Obesity is a ig problem among Americans these days and this problem has far reaching effects. You see, it’s not only people that are packing on the pounds, but our dogs are as well. There are risky health problems that affect both humans and dogs who are overweight. When a dog is overweight it is at higher risk for heart disease, respiratory ailments, weak joints and other problems. Needless to say, it is quite harmful to your dogs health for him to be overweight and maybe even more so than a human because dogs have a shorter life span. An overweight eight year old dog is akin to an obese fifty-six year old man and subject to many of the same health issues.
Fortunately for our pets; the equation is associative and works the same in the opposite direction. Just as a healthy diet and plenty of good cardiovascular exercise can trim down an overweight person; it can also trim down an overweight dog.
Exercising Your Dog:
Exercise is crucial for any dog. Dog’s that don’t get at least a daily walk normally gain weight and can develop undesirable behaviors because of all the pent up energy. People that cannot exercise their pet daily should think about hiring a dog walker or even walking their dog on a treadmill. The obese dog my be reluctant to exercise in the beginning, but if you persist in taking him for walks or to play games like “fetch” (most dogs adore running after a thrown tennis ball or other object), the dog will soon come around and start exercising more frequently and for longer periods of time.
Dieting Your Dog:
To decrease the overweight or obese dog’s weight, a program of diet and exercise must be introduced. You should definitely see your Vet first however, to be certain your dog doesn’t have other health problems. Your Vet can recommend a good diet dog food and tell you how much you should be feeding your pet. There are several brands of dog food on the market that are specially formulated to help a dog lose weight.
Despite what food or dietary supplements you’re using, there is no substitute for the support and commitment of the family. Each family member must agree to help control the dog’s caloric intake, feeding the recommended amounts at exact times and limiting treats and snacks. You might find the job is much easier if you use an automatic dog feeder with timer which dispenses the correct amount at each feeding. Feeding the dog extra treats or table scraps on the sly will not be doing the pooch any favors.
It Takes Time:
Just like with humans, canine weight loss takes time. Your dog didn’t become obese overnight and he wont lose weight overnight either. it might take a couple of months at least for your dog to get to the perfect weight and, of course, this depends on how overweight he is to start with.
