Entertaining Kids & Pets with Asthma?
Hello, I had a question to those of you with pets or children how you play with them while also having asthma, particularly exercise induced asthma?
I know some people can do a handful of exercises with asthma, but I myself am pretty limited from most sports as I cannot run at all and get out of breath after less than 30 seconds of running no matter which way I breathe or how intense the run or jog is. I can still grapple carefully and swim, but I honestly can't run at all without experiencing more severe symptoms at the very beginning of the exercise. It's quite possible I may have severe asthma but I still want to play with my dog and get her active since she is a very active and very clever dog, usually her go to is a Kong toy but I don't want to give her too many treats since she can solve it in less than a minute. Is there anyone else who struggles with this and if so, what do you do to exercise your little ones and furry friends while having asthma?
Great topic, Thyme! Do you have an inhaler that you use as a preventative? You might want to chat with your doctor about using something before you do planned exercise or playtime with your doc. My husband has exercise-induced asthma, so he uses his inhaler about 15 minutes before going for a run. Otherwise, he'll have issues not long after he begins. Looking forward to brainstorming with you. 😀 -Melissa, asthma team
Thank you, I do take meds before any exercises, but I notice they only help when I'm grappling or wrestling someone and not so much when I run. I don't notice much of a difference when I use my rescue inhaler before I run like I do before I roll. I can't run very far at all and struggle to keep up with my dog in the living room and the furthest I can run is from one mail box to another in the neighborhood, and that's only when the weather allows me to. Thank you for the suggestion, though! I'm sure I'll figure something out.
- this is a wonderful topic. I have also been trying to come up with ideas for my pets too. One dog is an Australian Shepherd and needs a job to do ALL THE TIME. Giving constant treats can be a problem as you mention. This is a tough one. As I speak, she is chewing on a large ring in the den with me. She was playing tug with her rope toy for about 10 mins with me, then had a bone-shaped Gong with treats in it to get out of the ends. And - buying toys can get expensive. Trying to keep dogs (animals) busy is hard. Here are a few sites I've visited to help me.
https://www.animalhealthfoundation.org/blog/2020/04/12-games-for-dogs-to-keep-your-pup-entertained-and-healthy/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwr7ayBhAPEiwA6EIGxEDXXVACbnAPr8rK6fxirCPL3CqXZ05VCGL-BpO6zCdjRb3kYINaLhoCkjcQAvD_BwE
https://www.rover.com/blog/awesome-indoor-dog-activities/
https://www.houndslounge.com/blog/30-dog-games-to-play-with-pups/
Hope this helps some. Warmly - REbecca (Team member)I understand, it's tough trying to keep the pets busy when your lungs don't let you. I have tried playing a game with my dog where I hide tiny bite sized treats around the house and she finds them. She's a pretty good sniffer since she's a hound mix. She's very fast so when she's in the mood for it I try to play fetch with her. I usually just jump forward once at a time since that's all I can do and she goes running (thank you for being so forgiving, Shadow ❤️). I'm thinking of getting her some treats that can calm her down (like CBD/hemp treats since it's legal here, and I'm quite allergic to lavender) since she's also very anxious. She loves Kong toys and can figure them out in less than a minute so I'll have to be pretty clever. I also occasionally make dog toys out of old t-shirts or jeans, tying them into tugging ropes, and they last up to a month or more, so that's a more budget-friendly option if your dog likes to tug and chew. I'll have to check out those links, thank you very much! That's a great idea - I don't know why it didn't occur to me to use old clothing as tug-of-war toys. My asthma lets me play for about 5 minutes then it begins to act up. There are also games like putting food into a towel and wrapping it up for them to find. I just bought them an outside pool to play in too. One of them (I have 3 dogs) likes the water and might entice the other two to play while in the yard. I also wanted to get a tether ball set up out in the yard. There are a few videos to watch on that. Also, a big oversized ball for out in the yard may keep them busy too. I am always looking for ways to keep them exercising and busy. My daughter offered up the idea of getting them a "sandbox" to dig and bury things in. That's an awesome idea too. Thanks for the idea. Rebecca (team member)
