Pet Weight Loss

When your dog begins to look like a beach ball with legs, it's time to give pet weight loss some serious consideration.

Why Pet Weight Loss Can Be So Important

Canine obesity is a serious health issue that can lead to a host of health problems for your pet, including:

• Cardio-vascular disease
• Skeletal-muscular deterioration
• Diabetes
• Respiratory weakness

Any of these illnesses can shorten your pet's life significantly, but an obese dog often faces a combination of these conditions. Pet weight loss is often one of the first steps a veterinarian will recommend when trying to put a dog back on the road to good health.

Food Is Not Affection!

It's important for pet owners to make the distinction between food and affection. Owners tend to give their pets food and treats as a way of showing affection, but this habit can backfire if it isn't practiced with some restraint. Far better to give your dog a good snuggle than a leftover from the dinner table.

Let's look at a few facts.

• Dogs don't really need to eat everyday. In fact, letting your dog fast for a day can be beneficial for clearing the digestive tract, increasing it's efficiency. It can be hard to ignore those "puppy dog eyes", but unless your pet is a growing puppy or has other medical concerns, it won't harm him to just drink water for one day a week.
• It's not necessary for a healthy adult dog to have food available on a 24 hour basis. It's harder to track just how much your dog is eating when he's feeding around the clock. Offer your pet his meal at a set time each day and remove any leftovers after one hour.
• It's better to feed your dog early in the day/ This gives him a chance to burn off calories throughout the day instead of going to bed on a full stomach.

Sensible Pet Weight Loss

Any pet weight loss plan must take into account your pet's current health, size, and activity level.

Step One

Take your dog in for a complete health check up before you begin a weight loss regimen. Your vet will assess your dog's vital signs and overall condition, compare his current weight to the average for his breed, and advise you just how much weight, if any, your pet needs to lose.

During this checkup, be sure your vet tests your dog for a condition call hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause your pet's metabolism to slow to a crawl and is sometimes the actual cause of obesity, rather than simple overeating.

Step Two

Once your vet gives the go ahead, you can begin reducing your pet's calorie intake. It's best to gradually reduce the amount of food you offer your pet so he doesn't feel deprived. Experts recommend about a 25 percent reduction at the start, and then advise monitoring a dog's weight to see if any weight loss occurs. If needed, you can reduce his food intake by ten percent at a time until you find a level that encourages weight loss to begin.

Step Three

Increasing your pet's activity level is an integral part of any pet weight loss plan and should be carried out at the same time you decrease the amount of food you offer.

Simply adding a daily walk is good for your dog, especially if he has developed joint problems and needs low-impact exercise. If there are no other health complications, once the weight begins to drop off, it's possible to try other types of exercise, including fun sports like Dog Agility, and Fly Ball.

Step Four

Once your pet has lost a reasonable amount of weight, your vet should be able to help you set a proper maintenance diet to stop excessive weight loss and keep your dog fit.

A Word About Diet Dog Foods

Although switching your dog to a low-fat recipe dog food may seem like the right thing to do, it's actually better to stick with a normal, balanced pet food and just serve it in smaller portions.

Low-fat dog foods are often higher in carbohydrates, and this can pose a problem. Once the body is deprived of a reasonable amount of fat, it begins to hoard the excess carbs, storing them as fat, and interfering with the weight loss process altogether.

Unhealthy Weight Loss

So far, we've discussed the benefits of pet weight loss, but a sudden loss of weight, especially when there is no weight loss plan in progress, can be a sign that something is wrong with your pet's health.

A sudden, drastic weight loss can be a symptom of a serious illness such as cancer or hyperthyroidism, to name a couple. If you notice a profound change in your pet's condition, don't hesitate to visit your vet for an immediate check up.

The Bottom Line

When it comes right down to it, every creature has an ideal weight. Finding the right balance between food and exercise is the ideal way to help your pet maintain a healthy body and a happy life. In fact, that's good advice for us all.

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