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Pet Fitness: 8 fun (and healthy!) exercises to do in quarantine

Not able to go to the dog park or get in all the usual walks because of lockdown? Is your pet “zoom bombing” you looking for attention? Try out these fun (and healthy!) fitness exercises for your pet you can do even in lockdown.

These exercises are great for both dogs and cats and can be done with things already around your house. Take these ideas, find what works for you and your pet, and get creative!

Of course every pet is different and especially older pets or those with arthritis or any history of injuries or surgery may need modifications or to avoid certain exercises so check with your vet before trying new exercises for your pet.

Even for healthy young pets you probably don’t want to do every one of these exercises every single day, just pick a couple to do on any given day.

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Want to get fancy with pet fitness equipment? Try out things like wobble cushions, cavalettis, a bosu ball, balance pads, wobble board, or a physio roll. Already have some for yourself? Use them for your pet too!

Looking for high value, low calorie treats to use for exercises? Try freeze dried liver diced finely, bonito flakes, or even some chopped veggies or fruits can work for some pets. 

 
 

Not all pets even need treats, sometimes just praise is reward enough! If your pet is clicker trained you can click to reward the behaviors you’re looking for.

Other options are tennis balls or favorite toys. Or try something like a Kong toy with a very small amount of Kong liver paste, whipped cream, cream cheese, or even squeeze cheese in it. Remember to avoid kibble even for treats!

 
 

QUARANTINE FITNESS EXERCISES

Puppy (or kitty) squats. Have your pet sit and then quickly stand up. Repeat several times in a row for one session. Increase reps and sessions as your pet gets better at it! This gets all the joints in the hind legs moving and increases strength of the thigh muscles just like when we do squats.

Puppy (or kitty) push-ups. Have your pet go from laying down to sitting.  Repeat several times in a row for one session. Increase reps and sessions as your pet gets better at it and combine with Puppy (or kitty) squats for a front and hind leg workout. This one gets the joints in the front legs moving and strengthens the front legs.

Pushovers. With your pet standing up very gently push on their right side (over their shoulder, ribs or hip) as if you were trying to push them over (but don’t actually push them over!) to the left. Then do it the other way, push on their left side towards the right.

This pushes them a little off balance so they have to stabilize themselves which works on balance, nerve function, core strength and leg strength. Do several pushes in each direction per session. As they get stronger and don’t get pushed off balance increase the reps.

Crawling. Have your pet lay down then encourage them to “army crawl” forward for a treat or toy. To encourage them to keep their body low instead of just standing up you can have them crawl under something like the coffee table or under chairs or even just under your legs. This works on spatial awareness, strength, flexibility, and gets all the joints moving. The reps for this are based on your pet’s size. One rep is crawling forward about 1 body length. Start with a few reps and increase as they get better at it.

Cookie Stretches. Have your pet put their front feet up on the couch, the bed or even just some stacked books or a box. Then get them to lean and stretch to the right and left following a treat or toy. Start with short sessions, you can increase the time and combine with other exercises to make it harder. This stretches the back legs and the spine and works on balance, strength, and flexibility.

Uneven surfaces. This can be the couch, the bed, a large dog bed, pillows on the floor or fancy equipment like balance pads, wobble cushions or even wobble boards. When the ground is soft and squishy and unstable it makes your pet work on balance, nerve function, spatial awareness, strength and flexibility. Start with standing and walking on things that are still relatively stable like the couch and work up to harder things like wobble cushions and wobble boards. Combine with other exercises for a challenge.

Step over obstacles. The key to this one is stepping, not jumping. Jumping is cheating, we want each foot to go over the obstacle one at a time. So they need to go slowly and walk, not run and jump. For home made things to step over you can try foam rollers, rolled up yoga mats, or line up a row of canned goods or toilet paper rolls. You can even use your legs when you’re sitting on the floor for little pets or sitting on the couch for bigger dogs.

Setting up 2-4 obstacles in a row is an extra challenge. Start with low obstacles to make it easy and make them taller as your dog gets better at it. This one works on nerve function, balance, strength and flexibility and also gets all the joints moving. Getting all 4 feet over the obstacle without jumping is 1 rep. Start with several reps and increase over time.

