When we made the decision to welcome a puppy into our family, it was one of the best things we could have done. As well as having someone who is loyal and loving, Yogi is also an excellent excuse to get us outdoors and active, whatever the weather!

If he’s not running alongside me, he’s joining us on one of our family adventures. We can walk for miles and genuinely not even realise it. The fresh air and the exercise is a great way to combat stress.

It’s been great to collaborate with IAMS recently and talk in more detail about how we stay fit and healthy as a family. 95% of dog owners recommend IAMS for Vitality! (1). For anyone that missed my first post, you can read it here.

 Supporting Yogi’s energy levels

Image captured by Deano Moore Photography.

Yogi loves to interact with other dogs but he also loves to chase around his favourite tennis ball.

Image captured by Deano Moore Photography.

He gets some attention from passers-by because he leaps all over the place to catch it in mid air! Yogi is a strong and muscular dog and because of this, it’s really important that we feed him with a brand that is leaps and bounds above every other company on the market.

IAMS for Vitality supports strong muscles through the inclusion of high quality animal protein. 85% for dog and 91% for cats (2).

The range has been developed with vets and features all the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed to support the 7 signs of healthy vitality:

1. Support a strong immune system – Antioxidant blend with Vitamin C & E to help support the immune system
2. Admire their healthy skin and shiny coat – Omega 3 & 6 to support healthy skin and coat
3. Appreciate their digestive health – Tailored fibre blend including prebiotics and beet pulp for healthy digestion
4. Support their strong bones – Enriched with essential minerals and vitamin D supporting strong bones
5. Watch them leap and bound – High quality animal protein and essential minerals to help maintain strong muscles
6. Hear them crunch through the biscuit bites – Crunchy kibbles and tailored mineral levels for strong and healthy teeth
7. Feel their love every day – Formulated with key nutrients to help nourish the heart

Gymnast

Yogi is super athletic! As well as leaping all over the place, he’s really fast too. The Vizsla is a Hungarian gun dog and can reach speeds of up to 40mph. Yes, you read that right, up to 40mph! Even when he’s flat out, Yogi can still dodge and navigate around moving objects. Although, he was a little bit clumsy as a puppy! Humans, even at a full sprint, will only reach around 15 miles an hour so I have no chance of catching up with Yogi.

Just like us, our pets are susceptible to muscle and joint deterioration due to age, injury and repetitive tasks. If this is something you’re worried about as a pet owner you’re not alone. In fact, almost two thirds (64%) of dog owners wish they knew more about how to care for their dog’s joints and muscles (3).

Image captured by Deano Moore Photography.

Luckily, Kellie Ceccarelli, IAMS Veterinary Manager, has shared her three top tips for keeping our super-pets feeling strong.

Muscles

Make sure that your pet receives adequate but safe exercise every day to help keep their muscles moving. Throwing a tennis ball or a Frisbee is excellent for strengthening leg muscles.

Nutrition

Almost half (46%) of pet owners look for nutrition which supports muscles and joints (3). If your pet is overweight, it can put more strain on their joints. Make sure you feed your pet a healthy and high-quality diet.

The IAMS for Vitality range gives your pet complete and balanced nutrition, combining high levels of animal protein with an irresistible taste. All the IAMS flavours are wheat free with zero fillers. It helps to support your pet’s vitality and just like Yogi, it lets his true personality shine through every day.

Recovery

Rest and recovery is so important not just for us but also our pets. Always ensure that your pet has enough rest after exercise. One in five dog owners (22%) give massages to their pets too (3). This is something I haven’t done yet but I’ll give it a go! This can apparently help with your pet’s recovery from play. It can enhance their range of motion, relieve muscle spasms and help reduce lactic acid build up.

13% of owners also encourage their dogs to swim regularly, which is a great non-impact exercise allowing them to build muscle without putting too much pressure or impact on their joints and soft tissue (3). It took Yogi ages to actually swim. Hungarian Vizsla’s have webbed feet so they’re a perfect breed for swimming. Yogi would never venture into the water as a puppy and how he came to swim was accidental. He was running on the beach one day and he thought he was about to run through a puddle. It was deeper than he thought! We saw his feet starting to paddle and off he went.

Here’s a little video of Yogi running and chasing his tennis ball on the beach…

I wanted to thank-you guys for reading this and my previous post in collaboration with IAMS. I’ve really enjoyed working with them and talking about what Yogi means to us as a family.

*This was a collaborative post with IAMS. All words and opinions are my own.

References

1. Based on the opinion of 1293 dog owners who took part in an IAMS campaign survey in November 18, among which 95% were non IAMS users before the campaign

2. Out of total protein

3. All stats from 3Gem Survey with 750 UK male and female dog owners