Take That Pooch to the Pool

A dog's metabolism is known to slow with age. Additionally, their ability to participate in physical activities will decrease as they grow older. The more years that go by, the more likely your dog is to develop arthritis and joint pain—this will hinder the dog's ability to be active. The problem is, however, that exercise is important for a dog's overall health. If the only exercise your dog gets is walking to the food bowl, you've got a problem. Keeping your dog physically active and keeping excess weight off is crucial in arthritis & pain management.

If you can hardly get your dog to walk down the hallway, how are you supposed to get him to chase a ball or go for a walk? If these don't seem like viable options, try another form of exercise—swimming. Swimming is graduated and doesn't put lots of weight and stress on the bones and joints. It is not weight-bearing so the dog will be able to maintain or increase muscle strength without injuring himself any further.