question about too much activity as my dog ages

[KristinB NLI]

I often wonder if I allow Carter to be too hard on himself activity wise. He runs so hard and fast after the ball, it's what he loves best. At age 5, however, he is alredy starting show signs of stiffness after a long period of hard play like this. The vet noticed some bone spurs in his feet during x-rays once as well. Could I be compromising his lifespan by allowing this? Do I need to slow him down?

I guess it may be the tough question of quality vs. quantity of years. I cannot take away what he loves best, which is running and retrieving, but I also want to do what is best for him in the long run.

[Amandasmom]

If Carter is anything like Pete, he will never slow down. Pete will be 9 in January. He loves the tennis ball more then anything. He will run himself into the ground. I've had people throw the ball for him until he couldn't walk. They thought he would stop when he got tired. So now what I do is let him chase the ball a couple of times but mostly just throw the ball up in the air and let him catch it. There is very little running that way. In the house, I'll tell him to go stand behind the sofa or something, then toss the ball. When we go for walks, I used to let all the dogs off the leash and they would go racing down a hill into a pond. Now I just get them closer to the pond and let them go.

I made these changes when he didn't heal as fast. When he was younger and played, he may come in limping but be better in a few minutes. Now if he comes in limping, it will be days before he is back to normal. So yes, you can have the best of both worlds.

[k9Karen]

If he can't, he won't. I think the more he does, the better. Unlike people, dogs don't give-in to their aches and pains until that just can't do it any more. It will be very painful to you when your Carter reaches the point where he can no longer go full steam ahead. If he isn't tearing up the house or the furniture, let him enjoy whatever he enjoys for as long as he can. You'll miss this playfullness when it's gone.

You may want to look into providing some form of pain relief to him. Talk to your vet about what options may be available.

[KristinB NLI]

Thank you for the advice. I want him to continue enjoying himself as much as possible. He was chained in a backyard the first year of his life, and did not know any of the pleasures he has now, so he certainly deserves it.

He is on Cosequin, which has helped over time. He will continue to get that. I occasionally give him Ascriptin, buffered aspirin, if he needs it as well.