Combine exercises. Lots of these can be made more interesting or challenging by combining. Doing any of these exercises uneven surfaces makes them more challenging. You can do a rapid fire mix up of crawl, squats and pushups: sit, down, crawl, sit, stand, sit, stand, etc. Do pushovers while they’re doing cookie stretches. Get creative!

Obstacle course. Put it all together to make a fun and challenging course for your pet. Remember it’s an obstacle course not an agility course, the goal is strength, balance, and flexibility not speed. So we want them to walk on and step over the obstacles not run and jump. Try putting couch pillows on the floor for walking on uneven surfaces, have them crawl under the coffee table, walk over a row of canned food and then do some push ups and squats!

This will be fun mental stimulation for your pet plus will work on nerve function, strength, balance, and flexibility for the whole body. Depending how elaborate your obstacle course is going through the whole thing a couple times may be good for one session.

These are just a starting point, get creative and have fun with your pet while working on their strength, balance, nerve function, and overall fitness.

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Is that normal?

Now that you’re spending more time at home with your pet you may be noticing some things and wondering if they’re normal.

Of course it’s always best to check in with your vet about any questions you have just to be sure it really is normal but here are answers to some common questions I get.

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Is it normal for my dog or cat to…

Sleep a lot? Yes! Dogs and cats may sleep 20 hours or more a day. As long as they are bright and active when they are awake then there’s nothing wrong with lots of sleeping.

Twitch a lot in their sleep? Yes! Dogs and cats dream like we do and often will twitch or “sleep run” or even bark or growl in their sleep just like people talking in their sleep. How do you know it’s not a seizure? Make a video for your vet to check but you can also just call them or gently pet them to wake them up and they should stop.

Hiccup or burp? Yes! Just like us pets do get hiccups and do burp occasionally. If it really seems to be happening frequently then you could certainly check in with your vet about it but generally it’s normal.

Meow or bark at me for attention while I’m working? Yes! It’s annoying and kind of a “bad habit” but it’s normal. Our pets love us and want our attention. They don’t understand why you can’t just pay attention to them all the time. 

So they’ll try out some behaviors to see if that will work to get your attention. Meowing, batting at you, barking, and whining are all common behaviors pets use to try to communicate with us and get what they want from us. The good news is you can train them not to do these behaviors! Check out my upcoming page on training tips and techniques.

Be hungry and beg for food all the time? Yes! In dogs and cats (and humans) there’s a hormone called ghrelin which causes the feeling of being hungry. In people right after we eat a whole bunch of chemical reactions happen and the end result is ghrelin levels drop and we don’t feel hungry anymore. In dogs and cats those ghrelin levels don’t really drop even after they eat. 

So they truly are always hungry! Also just like us often when they’re bored they like to snack. And being fed means attention from you too. So it’s a win-win in their mind!

Don’t let them talk you into extra meals and snacks though because we don’t want them to be overweight. Fat is inflammatory and makes pre-existing diseases like allergies, IBD and arthritis worse and increases the risk of developing arthritis, torn ACLs, and cancer. Obesity can decrease a pet’s lifespan by over a year. 

If you just can’t say no try these tricks instead of feeding high calorie treats: Use a treat ball or puzzle feeder so they’re entertained and have to work for the treat. Use bonito flakes for cats or freeze dried treats diced very finely so they don’t get many calories. Some dogs will go for veggie treats like broccoli, carrots, snap peas, celery or green beans. Avoid kibble even for treats!

Also you can measure out the total amount of food they should get for the whole day and then take tiny amounts out of it and add a little water so they feel more full for “snacks”. Their dinner will be a little smaller but they won’t notice the difference. That way they’re getting snacks but it’s not actually any extra calories.

So what things might you notice that might not be normal?

Overgrooming. It’s normal for cats to groom but if they’re developing spots where the hair is thin or missing that’s too much grooming. Dogs rarely do very much grooming so if they’re really licking or chewing on their paws or licking a particular spot that’s probably not normal.

Hairballs and vomiting. Hairballs are vomiting and vomiting is never normal.

