12 Diet Tips for Putting Your Dog on a Diet.

Have you recently noticed that your pet dog has packed on the pounds these days, a lot of it has to do with what he eats. Naturally, your dog’s diet is not the only factor of his being fat. Dogs that are older are more likely to have more weight as well as those with no supervised exercise. When you feed your dog too much, this contributes to the obesity of your pet as well.

This does not really happen overnight. For dogs that have been with you for years, you may not even notice that your dog is putting on weight slowly but surely. Some dog owners are surprised to hear from others that their dog is pudgy, since living with their pets has made them a tad oblivious.

Some dog breeds also have increased risks of obesity. These include Shetland sheepdogs, Rottweilers, Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers, Dalmatians, Dachshunds, Cocker spaniels, Beagles, Basset hounds and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

When you run your hands down the body of your pet without applying pressure and cannot feel his pelvic bones, ribs or back bone, this is a real indication that you have an overweight dog. You can also check to see if a waist is something you find between his hips and ribs when you look at him from his head or a tucked in stomach that rises up from his rib cage to this inner thighs.

If these are hard to spot, tackle the weight issue of your pet. There are many issues of health that an overly heavy dog is at risk for. These include hyperthyroidism, lameness, musculoskeletal disease, oral disease and osteoarthritis. Once you find out that you have an overweight dog, there are a few things you can do to help Fido shed some pounds.

Love and Food

Show your pet that love does not really have anything to do with food. Many pets confuse affection with food since praises all too often come with a treat. Rather than treats, perhaps reassuring words or vigorous petting can be handed out instead.

Food from the Table

Stop feeding your dog food from your dining table to help him get back in shape. Cutting out table treats or scraps will not only help him become healthier, this will also train him not to be a nuisance at the table, especially when you have people over for dinner.

A Plan

Putting your dog on a plan for losing weight is the next step. Discuss with your dog’s veterinarian about the optimal method you can use to cut back on the diet of your dog while still getting all his nutritional needs met. At the same time, increasing his physical activities will boost his metabolism.

Get Optimal Nutrition for Your Pet with Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food

First time owners of pets are often at a loss when it comes to buying the best food for their pets. After all, it’s sometimes confusing and overwhelming to consider all the available pet food available these days. One thing you might want to consider from the start is how important buying pet food of high quality is. As a matter of fact, buying high quality health food such as Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food will save you money in the long run since you will come across less health problems in the long run.

Avoiding Free Feeding

It is advisable not to leave too much food out for your pet but rather, waiting for their bowl to run out and re-filling their bowl when this happens. By doing this, you not are protecting your pet from developing obesity as well.

Ingredients

What are the ingredients that make up the dog food you are thinking of buying for your favorite pal/ For example, for those who happen to have a pet cat, you will need a high-protein type of cat food with fatty acids and amino acids in the list of ingredients. Aside from this, check for correctly combined vitamins and minerals. The same holds true for dogs. To get your dog in optimal health, know what is in the list of ingredients.

Preference

Your four legged pal may prefer wet rather than dry food or a mix of both kinds. It is important that you take their preferences into account as well, so that you won’t have to keep trying to force your pet to eat what’s in front of him.

Body Weight

In the event your pet happens to be obese at the moment, he will need different nutrition than if he did not weigh as much. If he happens to be in great shape, maintain your pet’s condition and good health by buying the right dog food for him such as Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food.

History of Health

You need to be aware of the health history of your pet dog before you purchase dog food. For this reason it is crucial for you to visit the veterinarian regularly. For example, knowing whether or not your pet has any allergies is important. This is so that you can check the labels of the dog food and see if there are any allergens contained which may have adverse effects on your furry pal.

Fitness Tips

Dogs can become overweight just like human beings. It is not really something that your pet has control over. If you are letting him lie around all day in the house after feeding him big meals, he will become overweight. As your pet dog increases in age, his gaining weight may even become more noticed as he looks for food more often and loses energy. If you want your pet to live a healthy, long life, get him to lose some of his gained weight. Your canine companion’s risks of getting organ failure, diabetes or cancer drastically increases when he is overweight. If you can, begin when your pet is younger and throughout his life you will reduce his risks of getting diseases.

Exercises

Unless your pet has lost his energy or is elderly, he will most likely love going for a run or even a walk. This is a great opportunity for you and your pet to get active. Your pet may be sitting around the home all day but this does not mean that he won’t love exercising. Giving him the chance to go outdoors may shrink his waistline sooner rather than later.

Intake of Food

The first step you need to take is to take a close look at what you are feeding your pet. Many times, being obese is merely due to overly feeding your dog. It is suggested by veterinarians that feeding your dog should depend on your weight rather than what you think a good-sized serving is. For dogs that are over seventy-five pounds, feed five to eight cups daily. For dogs that weight fifty to seventy-five pounds, feed three to five cups daily. For dogs that are twenty-five to fifty pounds, feed two to three cups daily. For dogs that weight ten to twenty-five pounds, feed between one to two and a quarter cups daily. For dogs less than ten pounds, feed a third to a cup of food daily. These are dry food measurements are for healthy, normal dogs. Cut out table scraps and unnecessary treats. These are great for training tools but should not continuously be given to your pet. It is okay to give your pet 1-2 daily treats but if you keep on treating your dog all day, the pounds will begin to show up. Weight gain is also a result of table scraps.