Plastic Free July

July is here and we are in the full throws of summer! The weather has been fabulous, with the odd monsoon chucked in for good measure. I hope you’ve all been safely enjoying the sun, check out last month's blog for tips on keeping your pooches safe in the heat.

It’s Plastic Free July, a topic very close to Stefs Pet Pantrys heart. Stef is a little eco warrior and is constantly striving to make her business as environmentally friendly as possible, whether it’s using wool cool packs to keep orders frozen, or turning cardboard boxes into packing material. Now my version of Plastic Free July is a little different, I go head to head with my arch nemesis,

THE PLASTIC BALL FLINGER

It’s no secret I absolutely loathe these, you will also not find one in Stefs Pet Pantry and this was the case long before I was the Resident Canine Therapist here. Education is key so I’m going to explain why I don’t like them and give you some easy swaps to incorporate or even just some food for thought.

Confession time, I most definitely have used ball flingers, more times than I care to mention sadly. I was a dog walker for many years and the ball flinger was a life saver! It meant I could entertain a group of four dogs, able to hold their attention by simply holding the flinger above my head and have tired dogs at the end of the day. Little did I know the damage I was actually causing, if I did know my flinger would have made its way into the recycling bin a lot sooner!

Concussive forces are part of everyday life, it's the transfer of energy from the ground into the body with every step we take. Think of running on grass and compare that to running on concrete, grass is much more comfortable because it is softer. Harder surfaces increase concussive forces. Scale this down to our dogs, who for the most part don’t wear shoes, these concussive forces travel directly into the paw. Of course they have pads which will help cushion and distribute this energy transfer but varying factors will either increase or decrease these forces.

Ball flingers are designed purely for human ease, the ball is able to travel greater distances and much quicker than throwing by hand. With this increased speed and distance your pooch is able to do the same which is all well and good until they need to stop to catch that ball and this is where issues can occur. Increased speed and distance increases concussive forces and now your pooch slams the breaks on. They may stop and twist their limbs whilst the paw stays in place, they may stop so suddenly it causes them to cartwheel. All these factors significantly increase the risk of your dog causing damage to their musculoskeletal system! When I see ball flingers being used it isn’t just once or twice the dog will go full pelt, it's over and over again. I preach that everything can be done in moderation and to advocate for your dog and guide them away from extremes. Here are some alternatives for you,

Be Present
There is a common misconception that for a walk to be good your dog has to be exhausted, this simply isn’t the case. Take in the sights and sounds with your pooch, reconnect back to your surroundings and put your phone away. In a busy chaotic world our dogs have to fit in so sometimes it's nice to connect to our dog's world.

Enrichment
If your pooch loves to play with a ball you can work on impulse control and utilise their nose by hiding the ball in long grass and sending your dog to go find it. They’re still playing fetch but in a much more toned down way which will also stimulate them mentally. You can even do some scatter feeding or do a sniffy walk for your dog.

Training
Running through training drills, holding a sit stay in busy places or practising loose lead walking can be a great way to build the bond between you and your dog and work on general obedience. I am not in any way shape or form a trainer but have done a lot of training with my dogs. With a bag full of tiny treats you can easily lose an hour of training and my dogs absolutely love it.

If parting ways with a ball flinger isn’t for you, some points that can help keep your pooches musculoskeletal system

Warm Up
Providing 10 minutes brisk on lead walking can help get the blood pumping and the muscles, tendons and ligaments ready for more strenuous activity. To be honest this is good practice before any off lead exercise.

Moderation
Mix your walks up, instead of doing 15 ball flings break it up more walk for five minutes in between every 2 ball flings for example. These little breaks will allow your pooch to catch their breath and stretch out excessive concussive forces into the body.

Ground
Be mindful of where you are using your ball flinger, keep it to soft stable surfaces like grass. Absolutely avoid wet ground as slipping when stopping can seriously injure your dog. Throwing balls on sand increases the risk of your dog wearing down their teeth (which tennis balls can do on their own) but the addition of sand creates a sandpaper like effect.

So why is all of this so important to me as a Canine Massage Therapist? Well I will always bring it back to the shocking statistic of 80% of dogs over the age of 8 will suffer from some form of arthritis. This number I think is actually underreported, but imagine if we could change this and actively look to reduce those figures! This can be done through Pet Guardian education, if we can make these easy changes to the way that we exercise our dogs and ditch the flingers we’re onto a winner!

This month's Therapist Saturday is 30th July 2022 so if you have any questions about your dogs joint health then come down and have a chat. You will also catch me with Stef at the Great Yorkshire Show Thursday and Friday. A great day out and I hear free prizes to be won on the Stefs Pet Pantry stand so come along and say hi!

Continue to nourish your dogs with species appropriate nutrition, massage and compassion.

Catch up soon,

Yaz x