How To Help My Dog Lose Weight
Canine Obesity
Obesity is when a dog weighs at least 30% more than it should. Over 2/3s of American dogs are obese. That's about 35 million dogs. Too much fat will strain your dog's joints and can lead to several diseases, reducing your dog's quality of life. Obesity is linked with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and even cancer.
All dogs are prone to obesity, but some are more at risk, like:
• Dogs with diabetes
• Dogs with hypothyroidism
CAUSES:
• Excessive calorie intake
• Not enough exercise
• Genetic disposition
SIGNS:
There are many obvious signs that your dog suffers from obesity, some of which are:
• Minimal activity (does not want to jump into the car, does not want to climb stairs)
• Pants after minor movement
• Extra body fat
• No visible waist
• Ribs cannot be easily felt
TREATMENT:
To lose weight, your dog must burn more calories than it eats. Simple right? Yet if weight loss was truly that simple, why are so many dogs seriously overweight?
Recommended treatment consists of:
• Eating less - cut out table scraps and treats (do not follow label suggestions and expect to lose weight)
• Eating lower calorie food with less carbs and fat (like atkins high protein stimulates metabolism, High fiber fills you up)
• No free choice feeding (3 to 4 small meals keeps the metabolism going)
• Exercising more (walking, running, swimming, playing also increases metabolism)
If your dog is not losing weight, it may need further evaluation to rule out other diseases. Your veterinarian may prescribe a specific diet or even medication.
PREVENTION:
To prevent your dog from obesity:
• Don't give it human treats and scraps
• Don't give dog treats ( suggestions for treats ice cubes, a raw green bean, a frozen small carrot, but careful carrots contain sugar, leafy greens, & broccoli)
• Do lots of exercise with your dog
PROGNOSIS:
By reducing your pet's weight, and increasing its exercise, you can add two extra years to your pets life. Strict, long-term maintenance is required to maintain a healthy body weight.