THE BIG WALK IS BACK for 2025!!
This year the Big Walk 2025 has its own dedicated Facebook Group for the month of September and it couldn’t be easier to take part! Read on for more details.
The Big Walk is a month-long virtual event with a different theme every year, ranging from learning the basics of OA to journeying the entire OA journey. This years Big Walk will run through the month of October and focus on creating a digital objective monitoring diary
“Arthritis is not the end of the road. It’s just the start of a new direction.”
Dr. Hannah Capon, CAM Founder
What is Objective Monitoring & Why is it Important?
Having identified that your dog may be showing signs of chronic pain, presenting your suspicions to your vet, and obtaining a diagnosis many owners begin to put valuable interventions in place to manage chronic pain, prevent flare ups and increase quality of life – but do they work, and how can we be sure?
Canine OA is a complex disease and every dog is different…considering there is a wide range of clinical presentations of arthritis, it follows that treatment options vary greatly too. What works well for one dog may be ineffective for another and so learning to objectively monitor the individual outcome of a chosen treatment options is essential to improve pain state and increase capability. Objective monitoring can also prevent care-givers channelling resources into ineffective treatments.
By creating an objective monitoring diary, care givers can evidence the effectiveness of new treatments, weather that be a change in medications or the introduction of a new therapy. Objective monitoring diaries can also be used to show progress or deterioration over a specified time scale, or presented to vets and multidisciplinary professionals to demonstrate changes in pain state and mobility.
what to expect in 2025
- Throughout the month of October, you will be presented with 15 simple exercises or tasks to do with your dog. Record your results, make objective observations and share within the group! Each exercise will provide you with an objective insight into your dog’s pain state, capability or mobility at this time, and form the basis for your digital diary. At the end of the month you will have 15 objective markers to refer back to.
- Weekly prize draws to include anyone who submits a photo/video exercise as part of the objective monitoring tasks!
- We will also be sharing “Symposium Snippets”… short clips of valuable information from lectures given at the Chronic Pain Symposium.
- Our “Signposting Series” is back again this year with daily posts directing you towards CAM resources that are available to support you and your dog through the OA journey.
- Daily OA tips.
how TO JOIN?
Join the Big Walk 25 Facebook group!
JOIN CAM’S MEMBER ZONE!
Step into the zone for member access to our digital booklets, videos, tools, helpful articles & downloads, forum, discounts and much more...
Why we need your help
As CAM keeps growing, so do our running costs. We need your help to keep this platform independent, current and empathetic to dog owners’ needs. The Big Walk is our annual fundraiser, so please help us to continue to help you and your dog joining this fun and informative online event. By joining us you will help us to create new educational resources, and support us in growing our website to provide even more practical advice for living with an arthritic dog.
Why this means so much to us
Arthritic dogs are our passion - their love, trust and determination knows no bounds. We want to celebrate their lives and the unique bonds they share with you, their caregiver. We know and understand the time, commitment and pressure it takes to look after an arthritic dog, but we also know how truly rewarding and humbling it is to do so. The main focus on arthritis is so often what a dog can’t do anymore - but we want to celebrate all the things they can do, and celebrate the beautiful relationship you share together.
How else can I help?
Share! Share! Share! Tell your friends and clients about The Big Walk 2024 (and CAM!)! Share our social media to your pages and groups. Or support our fundraising efforts by organising an event with CAM’s Big FUNdraiser!
SHARE with friends & family
CAM’s BIG FUNdraiser!
CAM’s BIG FUNdraiser is for those of you who want to do a physical activity alongside, or instead of, the BIG WALK.
CAM’s BIG FUNdraiser is for those of you who want to do a physical activity alongside, or instead of, the BIG WALK. It is a downloadable fundraising pack which includes activity ideas, fundraising suggestions, and a how-to guide on how to collect your donation money.
You can participate in CAM’s BIG FUNdraiser as part of the BIG WALK or you can fundraise separately (we love to see your photos!). Tag us in any social media posts of your activities as we would love to share them with our followers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CAM’S BIG FUNDRAISER CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW.
WHERE Did It All Start?
2017 The inaugural Big Walk
The walk that kick-started CAM!
The original Big Walk was a small affair in September 2017 where vet and CAM founder Hannah and her inspirational dog Holly took on a personal challenge to remember. Hannah had grown up with dogs, but Holly was her first true mutt love! Hannah set about planning a big adventure to raise money for CAM, which was at that point in its infancy. Hannah and Holly completed the hugely successful first Big Walk by walking over 100 miles of the South Downs Way. With the help of a dog trolley and a lot of provisions, they roughed it for 8 grueling days, with beating rain, hard climbs up beacons and muddy treacherous tracks. They even had to contend with a wheel falling off the dog buggy! They raised a whopping £6500 to plough back into CAM to ensure that they could continue their great work.
