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Your pet’s joints can take a pounding from a variety of daily activities – from diving for toys to jumping to high places, like perches or stairs. Much like humans, pets’ joints will change with time. But this doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to help support your pet’s joint health. Giving your pets supplements to support healthy joints and connective tissue may help discomfort associated with normal exercise and daily activity. Supporting joint health and connective tissue early in life is important to your pet’s future joint health. Here are some easy ways you can help keep your pet’s joints healthy for a more active, enjoyable lifestyle. Photo courtesy of flickr user Micolo J Take a few short walks during the day. Shorter walks put less strain on your pet’s joints and muscles. Try taking two 15-minute or three 10-minute walks per day to help your pet get the right amount of exercise without pushing his or her joints too far.   Create new playtime activities. What dog doesn’t love a good swim? Low-impact forms of exercise, such as swimming, can help stretch your pet’s muscles and support flexibility.   Give your pet a little TLC. There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned massage to relax your mind and body. Massages can do the same for animals, helping relax muscles and stretch joints that may have stiffened during the night while your pet was sleeping or after a long day of active play. However, there’s no need to seek out an expensive pet masseuse. Just give your fur baby a good backrub in the evening.   Provide daily supplements for healthy joints. Try joint health supplements like Tomlyn’s Joint and Hip Chews for both cats and dogs to add beneficial vitamins, proteins and amino acids for joint and muscle support. Tomlyn even has a formula of Joint and Hip Chews made for senior dogs to help support their joint flexibility and mobility. Take the time to ensure your pet’s joints are cared for properly to keep your pet’s lifestyle healthy and happy.

The weather is getting much colder throughout the U.S., and with colder temperatures comes joint stiffness in our older fur-babies. This is primarily due to an increase in blood flow to the major organs, which is how the body stays warm. While the major organs have increased blood flow, this means that there’s less blood flowing to the limbs, making the joints colder and stiffer. As pets get older, the issue becomes more pronounced. Many older dogs and cats have a harder time getting exercise outside in the cooler weather. Joint health is especially important for short-haired dogs during the winter because they don’t have as much fur protection. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell when a pet is not comfortable. While dogs may show physical signs of discomfort, cats are more likely to hide their physical signs. Indoor cats may have fewer issues with the cold, but as they age, they may move around less. This is why it’s important to make sure even older cats get moderate exercise. Here are a few additional joint support tips: Exercise Often It’s essential to give your pets as much exercise as possible during winter, as well as year-round. Dogs need to exercise outdoors multiple times throughout the day. Taking older dogs on short walks will help prevent joint stiffness. Cats, especially indoor cats, need exercise too, and will play on their own if given the right toys and incentives.       Dress Warmly Cats usually have enough fur if they’re indoor/outdoor cats. It’s helpful to have a cat door so they have the opportunity to go inside whenever they need to get warm. Greyhounds and other short-haired dogs need extra layers. Make sure you have a sweater that fits your dog snugly, but don’t leave it on 24/7, as it can cause the fur to mat.      Don’t Overdo It Even though it’s important to give your pet exercise, it’s also important to pace your pet so that you don’t overdo it. For dogs, ask your vet to recommend the right amount of outdoor exercise in the winter. For cats, make sure you take them to the vet for regular visits because they tend to hide signs that they’re not comfortable.     Use Hip and Joint Supplements Hip and joint supplements are designed to offer a strong line of defense during times of cold weather and stress. High levels of creatine, which promotes muscle support in pets, can make a major difference. Tomlyn’s Joint & Hip Chews for dogs and cats contain high levels of creatine and other nutrients to help support healthy joints and connective tissue in your pets. Whether your goal is to support healthy joint structure and function or to help with flexibility and joint comfort, it’s important to speak with your vet before giving your pet a new supplement.