Sometimes you don’t notice it until someone else says that your dog (or cat) has gotten a little chubby. After you get over the embarrassment, what do you do? Feed less food? Have them exercise more? It can all be overwhelming. That being said, there are some simple steps that you can take to get your pet’s weight down.
Firstly, you must realize that this is a problem. This extra weight isn’t there to make your dog cute. Obesity can increase the risk factors for any number of diseases like diabetes and kidney disease. Additionally, dogs at a proper weight have been shown to live about 2 years longer than their overweight counterparts.
Secondly, get with your vet confirm that this weight gain isn’t due to a medical condition and then set a weight loss goal. You might aim for a loss of 3-5% of your dog’s body weight per month. You’ll also want to weigh your dog frequently which could require regular visits to the vet’s office.
Thirdly, increase your dog’s exercise in a slow and methodical way. Bear in mind that not only their weight will be effected by the exercise but also their muscles. As you slowly increase exercise, your dog should loose weight and gain muscle which will make them feel better and become more active.
Finally, you’ll need to take a look at your dog’s diet and begin feeding them fewer calories. Check with your vet as well as your pet food feeding instructions for advice here. If you don’t measure your dog’s food, now is the time to start. Additionally, you might need to switch foods to one designed for overweight or obese dogs. These foods often have lower protein levels which is understandable since less protein equates to fewer calories. However, many low protein dog (and cat) foods substitute meat for cheap grains and fillers.
At PURELUXE, we believe these weight loss formulas aren’t ideal. That’s why our Healthy Weight Dog and Cat formulas, along with our lean Stellar Dog Formula, still keep fresh meat as the 1st ingredient. It’s not worth buying poor quality food just to obtain weight loss.
As you can see, you’re well on your way to getting your dog or cat to the right weight. You can see all of our PURELUXE formulas at pureluxepetfood.com.
Source
-https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/how-to-help-your-dog-lose-weight/