Sadly the planned walk in 2018 did not go ahead as Holly’s health deteriorated and Hannah had to say the hardest goodbye at 6pm on the 10th December 2018.
With a huge growth in followers, CAM revived The Big Walk in 2019, which were again a great success and raised over £8000. This time it was not just a duo with the world watching, but Big Walks happening up and down the country (and even across the seas) organised by CAM followers! Fundraising walks brought followers together over tea and CAM biscuits, as well as hikes and pub celebrations.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic, the 2020 Big Walk was cancelled - but we came back in 2021 for the first virtual Big Walk! We created a vibrant facebook community exclusively for Big Walkers, had daily emails crammed full of tips and advice, and had so many amazing prizes for some of our lucky Big Walkers. In fact every single person who gave feedback said they would recommend The Big Walk!
In 2022 we grew The Big Walk and tripled our members completing the walk for more fun and adventures. Our Little Walks were launched with amazing supporters completing sponsored walks, cold water swims, cake sales and holding awareness events all to create much needed funds to support CAM’s work.
Now we are back for another virtual walk in 2023 and you really don’t want to miss out!
2019 THE BIG WALK GREW FOLLOWERS
CAM Supporters meet up to share walks and experiences
With a huge growth in followers, CAM revived The Big Walk in 2019. This time it was not a duo with the world watching, but the world itself that got involved! During the month of September, 45 Big Walks were organised up and down the UK and further afield by our loyal CAM followers. With their favourite dog-friendly walk to share, organisers invited friends old and new to come together and spread the message #YourDogMoreYears. From urban gardens to universities and vet practices to country parks, memories were made and new sniffs were explored.
Alongside the walking events, Hannah shared 30 days of tips and tricks for managing canine arthritis through interactive videos on social media to help educate and empower dog owners and professionals alike.
The walks were hugely popular and successfully raised over £8000 in as little as 6 weeks.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the 2020 Big Walk was cancelled – but fear not – we made it back in 2021 – virtually!
2021 THE YEAR OF THE VIRTUAL EVENT
In 2021, dramatic societal changes due to Covid, and CAM’s growing global audience, inspired a shift to online and a mammoth virtual event!
Yet again the CAM team, composed entirely of voluntary veterinary professionals and dog owners, demonstrated their innovative, light-hearted and empowering approach to owner awareness and education.
A 30-day series of emails plus a private Facebook group took owners on daily imaginary adventures exploring different environments, listening to soundbites from the experts, picking up tips from short, sharp educational infographics, and sharing their stories with their peers.
Throughout the 30 days CAM guided subscribers through what arthritis and chronic pain is, pain management approaches, lifestyle adjustments that can impact the condition, weight management strategies, additional interventional therapies and other overlooked game-changing additions.
We can’t wait to see you for The Big Walk in 2022!
2022 THE VIRTUAL WORLD TOUR
In 2022, we took you on a virtual tour of the world with 30 destinations picked out across the globe!
A 30-day series of emails plus a private Facebook group took owners on on a virtual walk with practical tips from Dr Hannah Capon at each stop.
Throughout the 30 days CAM and world-renowned experts guided subscribers through what arthritis and chronic pain is, pain management approaches, lifestyle adjustments that can impact the condition, weight management strategies, additional interventional therapies and other overlooked game-changing additions.
With bingo, photo challenges and loads of amazing prizes it was a fun trip!
We can’t wait to see you for The Big Walk in 2023!
2023 THE BIG WALK TAKES OVER MZ FACEBOOK
The Big Walk 2023 ran throughout the month of September to coincide with IVAPM Pain Awareness Month.
Throughout the 30 days of September, CAM guided owners through practical tips to help manage their beloved companion's arthritis, giving ideas and tips based on our evidenced-based approach. Through the Facebook group, we travelled to a different virtual location each day such as Wobbly Limb Walk, the Waist Ground and Enrichment Island. We delivered ideas from our experts, Hannah’s Hands on tips, videos, soundbites, and so much more.
And yes! The Big Walk wouldn’t be The Big Walk without the daily Bingo challenge in the Facebook group! Each day there were photo challenges to complete with your dog and share with the other Big Walkers with daily and weekly prizes worth a total of over £2000. It was a fun trip!
