Holiday Hazards: How to Protect your Dog’s Muscles and Joints on Summer Trips
Holiday Hazards:
How to Protect Your Dog’s Muscles and Joints on Summer Trips
Author: Karen Goodall AdvCertVPhys MIRVAP (VP) (ICH) | Veterinary Physiotherapist, Old Flatts Farm, Treeton
Why Holidays Increase Injury Risk
A holiday disrupts almost every aspect of your dog’s physical routine. New flooring, unfamiliar sleeping surfaces, longer or more varied walks, different vehicle access, higher excitement levels, and irregular schedules all combine to place unexpected physical demands on muscles and joints that are not conditioned for them. The result, for many dogs, is a return home with stiffness, soreness, or an injury that was entirely preventable.
The dogs most vulnerable are not necessarily the frailest — active, enthusiastic dogs can be just as much at risk as seniors, because their willingness to push through fatigue and excitement means they accumulate load without showing obvious signs of tiring. Dogs with underlying joint conditions, recent orthopaedic surgery, or a history of spinal disease face additional risks from changes in terrain, flooring, and vehicle access.
The sections below cover the seven most common holiday-related mobility hazards we see at our clinic, with practical guidance on how to manage each one.
The 7 Holiday Mobility Hazards
Long car journeys present a specific set of physical challenges for dogs. Extended periods of static posture in a confined, moving space place sustained low-level load on spinal and limb muscles, particularly when dogs are bracing to balance during acceleration, cornering, and braking. Dogs that jump in and out of boot spaces at speed are at particular risk of shoulder, elbow, and spinal loading injuries on exit — a moment of impact that is easily overlooked.
Dogs with a history of IVDD, hip or elbow dysplasia, orthopaedic surgery, or known stiffness are at elevated risk from long journeys and benefit most from additional support.
Practical steps: Provide a well-padded, supportive bed with non-slip matting to prevent sliding on corners. Stop every 60–90 minutes for short, controlled on-lead walks to allow muscles to decompress and circulation to restore. Use a ramp rather than allowing jumping for exit in any dog with known joint or spinal issues. Always use a harness rather than a collar for any in-vehicle restraint.
Holiday homes, caravans, cottages, and hotel rooms often present flooring and layout challenges that owners do not anticipate until they arrive. Tiled floors, polished wood, laminate, and varnished surfaces are among the most common causes of slip-related soft tissue injuries in dogs away from home. A single significant slip on unfamiliar flooring can cause acute muscle strain, stifle injury, or exacerbate an existing condition.
Unfamiliar furniture heights and steep or narrow stairways — common in older cottages — present additional hazards, particularly for dogs with arthritis, dysplasia, or spinal conditions.
Practical steps: Pack non-slip mats, rubber-backed runners, or yoga mats to create safe walkways on slippery floors. Bring your dog’s own supportive bed rather than relying on what the accommodation provides. Use a stair gate to restrict access to steep stairs, and support with a harness where steps are unavoidable. Block access to high sofas or beds if your dog is a jumper — or bring a low ramp.
Beaches are wonderful environments for dogs, but sand, shingle, dunes, and coastal terrain place specific demands on the musculoskeletal system that flat, familiar surfaces do not. Soft sand requires significantly greater muscular effort from the paws, wrists, and hindlimbs, increasing the load on toe extensors, carpal stabilisers, and the iliopsoas. Sloped beaches and dunes create asymmetric loading patterns across the spine and hindlimbs. Stony beaches challenge foot splay and forelimb proprioception with every step.
Prolonged ball throwing on sand is one of the most common causes of the acute shoulder and iliopsoas strains we see in the week following a beach holiday.
Practical steps: Begin coastal walks shorter than you would at home and build duration gradually across the holiday. Alternate between sand and firmer surfaces. Avoid repetitive ball throwing, particularly on slopes or soft sand. Build sniff breaks and rest periods into the day to allow muscles to recover between bursts of activity.
Woodland trails, moorland, and hilly terrain offer fantastic enrichment for dogs but demand significantly more from the stabilising muscles of the limbs and core than level ground. Navigating tree roots, rocky paths, loose gravel, and camber requires constant proprioceptive adjustment — a process that becomes more demanding as fatigue accumulates over a long walk. Dogs with reduced proprioception from prior joint injury, OA, or spinal disease are at particular risk of missteps and twisting injuries on uneven terrain.
Practical steps: Keep your dog on lead through the most challenging sections of a trail so you can control pace and prevent sudden explosive movements over roots or drops. Monitor for early signs of fatigue — shortened stride, toe dragging, lagging behind — and turn back before these appear rather than after. Dogs with known joint or spinal issues should have a physiotherapy assessment before a hiking-heavy holiday.
