Why is it important to keep my senior dog active?

There are a couple of different reasons. For one, we want to keep them moving and keep those joints moving. They start to develop arthritis if they aren't moving their joints. They can have some atrophy occur in their muscles, which means that they are wasting away. If you don't use it, you lose it. So, we want those muscles to stay nice and firm, and allow them to get up and move. Secondly, we want to make sure that they're not becoming a bit too chunky. If they start becoming more obese, that arthritis will just get worse. Having them up and active keeps those joints moving and keeps them from having some issues when they become overweight.

It's so important. I tell my clients it is the most important thing you can do for them to have the longest life possible. You have total control over keeping them thin and giving them moderate daily exercise. A healthy diet is essential too. Those are three of the most important things. I highly recommend daily exercise for your senior pet, but it has to be regular and moderate.