Your diet is not the only thing that you are supposed to watch. You are also supposed to pay attention to what you are feeding your dog. There is such a thing as dog obesity too. While it could be tempting to give him all those treats and to keep his food bowl filled with his kibbles all day long, you have to rethink this practice. You might be giving your doggie more food than he actually needs.
Vet Visit
The first thing for you to do to check if your dog is obese is to take him to a vet for weighing and physical examination. He might look cute and pudgy to you but his insides might not be healthy anymore. Your vet will be in the best position to tell you how heavy or big your dog should be given his breed and age. There’s a healthy weight range that your dog will have to fall within at specific stages in his physical growth and development. Your vet will also be able to tell you what to do in case your dog is diagnosed to be obese.
Food Choices and Exercise
To prevent dog obesity, you have to pay attention to your dog’s diet and his exercise needs. There is a particular type of food and feeding regimen that should be observed to ensure that your dog is getting his daily nutritional needs and caloric requirements. But just like humans, your dog also needs to burn off the calories he gets from his food. Balancing these two will make your dog fit and healthy.
Eating Schedule
You can check the packaging of your dog’s food to see the recommended feeding amounts and frequency. Check the product information too to make sure that the food you are getting do not contain any ingredients that could be harmful to your dog. Aside from your dog’s age, his size is also a factor in determining how much food he needs every day. Bigger dogs, of course, need more food. Resist the urge to give free flowing food to your dog. Stick to a regular feeding schedule. This will help not only in terms of keeping him fit but also in keeping him disciplined.
Walking Schedule
Dogs are also meant to be active animals. As such, they need regular exercise to spend their energy on and to burn all the calories they get from food. Playing catch in the backyard or going for a jog around the park are activities that can give your dog the exercise he needs. Take him out for these activities for at least 30 minutes every day. If you cannot do so yourself, hire a dog walker or a sitter who can keep your dog active on a daily schedule.
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