Does cold weather make my dog's joints worse?

Plenty of NZ owners notice their older dog takes longer to get off the bed in July than in January, and moves stiffly for the first few minutes of a walk. Cold weather doesn't cause joint problems, but it's a very common time for owners to notice them.

The most useful thing you can do at home is keep weight off. Every extra kilo is load going through joints that are already having a hard time, and winter is exactly when dogs quietly gain it because walks have shortened. Getting a dog back to a lean body condition often does more for their comfort than anything you add to the bowl.

After that, think about how you exercise rather than whether you do. Short, frequent walks generally suit a stiff dog better than one long one on a Sunday. A warm, draught-free bed off a cold floor helps too.

On the food side, omega-3 fatty acids and green-lipped mussel are the two additions most often talked about for joint comfort, and many owners find they help. Neither is a treatment for anything. If your dog is limping, yelping, or reluctant to jump into the boot of the car, that's a vet conversation, not a food one.