Exercises for Cats and Dogs

Regular exercise can benefit your cat and dog. Try these ideas to keep your pet happy and healthy.

CATS

Assuming your cat has a clean bill of health from the veterinarian, a feline exercise program can benefit any cat, regardless of weight condition. Try these cat exercises:


1. Use an interactive toy with feathers on the end. Move it like a bird to encourage your cat to leap and stretch.


2. Slither snakelike toys up and down stairs. These toys are also great for going up and over the tops of sofas.


3. Set up boxes, bags and soft-sided tunnels to create an obstacle course for your interactive exercise session. If you can't find the soft-sided tunnels, make tunnels of your own by turning boxes upside down and cutting entrance and exit holes.


4. A small ball in a box works as a mini racquetball court.


5. Use your interactive toy around a tall, sturdy scratching post to encourage your cat to scratch. This causes a full stretch, which helps tone the muscles in the shoulders and back.


6. Invest in a multi-tiered cat tree so your cat can jump from one perch to the other during play. This exercise improves balance and coordination.


7. Plastic caps from milk jugs make great hockey pucks. Drop one on the kitchen floor to work on your cat's speed and coordination.


8. Don't forget to laugh. It will do wonders for you emotionally and physically. Your cat will pick up on your good mood, and everyone will have a good time.
resource:  http://www.catchannel.com/behavior/playtime/article_5361.aspx

DOGS 

All dogs need exercise and while taking your dog for long walks is one way to give them much needed exercise there are other ways that are more fun that will allow you to bond with your dog while giving them the exercise they need.

Fetch

Most dogs love playing fetch especially retrieving dogs such as Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers and many of your spaniel breeds. Easily trained to fetch sticks and balls and bring them back to you these dogs can play this game for hours on end if you are willing to play along. It is the perfect way to give your dog exercise while interacting with them.

Bird On A Wire

You don’t really use a bird to play bird on a wire or a wire either for that matter. You simply tie a favorite dog toy onto a string and pull it along and the let your dog chase it. Stop immediately once he catches it as playing tug of war can damage a dogs teeth especially that of a puppy. Once the dog drops the toy you can drag it again and he will give chase. Small dogs especially find this game endlessly entertaining.

Swimming

If you live in an area where you are allowed to take your dog swimming this is a great way for both you and your dog to get exercise together. Breeds such as Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water dogs, water spaniels, and Retrievers all love to swim and get wonderful exercise by joining you in the local lake for a dip whenever given the chance. You can even play some fetch games in the water after a swim giving your dog even a longer exercise period.

Teaching Your Dog Tricks

Another great way to exercise your dog both mentally and physically is teaching them a few active tricks such as jumping through hula hoops or over low hurdles. Small dogs like beagles and larger intelligent breeds such as collies really love learning these kinds of tricks but any dog can be taught them with a little patience.

Nature Hikes

Though you will need a leash for most dogs for this kind of activity nature hikes with your dog offers the same exercise as walking him on a lead with a little less boredom for you. Exploring wooded and other nature areas together can be fun for you both and introduces your dog to new scenery to keep him mentally alert as well as physically exercised. Taking him along when jogging will also provide additional exercise at a faster clip for him to enjoy.

Obedience Training

While one does not normally think of obedience training as exercise it does provide both mental and physical exercise for your dog. He exercisers many muscles as he learns to sit, heel, run, walk and lay at your command as well as finding learning the signals mentally challenging. In addition you can teach your dog other commands such as rolling over and even crawling.

Exercising your dog does not have to be boring. There are a lot of fun ways you can exercise your dog that you both will find satisfying.
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OR JUST GET THE TWO TOGETHER

MSU researchers test new diet for cats to overcome bladder disorders

 MSU News | Michigan State University
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University researchers are testing a special diet for cats they hope will help the animals overcome bladder disorders affecting more than half a million felines each year.

The team from the College of Veterinary Medicine is hopeful the new diet will help cats dissolve certain bladder stones and prevent future occurrences, and prevent a disorder known as feline idiopathic cystitis, in which cats suffer from bladder inflammation.

John Kruger, a professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, is leading the four separate clinical studies on a new commercial diet funded by a leading pet food manufacturer.
"The new diet is unique in that it is designed to help manage three common bladder disorders, which if left untreated can cause frequent painful urinations, house soiling and even urinary blockage and death," he said.
Specifically, Kruger and his team are looking at the effects the diet has on:

• Preventing feline idiopathic cystitis: This particularly difficult disorder - the most common bladder disorder in cats - accounts for nearly two-thirds of all feline bladder disorders seen by MSU veterinarians, Kruger said. Unfortunately, there is no consistently effective treatment for management and prevention. While veterinarians often recommend diet changes, supplements and medicine, none of these have been shown to be effective by controlled clinical trials, he said.
• Dissolving struvite bladder stones without surgery and preventing them in the future. While these stones traditionally have been treated by surgical removal, some struvite stones may be dissolved using diet.
• Preventing calcium oxalate bladder stones: There is no diet as of yet that dissolves this type of stone, and removal by surgery - which can present complications - often is necessary.

The new diet minimizes the building blocks of bladder stones by controlling levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and oxalate. It also has high levels of potassium citrate and vitamin B6 to interrupt stone formation, Kruger added, and it is high in antioxidants to moderate inflammation and reduce symptoms.

As part of the clinical trial, half of the felines will receive the new diet while half will receive a placebo diet formulated to represent the premium quality adult cat foods on the market. The diets look exactly the same, and as cats are enrolled into the study they are randomly assigned.