Dogs fatigue considerably more quickly in warm weather, and the effect on movement quality is predictable and well recognised. As core temperature rises and muscles tire, coordination deteriorates: dogs begin to drag toes, stumble on uneven surfaces, take sloppy corners, and shorten their stride. Each of these movement changes increases the risk of soft tissue injury. This is relevant not just during exercise but in the hours after a long walk in heat, when residual fatigue may persist into the evening.
Brachycephalic breeds, overweight dogs, and those with cardiorespiratory conditions are at significantly elevated risk from heat-related fatigue and should be managed with particular care.
Practical steps: Walk early in the morning or after sunset. Keep sessions shorter than you would in cooler weather, regardless of how willing your dog appears. Provide shade and water throughout the day. Watch for early fatigue signals — slowing pace, excessive panting, reluctance to continue — and respond before the dog is visibly struggling.
One of the least obvious holiday hazards is the accumulation of activity across multiple days. On any single day, the exercise may seem reasonable — but by day four or five of a holiday, a dog that has been doing more than usual every day may be carrying significant muscular fatigue and microtrauma without obvious signs of injury. Add in the higher excitement levels typical of holiday environments — new dogs, new smells, more off-lead time, more social interaction — and dogs with underlying joint conditions are at real risk of an overuse flare-up.
Practical steps: Build deliberate rest days or lighter days into a week-long holiday, particularly for dogs with arthritis, dysplasia, or a history of soft tissue injuries. Watch for the subtle early signs: stiffness after resting, slowed transitions from lying to standing, reduced enthusiasm for walks, or a change in gait. These are the body’s signals that load is approaching its limit.
Older dogs and those with osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or spinal conditions can absolutely enjoy holidays — but benefit significantly from additional support and proactive planning. Cold sea swimming, while often loved by dogs, causes rapid muscle cooling and joint stiffness that can be difficult to manage away from home. Irregular medication schedules, unfamiliar sleeping surfaces, and longer distances than usual at home can all contribute to a significant flare-up during or after the holiday.
Practical steps: Bring a supportive orthopaedic bed and pack all joint supplements and medications. Use a lift-assist harness for stairs, slopes, and vehicle access. Keep walks gentle, paced, and shorter than usual — quality of movement matters more than distance. Consider a pre-holiday physiotherapy session to identify any areas of tension or early flare-up that would benefit from treatment before travel.
The Pre-Holiday Physiotherapy Assessment
A physiotherapy assessment in the weeks before a holiday is one of the most effective ways to reduce injury risk — and is particularly valuable for dogs with existing conditions, those recovering from surgery, seniors, and any dog that has been less active over winter. During the assessment, we evaluate gait and posture, identify early signs of strain or compensatory patterning, and build a holiday-specific exercise and management plan tailored to the terrain, accommodation, and your dog’s health.
For dogs with known conditions, a pre-holiday appointment also provides an opportunity to ensure medication, supplements, and home care strategies are optimised before travel — reducing the likelihood of a flare-up requiring urgent veterinary attention while away.
When to Book a Post-Holiday Physiotherapy Check
Even with careful management, some dogs return from holiday with signs of strain or stiffness. Early assessment significantly improves outcomes — what presents as mild stiffness in the days after a holiday can, if left unaddressed, develop into a more established compensatory pattern or soft tissue injury. Book a session if you notice any of the following on return:
- Limping, even if mild or intermittent
- Stiffness that persists for more than 24–48 hours after returning home
- Reluctance to jump into the car, onto furniture, or up steps
- A noticeable change in gait, posture, or stride length
- Slowing down more quickly on walks than before the holiday
- Difficulty rising from rest, particularly first thing in the morning
- Wobbliness, stumbling, or slipping more than usual
- Any pain response on touch, particularly along the spine or around the hindquarters
- A sudden drop in enthusiasm for walks or usual activities
Scientific References
Gabbett, T.J. (2016). The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(5), 273–280.
Cullen, K.L., Dickey, J.P., Bent, L.R., Thomason, J.J. and Moens, N.M.M. (2013). Survey-based analysis of risk factors for injury among dogs participating in agility training and competition. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(7), 1010–1018.
Bockstahler, B., Levine, D. and Millis, D. (2004). Essential Facts of Physiotherapy in Dogs and Cats. BE VetVerlag.
Johnston, S.A. (1997). Osteoarthritis: joint anatomy, physiology, and pathobiology. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 27(4), 699–723.
Book a Holiday Mobility Assessment
Help your dog enjoy your summer break safely and comfortably — with a personalised mobility plan tailored to your holiday, terrain, and your dog’s health. Whether you’re heading to the coast, the hills, or a family cottage, we will make sure your dog is prepared for the adventure. Our clinic is based at Old Flatts Farm, Treeton (Rotherham/Sheffield).
Book Your Pre-Holiday Assessment →