Is My Dog Overweight?
Today more than 35% of dogs in our country are Overweight and, although the reasons why a dog is Overweight are different from ours (since our partner cannot choose the menu it will take or the time it will take). walking or running in the park), the consequences of said Overweight are similar to ours: diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, liver malfunction and difficulties with digestion.
Generally we are not aware of the damage that we can cause to our dog when we do not correctly cover the basic needs of nutrition and exercise that it needs. Excessive treats and inactivity make a dog of normal complexion become an obese dog and acquire the corresponding health problems mentioned above.
Therefore, it is very important that we become aware of this increasingly widespread problem and help our dog to be healthy so that it can enjoy a long and happy life. Before considering the possibility of making your dog lose weight, you must make sure that indeed, your partner needs to lose weight.
Signs Of Being Overweight In Dogs
The first step to help lose weight to a dog, is to identify the problem and become aware that your dog needs to lose weight. A dog's ideal weight will vary based on breed, size, and age; Fattening a kilo does not mean the same for a small breed dog as for a large breed dog, or for a senior dog as for a young one. You can check the physical condition of your dog and know its ideal weight by following the following tips:
• Observe your dog's silhouette from 2 different points of view, in profile or from the side and from above, examining its back or spine.
• When you are examining him from above, you should notice that his body is not straight, but it marks a slight curvature that begins at the end of the rib cage up to his hip.
Examining your dog from the side, you should feel the rib cage and look for its ribs. If you do not notice a priori you should not worry, it is not a sign of being overweight, but if you have trouble noticing your ribs pressing with your hand, then your dog has excess body fat and needs to lose weight.
How Can You Help Your Dog Lose Weight?
Before starting the process to make your dog lose weight, don't forget that the key to help him is, mainly, perseverance. Get involved in the process from the first minute and don't forget that your partner's health depends on your care.
What Should Overweight Dogs Eat?
The best diet to lose weight to a dog is the one that your vet indicates. No one knows the nutritional needs and medical history of your partner better than him. But you can also choose the specific food you need to maintain the ideal weight of your dog taking into account the different factors, such as age, that are indicated on the packaging of specific food to lose weight.
In Purina Pro Plan you will find the low calorie food you need , in addition to having the tranquility of quality, flavor and nutrition that guarantee us. Don't forget that having a veterinary specialist to control the dog's weight loss is always the best way to proceed.
Changes In Diet
In addition to changing the food for a specific one with the help of a veterinarian, you must completely eliminate your dog's bad eating habits, if any. The feeding changes that contribute to your dog losing weight are:
• Do not give food after hours.
• Eliminate prizes for a while. It is not recommended to offer your dog more than 10% in complementary food of the total daily calories ingested.
• Do not offer the homemade food of our leftovers.
• You must measure the daily ration that it needs each day.
• Prevent your dog from putting food that he finds on the street into his mouth.
• Make the transition to the new diet in several days, following the recommended recommendations.
Strict Hours And Portions
While the dog's diet lasts, you can no longer have a feeder full of food (even if it is specific food to lose weight) to feed whenever you are hungry, on the contrary, from now on you must control your intake by establishing very strict hours for make sure you don't eat more than is convenient now.
If you're worried that your dog may have feelings of hunger, you should know that dogs regulate that feeling in 2 ways: by the volume of your stomach when full and with levels of glucose in the blood. We can not offer large amounts of food for saciarle, since our goal is to lose weight, but we can do something with the levels of glucose in blood can feed several times a day instead of concentrating all the food in 1 or 2 intakes, since glucose levelsgo up after intake.
The ideal is to distribute the food of the day in three servings and keep the same schedules for each one, since in this way the dog will be calmer, because he will know that in a few hours he will eat again and will not be stressed as much.
Exercise For Obese Dogs
Do not increase the time of your walks at once, do it gradually to get used to the change. Remember that it is an overweight dog and is not in its best physical moment. Of course, exercise should be part of your daily routine and increase in intensity as your physical strength and spirits improve.
You can start with longer and longer rides, without forcing him to run, since if he exercises excessively, he could start suffocating. It is recommended that all dogs walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day, at a pace adapted to their physical condition. Playing a lot is also a good way to exercise your partner, since he will be losing weight while reinforcing your bond of trust. Also, exercising will help you lose your appetite.
After a few weeks, you can intensify the exercise of the dog taking him to places where he has to overcome obstacles or you can even go for a bike ride together, first at a jog and if you see that he can exercise a little more, then he can run next to you while you go cycling. Remember to increase the level of exercise gradually so as not to overheat your partner.
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