PREVENTING OBESITY IN YOUR DOG
In order to prevent long-term health problems in your dog, you need to keep them at a healthy weight. Obesity can lead to serious and expensive health problems in the future, including heart disease, diabetes, and orthopedic injuries that will require surgery. Obesity can take 2 years off your dog’s life, so managing your dog’s weight is crucial to his well-being. The main cause of obesity is simple: the dog takes in more enegy than it burns. Adjusting your dog’s caloric intake and increasing exercise can result in a healthy weight.
Gradual weight gain may be difficult to notice because you see your dog every day. The best way to determine whether or not your dog is overweight is to talk to your veterinarian, who can provide you with an ideal weight for your dog. One way to check at home is to pat your dog along its sides–you should be able to feel the dog’s ribs. If the dog’s ribs are covered by fat, the dog is probably overweight. Finding out that your dog is a couple pounds overweight may not sound alarming, but those two pounds are putting significant stress on your dog’s joints and organs. Keep in mind that 2 pounds on a dog is like 20 pounds on a person. Being aware of weight and prioritizing weight control will lead to a happier and healther life for your dog!
Our recommendations for controlling your dog’s weight:
—feed an appriopriate calorie food for your dog’s body condition; many dog’s will benefit from low-calorie/weight-control diet
—be sure to measure out the appropriate amount of food each day/meal and not offer “free-choice” feeding
—limit snacks and treats as they can add up to a lot of calories very quickly
—be sure your dog gets plenty of exercise
—if you are concerned about your dog’s weight, be sure to ask our opinion the next time you are in with your pet.
