Pedometers help dogs make great strides

Play is an important part of any dog's day. As a fun form of exercise, play is key to maintaining healthy body weight and promoting strong joints. Now there's a way to determine just how active a pooch is: a pet pedometer. Long used by people, pedometers are growing in popularity for pets.

Free pet pedometers are available through a program called Steps to Play More, sponsored by Novartis Animal Health US Inc., maker of canine arthritis medication, Deramaxx (deracoxib).

Daily exercise, like play, is a vital component of successful weight control for both dogs and their owners. It doesn't have to be a run through the park-even moderate exercise burns calories, boosts metabolism and helps strengthen muscles while keeping fat off and increasing lean body mass. The program aims to get inactive and arthritic canines up, out and playing again. Pet pedometers help owners ensure that it all adds up to a healthy dose of fitness.

Here are some tips for pets to get more play:

+Provide dogs with daily exercise, but avoid outdoor exercise during extreme heat or cold.

+Talk to a veterinarian before starting an exercise program for a dog that has any medical problem, including arthritis.

+Engage in moderate, lowimpact forms of exercise if a dog has arthritis. Leash walking is a good option. Break up exercise periods for arthritic dogs. Several short periods of exercise are better than one long session. Provide dogs with plenty of water, even on cold days.

+Encourage movement that avoids jarring or excessive stress to joints if a dog has arthritis. Activities to avoid include playing Frisbee, jumping or jogging,

especially on concrete or other hard and uneven surfaces that provide poor footing.

With advice from their veterinarians, participants in the Steps to Play More program use the pedometers to track the daily activity level of their dogs and record the number of steps online at www.StepsToPlayMore.com. The pedometer and online tracker provide a week-by-week gauge of the dog's progress toward getting back to playing again.

To learn more, visit www.StepsToPlayMore.com.

This story is provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.