How To Have A Happy Dog

If your dog is overweight he could suffer from serious health problems including arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and respiratory problems. He may also be lethargic, sleep more and ultimately have a shorter lifespan.

RESEARCH

Studies show that more dogs than ever are classed as overweight. Some of this is attributed to their owners feeding too much of the wrong kind of food; in addition, an increase in demands on owners’ time makes it more difficult for them to exercise their dogs adequately. A combination of exercise and altered eating habits (not one or other on its own) is the most effective way to achieve and maintain weight loss.

If you take your dog for an annual check-up, his weight will be assessed and your vet can tell you if he is piling on the pounds. This is definitely not a happy situation, but thankfully it can be remedied.

Doggy Diet Tips

Many veterinary surgeries run weight-management clinics for pets, but if you prefer to work alone there are few dieting guidelines you should try to follow:

1. Avoid giving food treats as rewards, as these can soon build up extra calories. Use verbal praise, toys and play instead.
2. Give him more exercise. Relying on food deprivation will make your dog very unhappy.
3. Look for food that is high in fibre and low in fat. Your vet can prescribe canine diet food if necessary.
4. Be realistic about how much weight you expect your dog to lose. As with humans, a slow, steady weight loss is better than a rapid one.
5. Don’t try fad dog diets. They are nutritionally unbalanced and will deprive your pet of the essential vitamins and minerals he needs for optimal health.
6. Don’t forget that your dog may slow down and exercise less as he grows older, so you will need to make adjustments to his calorie intake.

Is He Fat?

A healthy canine body should look as if it is in proportion. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs and not see visible folds of fat. If he is too fat, you will not be able to see his waist and his tail will look and feel thick.

Happy Dog Tip: Don’t give in to begging. While your dog is dieting, try putting him in another room while you prepare and eat your food. This way, you won’t be tempted to give him titbits.

It Takes Two

Chances are that if your dog is overweight from overeating and lack of exercise, you will be too. Why not join him in a weight-loss programme by slimming together and increasing your exercise regime so that you both adopt healthier lifestyles and become fitter and happier?

Party Time

During certain holiday periods, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, we can all become prone to over-indulgence. However, make sure everyone in your family understands and sticks to your dog’s diet or all the hard work can quickly be undone. If you can’t resist giving him treats, provide some low-calorie ones such as carrot sticks (surprisingly, lots of dogs love these) or rawhide chews.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at 12:22 pm and is filed under Food And The Happy Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.