As human, we are not only earth species with weight issues. Other living creatures like dog or cat, who live near or with humans, are also being overweight or obese. Studies have shown over half our nation’s pets are overweight or obese. Actually, obesity diminishes quality of your pet’s life and increases the risk of several health problems like diabetes, heart problems, and arthritis. It is unpleasant to think but true.
Luckily, some minor changes in lifestyle and some activity can help your pet to to trim excess pounds from your pet and keep him in shape just like human. All are up to pet owners to watch their pets overall health.
There are plenty of tricks you can try to help your pet curbs emotional triggers to overeating and lives as long and healthy. Some of them are described here.
Cut Calories
You can achieve pet weight management successfully when your pet eats fewer calories than he burns. Sounds good! So, first trick to use for your over weighted pet is to reduce calorie intake. And, always offer lower calorie foods like wet foods that feature higher moisture content. Wet foods offer a lot lower calorie than dry food and increase volume for the better appetite. Hence, feed more wet food than dry food.
Moreover, you can feed them with fruits and vegetables like carrots, green beans, broccoli, banana slices, berries, and apples. Basically, all these foods are calorie free and healthy. Just cut calories in your pet’s food; never cut back vital nutrients like protein, fats, vitamins, minerals in this process.
Whenever you feed your dog, use a measuring cup to accurately measure the quantity of food. That is very important for you to address the overfeeding issue. Generally, all pet lovers love to offer treats and table scraps. This is not good for the pet. Simply, you have to be careful with those calories and make some changes in your regular feedings accordingly. Otherwise, you can reward him with your love and affection instead of treat; and play with him to divert his attention from food. This way you can give exercise too.
Cut Fat
Exercise is an effective for pets as it is for human. Of course, routine exercise will not only help your pet get in shape, but keep his mind active. It is little bit difficult for obese animals, but starting exercise gradually is the best trick for your pet. But, be careful if you have older pets, mostly in hot weather. Swimming at a hydrotherapy pool with expert care is a splendid way to exercise your obese dogs. Moreover, fun-time can be helpful for his physical and mental health, so it is wise to invest in some new and interesting toys that involve him to run, jump, and chase..
Set Short-Term Goals to Track Progress
Short-Term Goals, like losing some percent of body weight in one month, usually feel more confident or become healthier for your pet. For that, you can keep a journal weight chart or use online fitness trackers to keep track of the food your pet eats, the calories he burns, and the weight he loses. When you use this trick, you also embark on noticing a visible improvement in the bodily condition and better exercise tolerance.
Implement Change Gradually
It is the safest way to give pet some time and attention to adjust new routine, whether you are changing the food or starting plenty of exercises. The slow and steady changes always make a great impact, so concentrate on making lifestyle changes that integrate healthy dog diet and exercise into the daily routine.
Bonus Trick
Most importantly, make sure the whole family is involved in healthy-dog habits. That is essential for the ultimate weight management. The truth is that weight management is a bumpy ride guided by your care, your pet’s lifestyle and unique needs, so hook into what works for him — and do it! Once you have succeeded to achieve your dog’s weight loss goals, maintaining the healthy weight is also important to keep your dog fit and healthy for many more years.
