Obesity is one of the major problems that plagues humans across the world, especially in the developed countries. Sad to sad, this is not a problem that is isolated to just humans. Indeed, as much as we love to feed our dogs with their favourite food, it can be a danger to do so as the dog will gain weight and with that comes a whole plethora of health problems. Hence, it is imperative that we help our dogs to lose weight before the problem claims their health.
Why the need to reduce weight in our dogs
We are not losing weight simply because we want to look good. There are several reasons that are strong push factors that will encourage you to assist your dog in losing weight.
- Health problems: This is the main factor. Obesity in dogs does open up a can of worms such that it causes damages to the dog’s health.
- Reduction in lifespan: A study has shown that dogs can lose up to 2 and a half years of their lifespan if they are obese.
- Rising cost: When the dog is obese, you will need to spend more money to keep up with their food intake as well as spending more money for the regular visits to the vets. Do you know that it is getting more expensive to rear a dog these days? This is partially related to the risings cost of medical care for dogs.
- Reduced quality of life: When the dog is obese, it is highly likely that they have restricted movements and hence the overall quality of life for the dog will be severely reduced.
So, how to help the dog to lose weight?
Losing weight in dogs is very similar to losing your own weight. It requires determination as well as dedication so that all efforts will not go down the drain. Here are some of the suggested methods that you can employ to help your dog shed those pounds.
- Watch the diet
This is the number one reason why dogs are getting fat. Owners are simply feeding their dogs with food all the time just because the dogs are demanding for them. If you have been feeding the dog food whenever they are staring at you earnestly, then you are guilty of this too. Always make it a point to count the amount of calories that your dog needs and feed them accordingly. Also, choose the correct type of kibbles too as the dog’s needs varies as they age.
- Reduce treats
We all love to reward our dog with treats whenever they accomplish a task or perform a trick, but this said activity is causing the dogs to gain weight. Indeed, sometimes owners give the dogs so many treats such that the amount of calories in the treats can easily be a full meal itself. A reduction in treats will do the dog good. If you can, try to conjure up your own healthy dog treats for them as opposed to commercially available ones. This will enable you to have full control over the dog’s food intake
- Exercise regularly
We cannot stress this enough. One of the top ways to help your dog to lose weight is by introducing to them exercises or routines that they can do so as to keep themselves fit and healthy. Always understand that diet alone cannot help you lose weight that effectively as compared to a good combination of exercises and a balanced diet.
The minimum suggested number of minutes of activity per day for the dog stands at 20 minutes, two times a day. Of course, if your dog is a larger dog breed, you can stretch that limit even more, but not lesser. However, if your dog is of s smaller breed, you might want to be more watchful of the dog when you are out with them in the open.
If your dog isn’t used to exercises or walks, you can slowly introduce them to physical activities but for shorter duration from the on start. This is important as you wouldn’t want to over stretch your dog is their limbs and tendons are still stiff.
Do you know what’s the subtle benefit of bringing the dog out for its daily activities? It helps you to clock steps and hence helps to keep you healthy too.
- Balanced diet
Always seek to provide a balanced diet for your dog. A balanced diet will consist of a protein from any animal source, grains, healthy fats as well as other essential minerals such as glucosamine. If the choice of kibbles is lacking in these nutrients and minerals, you can always opt to provide supplements to your dog. But having said that, make it a point to consult the vet before you make changes to the dog’s diet.
- Highly quality food
If you know how to read the labels on the bag of kibbles, then you will probably know that most of the ingredients in commercially available dog food are not made from wholesome meat. Indeed, most of the ingredients can be carbohydrates, and this is the main cause of obesity in dogs. We will always recommend you to select dog food that lists meat as the very first ingredient, since ingredients are listed in accordance to the highest percentage in terms of component to the lowest.
- Smaller meals
This is the same as for humans. We are always encouraged to break up our meals into smaller portion as it allows our metabolism to keep working on breaking down in manageable portions and hence helping us to reduce and break down calories and food faster. This is the same for dogs too. Try to break up the dog’s meals into smaller portions. Of course, the dog might whine and demand to be given more food. Always resist this, event if the dog gives you its classic droopy eye look.
Wrapping things up
Helping your dog to lose weight can be a fun affair too. It allows you to unleash your creativity when it comes to conjuring up healthier meals for the dog as well as engaging them in interesting physical activities. Once your dog is fit enough, you can introduce activities such as hiking to your dog.