevated total bilirubin: can increase with gallbladder disease or anemia, but more likely to be a non-specific finding and potentially due to changes with the blood sample itself 6. Low BUN (blood urea nitrogen): can decrease with severe liver failure but there are not changes consistent with liver failure on blood work so it is a non-specific change With all laboratory values there is a general range that is considered 'normal' but there is always a certain percentage of dogs that will be normal and still fall outside this range. I would of course defer to your veterinarian's interpretation of the lab work since they know Bruno's history and physical exam findings which might change the interpretation.