Animals in the wild, eating their natural diet and expending considerable energy finding it, do not experience weight problems. That knowledge helps us to understand why modern pets can gain too much weight. Not enough exercise and convenient processed food are the simple causes of the modern epidemic of obesity in pets.
Exercise and Diet Are Important to Avoid Canine Obesity
Dogs must rely on their owners for exercise and appropriate amounts and kinds of food. Sedentary living in a home all day long and endless food is not a kindness to pets. Although there is great joy in seeing pets enjoy their food, there can be much heart ache later if weight is allowed to get our of hand.
Excess weight is a serious matter to nip in the bud since, over time, it can contribute to health problems ranging from pancreatitis, to diabetes, arthritis, and a host of other chronic degenerative conditions. Day to day vitality, happiness, and even life span are affected.
When Is It Time to Take Action to Prevent Dog Obesity
Is your canine companion easily winded? Is there less enthusiasm to play and interact? If the answers to these questions are yes, and it is becoming more and more difficult to feel your pet's ribs when running your fingers along his sides, it's time for some weight watching.
AniMed Gives Tips on Keeping Your Fat Dogs Fit and Trim
How do you keep your dog fit and trim? Experts suggest that you increase the level of play and exercise, and decrease the amount of food fed. Do not fill a bowl and keep it full all day. Dogs are designed for "feast and famine," so they do not need a bottomless bowl before them at all times.
The type of food is important too. The closer the diet gets to the form your pet is genetically designed for, the easier to maintain weight and health. Dogs are predominantly carnivores and therefore high meat diets are the ideal. Such diets, even if they contain seemingly high levels of natural fats, are more satisfying for pets and help their metabolism re-learn how to use up the excess fat they have stored in tissues. In contrast, high carbohydrate diets, even if they contain fewer calories, may encourage your pet’s body to conserve fat.
Exercise and moving the diet to its more natural form are more important than counting calories. Keep in mind that all heat-processed foods (that means almost all packaged pet foods) have nutrients destroyed and altered. Although commercial foods are fortified, there is always the danger of deficiencies that could then cause cravings. Many obese people and pets on a steady diet of processed foods are overfed and undernourished. Varying the diet, offering fresh foods from the grocery, sharing healthy home meals, giving nutritional supplements, and carefully selecting packaged foods that emphasize whole, natural, and meat-based ingredients is the best way to achieve optimal health and weight.
To reduce food intake, try a gradual cut-back beginning with about a 25% reduction. Breed and age make a difference, so adjust based upon the results you see. It may help to feed more frequently at this reduced level to help satisfy your dog’s hunger. This way, he may not even notice he's not eating as much food as usual. When your dog has reached the desired goal, increase the meal size to a maintenance level.
Pets are designed to be active daily. Being kept in a home every day is as dangerous to them as it is to their human companions. Not only are such pets likely to gain weight, they can exhibit destructive behaviors, such as inappropriate chewing and digging. Furthermore, boredom can create obsessive eating and begging. If you give in to the pleas, the problem will only worsen. This is a case where the mind must be put ahead of the heart.
Not only can exercise get your overweight pet in shape, it will also help correct these behavioral problems. Go for a long walk — or two. Road sports such as jogging, bicycling, and in-line skating with your pet will offer a great workout for the both of you. If you can properly care for an additional pet, getting a companion from a local shelter for interaction and play will also help them burn calories, get their mind off eating…and is most certainly a kindness for these social creatures.
When Do You Consult Your Veterinarian About Canine Obesity
If your pet is extremely overweight, it's a good idea to consult your veterinarian before starting any aggressive weight-loss program. There may be a medical cause requiring therapy. If there is serious arthritis or any other problem, you will need to discuss the appropriate kind and amount of exercise with your veterinarian.
When we choose to take the responsibility for pets, we in effect cut off their options. We must, therefore, intercede where nature once operated automatically. Healthy weight only requires that we do our best to "return our pets to nature" with a wise balance of exercise, and natural foods fed in variety and moderation.
