The #1 medical problem of pets today is being overweight. The fact is our pets live the good life. They are well cared for, have proper immunization, and most are fed a quality balanced diet.
There is no secret to weight loss, decrease calories and increase aerobic exercises. These are simple ideas to realize but difficult to implement routinely. Some simple solutions to weight loss are listed below along with food suggestions. There are a lot of good diets in the market place but our recommendations are from experience and results.
- Several small meals a day with measured amounts of quality light foods (Science Diet Canine or Feline W/D or for obese pets R/D)
- Increase exercise: routine walks, sit down – sit down (doggy push-ups), train to jump over an obstacle, and fetch.
Dogs don’t exercise themselves.
- Absolutely no people food! If the owner can’t stand sad, big, brown, begging eyes, another option is to put the pet in a cage or another room while you are eating.
- Dog treats-most are extremely calorie rich. That is why they are palatable. We recommend Science Diet Maintenance Treats, which have calorie content information. For example if 8 treats are given, decrease total daily dog food by ¼ cup. We also carry lean treats for cats and dogs. Another alternative is carrots or a celery stick.
- Don’t use treats to teach tricks-use praise and love.
Weight loss is a slow process. If a 40-pound dog loses 5 pounds that is like a 200- pound person losing 25 pounds. Changes are made slowly: for example feeding dry R/D at 2 1/2 cups a day, the predicted weight loss per week is .6 pounds and it will take 9 weeks to reach the target weight.
Date
Starting weight ___________ ___________
Goal weight ___________ ___________
Food/Amount ___________ ___________
Weight loss/week ___________ ___________
Weeks to target weight ___________ ___________
We recommend checking your pet’s weight once or twice per month. Our scales are free and accurate and can be used any time it is convenient for you and your pet |