Changes in bathroom habits. Accidents in the house or outside the litterbox, needing to go out more often, drinking more water and peeing more. Of course diarrhea or constipation would definitely not be normal.

Behavior changes. Things like acting more “grumpy”, not getting along well with other pets or people, and getting really panicked when you leave the room. Also changes like lethargy or less interest in usual activities aren’t normal.

Mobility changes. If your pet is reluctant to jump or hesitating before going up or down stairs that’s not normal. Slowing down on walks, lagging behind can also indicate issues. Of course any sort of limping or weakness isn’t normal.

Coughing/sneezing and “weepy eyes”. Just like us an occasional sneeze or cough is normal. And a little “sleep” in the corners of the eyes in the morning is also normal. But nasal congestion, frequent sneezing, coughing “fits” (sometimes they look like they’re trying to “cough up a hairball”) and constant weepy eyes or yellow/green eye or nose discharge aren’t normal.

Lumps, bumps, scabs, rashes. You may be spending more time petting your dog or cat and notice some weird lumps or bumps. Now before you panic both male and female dogs and cats do have nipples. So if you’re seeing a row of the same little bumps along the chest and belly it might just be that although it never hurts to check. Also they often have little bumps where whiskers grow on their face and on their legs so if there’s a whisker coming out of it again probably ok but never hurts to check. Any other new lumps, bumps, scabs, or rashes are probably not normal.

Anything that seems weird. If you’re worried it’s always best to just check with a vet. Don’t be embarrassed or shy, even if it turns out to just be a nipple we’d much rather tell you “Good news, that’s normal!” then have you wait and not treat something and the problem gets worse.

Many of the issues listed above have a stress component. So it never hurts to work on stress reduction AND reach out to your vet to be sure there’s not other potential causes or other treatments that might help.

 

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Managing Pet Stress

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Managing Pet Stress

Things are pretty stressful right now. We’re stressed and anxious and that makes our pets stressed and anxious.

Pets are really big on routines; so all these changes in our usual routines are also pretty stressful for them.

Just like in people when pets get stressed it causes all sorts of changes to the body and immune system. It increases inflammation in the body and lowers the ability to fight disease. Stress causes things like allergies and asthma to get worse. It causes GI upset. It can cause urinary problems. Many behavioral issues like peeing or pooping in abnormal locations and fights and aggression between housemates can either pop up or get worse because of stress.

So what can you do to help your pet? Lots of things!

Here are some of my favorite over the counter options to reduce stress. These are all products that I’ve vetted and trust to be safe and effective for your pet. Find out how I choose products.

Some of these are affiliate links which I may earn a commission from. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Adaptil and Feliway. The natural pheromones in these diffusers, sprays and collars have a calming effect and have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stress symptoms. Adpatil is for Dogs, Feliway for Cats and there’s a Feliway Multicat specifically for multiple cat homes. Make sure the diffusers are refilled every month, that enough of them are around (they only diffuse for about 400 sq ft) and the actual plug in part does need to be replaced every 6 months to a year to work best.

There are many options for calming supplements that can be helpful. Some safe and effective options are Zylkene, Composure, and Solliquin. They’re all available over the counter and are available in different sizes based on weight and whether it’s for a cat or dog. There are liquid (Composure), chewable tablet (Solliquin), capsule you can open and sprinkle in food (Zylkene), or chew treat (Composure, Solliquin).

There are lots of herbal options as well. A good generic stress relief option is Ashwagandha. A couple good options would be Nature’s Answer Ashwagandha glycerin extract, or if powder is easier Mountain Rose Herbs Ashwagandha Root Powder. A trained veterinary herbalist can also add more complex herbal formulas that are more specific to your particular pet’s unique needs.

 
 



ThunderShirt. This “shirt” wraps your pet’s body tightly which creates a calming effect similar to weighted blankets and tight swaddling in humans. Available in a range of sizes and works for cats and dogs. Some pets do best wearing them all the time, others just need them at extra stressful times.

 
 

Try to get new routines established and stick to them. Having a set routine will help your pet be more relaxed and less worried about all the changes happening.

This could be a good time to work on a new trick or try something like clicker training for your pet. It will help provide some mental stimulation and take everyone’s minds off stress and worry. Keep training sessions short and positive for your pet so they can easily accomplish the task and enjoy the session.

