How long a walk for a Beagle mix (and food question)? (vet, science)

[OrangeFish]

We recently adopted a 1 1/2 year-old Beagle-Bassett mix from our local rescue. He tested heartworm positive and had two of his three treatment injections so we have been focusing on daily walks (twice a day) vs. runs at the local dog park.

The rescue had him on Science Diet dry dog food -- which, thanks to the food threads, I'm planning on weaning him off of and probably on to either Innova or Blue Buffalo Wilderness. Our vet said that his weight is good (28 pounds) but that we should try to keep him under 30 pounds.

Currently we do two long walks and one short walk a day, for a total of about 3 miles at a fairly brisk pace. Is this enough walking or should we be trying to lengthen our distance/pace?

Also, any suggestions on a replacement dry food choice for a Beagle/Bassett would be welcomed!

[Katie1]

In the old days dogs were not alow to exercise for 6 months...so consult your vet.

[ctribucher]

Welcome to the hound-mix club! My dog, named Tonka, is a beagle/coonhound mix.

I'm not sure how to counsel you on walking while your dog is recovering from heartworms. I will say, from my own experience, that Tonka is an energetic little dog. At 9 years old, he still loves to go for day hikes on trails in the woods. Our last hike was about 7 miles in the mountains of NC. I was exhausted after climbing all of those rocks, but Tonka was ready to do another 7!

Enjoy him and post pictures when you can.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by Katie1

In the old days dogs were not alow to exercise for 6 months...so consult your vet.

Our vet said the same thing that the rescue said -- walks on a leash were fine, but no running for 30 days post treatment. He was able to go running on September 23, and we took him to a dog park on Saturday (9/27). Our vet said leash walks would be great as all beagles need the exercise and it would be good bonding time for us.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by ctribucher

Welcome to the hound-mix club! My dog, named Tonka, is a beagle/coonhound mix.

I'm not sure how to counsel you on walking while your dog is recovering from heartworms. I will say, from my own experience, that Tonka is an energetic little dog. At 9 years old, he still loves to go for day hikes on trails in the woods. Our last hike was about 7 miles in the mountains of NC. I was exhausted after climbing all of those rocks, but Tonka was ready to do another 7!

Enjoy him and post pictures when you can.

We met a beagle/coonhound at the dog park on Saturday. My beagle (Bedford) had a great time running around with the beagle/coonhound (Clyde) -- to the point where they hung out together for close to 2 hours!

Thanks for your reply!

[ctribucher]

Did they howl at each other? It's definitely an experience to hear a bunch of hounds "singing" together!

Originally Posted by OrangeFish

We met a beagle/coonhound at the dog park on Saturday. My beagle (Bedford) had a great time running around with the beagle/coonhound (Clyde) -- to the point where they hung out together for close to 2 hours!

Thanks for your reply!