Obesity is a nutritional disease which is defined by an excess of body fat. It is as serious for dogs as it is for humans.
The PDSA estimates that seven (7) million pets in the UK are overweight – that equates to one in three household pets.
Six top tips in managing dogs weight.
Don’t ‘guess’ the quantities when feeding – read the instructions on the bag of food. Measure the recommended daily amount of food accurately and adjust the quantities accordingly depending on your dogs own exercise levels and metabolism.
Give treats sensibly & reduce the quantity of food accordingly. Don’t give the full days food allowance AND treats. Avoid giving human food as treats as they are unsuitable for animals and can be more calorific.
Beware of overfeeding – ensure that all family members are following your guidelines & they are not being fed multiple meals or excessive amounts of treats.
Remember to give your dog enough exercise – research how much your breed of dog needs per day and aim for this target. Introduce any increase in exercise gradually.
Keep a diary to record and track the food and exercise levels of your dog to keep accurate details to help with weight loss and general good health.
Check your pets weight at regular intervals – your vet’s practice will have scales in their reception.
Feed a high quality food suitable for your dog’s lifestyle – FourFriends Weight Control is available for next working day delivery here
FourFriends offer a free online next working day delivery service on all our dog and cat food for orders over £19.00 and free nutrition advice for cats and dogs.