Obesity in dogs is a increasingly common problem. Vets are seeing more obese dogs than ever before.
Trying to lose
weight is a terribly complex process for people because we have
access to food in so many different ways. But when pets
get fat it can always be easily fixed. Because at the end
of the day, a dog has absolutely no control whatsoever over how much
food he gets to eat. He does not have to worry about
willpower, or to count calories. His owner is there to do
that for him.
If you think your
dog is a bit fat, he probably is. If you think he needs to lose
weight, he probably does. People get terribly wrapped up in
concerning themselves about exactly what their dog should weigh and
in deciding upon different types of exercise and different types
of food or supplements for their overweight dogs.
However, it really isn’t necessary.
Dogs get fat
because they are fed too much. More exercise is a great idea,
but if for some reason your dog does not get much exercise at the
moment, just feed him less food. In a nutshell,
that’s all there is too it.
People often say
‘my dog is gaining weight because he is not getting so much
exercise at the moment’
No, he isn’t.
He is gaining
weight because you are feeding him too much!
It goes without
saying that he will need less food if he is getting less exercise,
yet this seems to be a sticking point for many dog owners.
Hungry dog?
But he’s so
hungry you say! And maybe he is. Some dogs are just plain
hungry from dawn to dusk. They will simply keep eating until
there is no more food in front of them. This was an
effective strategy in wild dogs where the next meal could be a very
long time coming. It is a recipe for ill-health in an
environment where food is always available.
Fortunately,
unlike adult humans, your dog has an owner, you, to
protect him from the effects of an overactive appetite.
You don’t need me to tell you what those effects are, but I am
going to anyway!
An overweight dog
is at risk from all the ailments associated with obesity, just like
you and me. He may get diabetes, he will certainly risk
crippling joint problems, and may damage his internal organs
including his heart. Obesity is also associated with an
increased risk of some cancers. And it makes
dogs miserable.
How much should he
weigh?
No-one can tell you
exactly how much your dog should weigh. There are wide
variations in weight even between dogs of the same breed.
What I can tell you is that you should be able to feel your dog’s
ribs under his skin without seeing them, ( though it is ok to see the
last rib or two on a dog when he moves in a certain way, or is
eating fast).
If you look
down on your dog from above he should have a waist. If
you look at the dog from the side, his belly should slope up
towards his loins. If you can’t feel his
ribs, if you can’t see a waist, the dog is too
fat and you need to cut down his food.
How to slim your
dog
You don’t need to
rush out and buy extract of dandelion, or any other pills and
potions for your fat dog, on the contrary, you will be
saving money not spending it. All you need to do is give him
less quantity of a good quality dog food. And forget the
treats or snacks, he does not need them. If the dog is
still not losing weight a week after cutting out snacks, then
start feeding him two-thirds of what you were feeding before.
Still no weight loss after a week, then cut down to two thirds
again.
You may be
astonished at just how little food your dog actually needs,
especially if he or she has been neutered. Some of
the better quality and more expensive kibbles have fewer ‘fillers’
and additives in them, and a dog requires a much smaller
quantity of these foods than you might think.
Obviously, if you
can bring yourself to spend an extra twenty minutes each day engaging
in some kind of activity with your dog, whether it is walking,
playing Frisbee, whatever he enjoys, the weight will melt
off much faster. But food is the source of
the problem, and less food is the key to solving it.
Remember that you
are the one with the opposable thumbs. You are the one with the
wallet. You have all the power. The trick is to resist
those appealing eyes and to make sure you use it wisely!
What about you?
Does your dog put pressure on you to feed him? Do you find it
hard to resist those appealing puppy eyes?
