Pooch to 5k – Page 13 – Running with dogs

Tick Season is Upon Us

by Audrey

As summer approaches here in South East Queensland, Ixodes holocyclus, or paralysis ticks, come out to play. These little arachnids can make your dog extremely sick, and many dogs in fact die each year from tick paralysis.

Your dog can pick up these unwelcome guests from a walk in the bush or even if he has been playing in long grass. Male ticks aren’t a problem, they just stroll around on your dog’s skin looking for a girlfriend. The female tick is the dangerous one. She attaches to your dog and as she drinks blood, she injects a toxin which paralyses your dog.

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Product Review – Pet Stick Massager

by Francis

You know how nice it is to get an relaxing massage after exercising? Now you can share that feeling with your dog. Intracell of Atlanta, Georgia, in the good ol’ US of A have added a Pet Stick to their line of Massage Aids.

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Running Surface

by Francis

Dogs generally run barefoot. Your choice of running surface is consequently of great importance to your dog.

Many dogs have sensitive feet, whether they’re used to running around on soft grass and carpet or just haven’t developed a thick skin on their foot pads. Even among dogs with hard feet, there may be a preference for a soft surface over a hard one.

Let’s look at some of the surfaces available and compare their pros and cons.

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Caring for your Dog’s Feet

by Audrey

Unlike us, dogs don’t usually wear shoes when they run. Having said that, more and more people are trying barefoot running these days, so will be in the same boat as their dog. I’m not here to talk about people’s feet, but to give you some suggestions about caring for your dog’s pads.

Your dog’s feet are at risk of injury every time you take him running. Just ask Cinnabar, who had a tiny sliver of glass removed from a paw after stepping on a broken beer bottle! How do you keep your dog safe?

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RICE for Injuries

by Francis

If you’re lucky enough to get an injury while running, you need to look after it. There is a simple acronym to help you to remember the correct injury management protocol: RICE.

Firstly, the R stands for Rest. That means, from the moment you notice the onset of an injury, immediately cease strenuous exercise, as much as you can. Resting allows your body to form scar tissue to patch up an injury whether it’s a scrape or a graze up to a muscle tear. Continuing running will only aggravate the injury in its acute phase.

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Respect the Boundaries

by Audrey

I’ve been looking forward to the Bribie Beach Bash, an iconic race along the foreshore of Bribie Island. It’s a very friendly, relaxed event and a lovely day out. Imagine my delight when I found that the event was held on a stretch of beach where dogs are allowed on a leash. The race director was happy to have Guinness along providing we complied with council rules.

Francis and I took a trip to the race route to check out how much of the beach is dog friendly.

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