Lintbells urges owners to ‘PAWS’ for first Mobility Awareness Week

Lintbells, the makers of the veterinary joint supplement YuMOVE, have through the support of qualified vets and pet experts developed the ‘PAWS’ system to mark the first ever National Dog Mobility Awareness Week which begins 27 May.

The aim of the week is to improve happiness and wellbeing in dogs by supporting owners to spot the early warning signs of mobility issues.

The company is urging pet owners to ‘PAWS’ and take a moment and look for the key signs that could indicate that your pet is experiencing mobility issues:

• Posture – Seen any changes in your dog’s body shape, muscle strength, or simply in the way they walk?
• Attitude – Has your dog unexpectedly changed the way they react to you, your family, or to other dogs?
• Willingness – Is your dog still up for walks, for games, for bouncing in and out of the car and barking at every little thing?
• Slowing down – Has your dog been slowing down lately – sooner than you hoped they might?

Research has shown that more than 10% of dog owners have noticed a change in their dog’s walking pace and nearly 9% say their dogs run less than before. Due to lack of awareness these signs are often assumed to be part of the ageing and just general “slowing down”.

Gemma Cunningham, brand manager for YuMOVE, said: “We are really excited to announce Lintbells first National Dog Mobility Awareness Week. At Lintbells we understand that mobility plays a huge part of maintaining a good quality of life.

“With National Dog Mobility Awareness Week, we hope to see pet owners understand the signs of joint stiffness and loss of mobility to ensure they can take action before it impacts negatively on their pets’ physical and emotional wellbeing.”