Does your dog need to be on a doggie diet? Unfortunately not only has our human society become obese but so has some of our pet population. The extra pounds on a dog can cause serious health issues for your precious pet and will likely shorten their life span.
Just like their human counterparts, dogs that are overweight have trouble breathing and have trouble chasing their favorite toy. They also are hindered by arthritis because of the pain the extra weight causes on their joints. They often suffer with regular infections and can be excluded from surgery eligibility because of their weight and the health complications that come with it.
I think the most important reason to be concerned for your dog's weight issue should be that you could be losing precious time with your beloved dog. It is no secret that obesity shortens your life span and that means that you are going to lose a lot of special moments of special walks, talks, snuggles and kisses with your dog that you could prevent just by correcting their diet and helping them exercise.
Common sense will mostly tell you why your dog should be on a doggie diet. The same things that cause us to gain weight will also cause your dog to gain weight. Chances are your dog has become somewhat sedentary and is not getting near enough exercise. This can happen when a household routine changes or perhaps when another pet in the household passes away and leaves them without a playmate.
Which leads to the next cause of your dog being overweight and that's simply eating too much dog food. Sometimes they will eat because they are bored or maybe there's a new puppy in the house and they don't want to share. Something else to consider, if you are free feeding where you leave food out full time, you may have to make a change and start feeding them just once or twice a day
to control their intake.
The first thing you should determine is if your dog needs to be on a doggie diet. You will want to check to see if you can feel your dog's waist, rib bones and tail bones. If you are having difficulty feeling these then it's likely your dog needs to lose a few pounds. Remember, it's always a good idea to take your dog to your local vet for a checkup before making any change to their diet.
As with any doggie diet change, gradually change their diet over by adding a little bit more of the new diet food to their regular food everyday until you are eventually feeding all diet food. This will help the transition and help with any digestion issues. As I tell you on any page I write, be sure that your dog has plenty of fresh water each and everyday.
I know, you don't want to exercise yourself, why would you want to help the dog exercise. Well, think of it this way, you know if you grab that leash to go for a walk, your dog is going to be super happy and excited to go, right? I'm sure that you have a ton of things that you have to get done today but are any of them nearly as important or as fun as helping your dog live longer and your getting to play with the dog for an hour? Imagine what that would do for your stress level, not to mention your own figure!
The bottom line is that an overweight dog is going to have a shortened life span and there quality of life is certainly going to be diminished. We all get caught up in our busy lives but I'm sure when you and your family decided to get a dog, having an overweight dog was not what you had in mind. So do yourself and your dog a favor and start that doggie diet.
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