Nearly 35% of dogs are overweight. Many dog owners don’t realize that they are over feeding their pets or giving them a type of food that could cause weight gain. If left untreated, overweight dogs may experience potentially life-threatening health issues. Implementing a successful weight loss program for your dog may be a challenge, but is worth it because obesity isn’t just something that affects your dog’s appearance — it negatively affects your dog’s quality of life.
Providing a healthy activity level
cat with toyMake sure your dog gets a healthy amount of physical activity with a regular schedule of outdoor activities. These should be varied to keep things interesting for both of you. For example, a regular walk can be enhanced by finding obstacles such as benches, ditches, or logs for your dog to jump over, crawl under, or balance on. A game of fetch can be made more challenging by doing it on a hillside or stairs. Some dogs, especially those with arthritis, will benefit from hydrotherapy or swimming.
Cats need activity too. Lots of stimulating toys and activities help. Even something as simple as playing fetch with their meal will help keep them active and fit. We have lots of ideas and tips on keeping pets active
Feeding tips for maintaining a healthy weight
- Avoid leaving food out all day long, feeding table scraps, and unplanned snacks
- Stick to the recommended daily feeding guide
- Measure out allotted food and snacks at the beginning of each day to avoid accidental overfeeding
- Keep your pet in another room when preparing or eating your own meals
- If you have several pets, feed them separately
- Feed complementary calorie-controlled wet foods with dry foods
- Keep veterinary-recommended food on hand during holidays, so you won’t be tempted to substitute with anything potentially harmful
Introduce a new food gradually over a 7-day period by mixing the former food with increasing proportions of the new food, until only the new food is being fed. Come in for a free weight check at any time.
Obesity significantly increases risks for:
- Diabetes
- Arthritis & other joint diseases
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Skin problems
- Shortened life expectancy
- Liver disease
- Bladder infection
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