There are some cases where pharmaceutical options are helpful in either the short or long term working together with all the other things to try to reduce stress levels and the side effects on the body. There are a number of options and your vet can discuss which ones if any might be good options for your pet’s unique needs.

Acupuncture, laser therapy, and massage all release endorphins and other calming/feel good chemicals in the body and can help reduce anxiety and stress. 

Stress and inflammation can be part of a vicious cycle. Plus some symptoms of stress can also be symptoms of other diseases so it’s important to work with your pet’s vet to be sure there’s nothing else going on since having inflammation and other diseases can cause more stress.

Even if your pet doesn’t seem too stressed yet it’s always best to try to prevent that stress and all the physical side effects before they happen rather than try to treat the flare up after it’s happened and supplements, herbal, and pharmaceutical medications can sometimes take several weeks for peak effects so it’s best to be proactive.

We’ll never be able to eliminate all stress, especially since there’s just a lot of stress and uncertainty in our lives right now, but there are a lot of things we can do to reduce stress for our pets as much as possible to help them stay healthy and happy.




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Is my vet still open?

Good question! As with so many things right now the answer may change depending on a lot of factors.

We all love our pets and they’re a huge part of our lives. But as we become more limited in what activities and services we can safely do you may be wondering: is vet care essential? Will my pet still be able to get care?

The answer is complicated. Veterinarians are considered “essential” BUT that doesn’t mean all veterinary care is considered essential or that every vet clinic is open for business as usual.

We all really want to help your pets the same way we did before this but the reality is that for the health and safety of everyone we have to limit the services we provide so that we minimize the risk of disease transmission to you, to ourselves, our staff, and to all the other people that you and I live with and come into contact with. 

To do this some clinics have had to reduce their hours as staff may need to stay home for illness or childcare. Many clinics are open but limiting services to “curbside” care where you drop your pet off and they take them into the clinic for exam, testing and treatments without you to maintain social distancing and minimize transmission risk.

In many places vets have specifically been ordered to discontinue any elective and non-essential services. In addition to the social distancing this will also help conserve PPE (personal protective equipment) like masks, gloves, and gowns.

So what kind of things are considered elective? Elective, non-essential, non-urgent care is generally anything that if we skip it for a couple months isn’t expected to cause harm to the patient. But there’s a lot of room for interpretation there and every situation is going to be a little different.

For my practice that means that pets who are painful, having mobility issues, or Quality of Life issues are all essential appointments. Each situation is unique though. If you’re not sure just ask your vet!

 While there’s room for interpretation in many cases a nail trim is rarely an emergency. If you don’t usually trim your pet’s nails all the extra time at home may be a great opportunity to learn!

If your usual vet clinic is closed or only seeing emergencies what other options are there for things like medication refills and non-emergencies like itchy ears?

Don’t worry there’s still lots of ways vets are working to try to help you and your pet!

While ER’s are trying to stay open we don’t want to overwhelm them with non-emergencies that might keep them from being able to help pets that really need intensive, emergency care.

Instead your regular vet may be able to do some consults by phone, email, text, or through video chat or web meeting apps! These consults (called telemedicine) allow you to discuss any concerns for your pet, show us what’s going on and we may even be able to offer some home supportive care options to help your pet.

Unfortunately there are still regulations and practical realities that limit what we can do this way. It’s not a real replacement for an in person appointment, but it can be a good option to help you figure out how serious your pet’s issue is and what things you can do to help your pet at home.

Prescriptions for pets can often still be picked up at the clinic or they can be called into human pharmacies or ordered online and delivered to your home. Your vet may even have an their own online pharmacy. I use Covetrus and Vetsource for my clients.

Remember, vets still want to help you and your pets, but we have to make sure we continue to protect ourselves and the public by following government mandates and recommendations.

These may mean that we need to postpone appointments, we may only able to offer limited services in person and be doing more things by remote consults but we’re still here for you and your pets!

Lastly vets are also dealing with all the same worries and uncertainties as you. Practicing kindness and compassion for ourselves and for others will help us all through this challenging time.

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