Your pet’s doctor reminds you that regular exercising is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our hectic lives might result in cuts to our workout routines. Still, our specialized animal doctors at Central Orange County Emergency Animal Hospital would like to remind pet owners about frequently taking out their pets for a walk or run.
Just a regular walk outside with your dog will help maintain their muscle mass in top shape, increase their cardiovascular resistance, support their longevity and quality of life, and help your state of mind. We know some circumstances prevent stepping outside (we’re looking at you, 2020’s craziness), but if at all possible, try to go out with your dog to help them stay happy and healthy.
Walking your dog goes far beyond the occasional physiological break to manage their droppings. This crucial activity aids mental stimulation, and physical exercise and increases chances for socialization. Even more important: it helps strengthen bonds between pet owners and domestic animals.
Why Your Pet’s Doctor Recommends Exercising
There are numerous health benefits related to walking your dog or taking them for a run in a park or beach. Consider some of the following:
Exercising Helps Manage Arthritis
Some pet owners might be scared about the idea of regular exercising if their dogs suffer from joint pain or arthritis.
Unfortunately, many professionals used to recommend reducing physical activities to a minimum, believing this would help manage the dog’s condition. Continuous observation and recent studies have instead confirmed that it is more beneficial for pets with these movement limitations to engage in frequent exercising.
Larger breeds are at an increased risk of suffering from arthritis, so you might want to consider checking with your veterinarian about special exercises your dog can follow to manage their condition and avoid having premature patients requiring extensive care.
Stave Off Your Pet’s Premature Aging
Maintaining lean muscle mass levels is more complicated as we age. The same happens with our beloved pets. This reduction in our ability to regain and preserve our muscle mass increases disease development risk while making it harder to recover from any illness.
Ask for help to determine a good nutrition and exercise routine that keeps your dog healthy. A pet doctor like Dr. Kim would recommend improving your pet’s care with short 20-minute walks with your dog and consulting with a specialist about feeding your dog.
A Pet’s Doctor Recommends Preventing or Reversing Animal Obesity
A nationwide survey from 2018 determined that around 60% of household cats and 56% of domestic dogs were overweight or obese. Preventing or reversing this medical condition requires pet owners to consider integrating exercise into their pet’s routines. Obesity can increase the risk of diabetes, cancer, depression, and chronic inflammation. Help your pet engage in physical activities that improve their metabolism and behaviors.
Get Rid of Toxins in Your Pet’s System
Your pet’s lymphatic system eliminates toxins when they are working their muscles. Physical activity will quite literally pump toxicity out of your pet’s body. Still, if you choose a sedentary lifestyle, you might put your pet at an increased risk of a dangerous buildup of harmful agents within their bodies.
We know you might be busy, but your pet deserves your love and attention. Set time aside to walk with your dog, and they will have a healthy lifestyle.
Socializing Is Key
Don’t worry; we’re not saying you have to make friends when you’re out walking your dog. You might be shy, but dogs are usually a lot more friendly than us. Walking around the park gives pets an excellent opportunity to interact with other animals. Get to know your dog’s socializing skills; remember not to push your dog too hard if they are not the playful type.
Where Would Your Pet’s Doctor Recommend Going for a Walk?
Now comes the fun part. You can find our veterinarians in Newport Beach; you can follow this link or bookmark it if you ever need to come. We are very fortunate to have several dog-friendly parks in the neighborhood. You can take your dog to any of these places. Read along to determine which option is best for you and your dog. Some of these options are off-leash parks, so consider that when thinking of where to take your pet.
- Costa Mesa Bark Park. You can drop by this park as early as 6 AM, and they are open until 9 PM, but beware, they are closed on Wednesdays. Whether you are a morning person trying to start your dog’s day with an energetic walk, or you would instead do that after the sun is down, you can give this park a try. There are separate areas for large and smaller dogs, and you will find disposable bags available for your dog’s droppings. Costa Mesa Bark Park is an off-leash park, so be mindful of that detail before deciding where to take your dog.
- Newport Beach Dog Park. This option also offers separate areas for large and small dogs, so you don’t have to worry about awkward interactions between your dog and others of very different sizes. They are open from 7 am to 6 pm every day except for Wednesdays, when you can visit from 9 am to 6 pm. There are public parking spaces around the park, and you could also use the parking facilities at the Civic Center.
- Irvine Central Bark Dog Park. Another excellent option, albeit a little far off from Newport Beach. However, as we’ve discussed, your dog will appreciate the short drive. You can visit from 6:30 am to 10 pm every day, unless it’s Wednesday. They are not open on Wednesdays. This park is also an off-leash option, so keep that in mind.
Rounding It Up
Good veterinary care goes beyond regular checkups at the office or treating an emergency on time. As your pet’s doctor, we like to engage with our community and educate our patients on the many ways they can improve their pet’s life.
Our veterinarians are on standby to provide the necessary care when you need us. Get in contact with us if you need help with an emergency; we are open through the night, and we are a 24-hour animal emergency hospital on Saturdays and Sundays, so you can trust our qualified staff and veterinarian specialists to provide your pet with the highest level of care available during their times of need.
