Content
- 1. Assess the situation
- 2. A team work
- 3. Diet to lose weight dog
- 4. The food: some rules
- 5. The role of food in education
- 6. Physical exercise
- 7. Determination
As with humans, obesity in dogs is an increasingly frequent problem. The causes are similar to obesity in humans: too much food, too many treats and too little exercise.
A quarter of overweight puppies have serious joint problems: for example arthrosis, which makes everyday life difficult such as walking, sitting, lying down. In addition, the excess fat accumulated puts pressure on the lungs and diaphragm, making breathing difficult. All problems related to overweight, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, result in a decrease in the dog's quality of life. He can't move that easily or play and fully enjoy his life.
In this article by ExpertoAnimal we will give you some advice for you to discover how to make a dog lose weight, keep reading:
1. Assess the situation
To find out if the dog is overweight, an easy test is to touch his ribs: Usually the ribs are not visible but you should be able to feel them easily to the touch. If you don't feel them, your dog is probably overweight.
Another option is to weigh the dog and compare it to the average weight of the breed: a excess between 10 to 20% considers itself overweight and more than that it is already obesity.
A visit to the veterinarian is ideal to establish the dog's ideal weight and thus keep in mind a goal to achieve. In addition, the veterinarian will be able to determine if the origin of overweight is a disease such as hypothyroidism.
2. A team work
Once the situation has been assessed and a goal determined, the most important thing is for the whole family to make the decision to put the dog on a diet and everyone stays. Otherwise, the efforts will be wasted: if one of you keeps giving treats while the others resist the pleading eyes of the dog, the diet won't work.
For you to get your dog to lose weight, the whole family has to help, from the smallest to the oldest.
3. Diet to lose weight dog
Feeding is, of course, one of the first parameters you should change: with the help of your veterinarian, determine how much food your dog should eat each day.
If you decide to exchange feed for a "light" ration, you will have to do it progressively to avoid digestion problems: start by mixing a small amount of the new ration with the old ration and, little by little, increase the proportion of the new one.
4. The food: some rules
An adult dog only needs one or two meals a day, avoid leaving the ration always available. It is also important to have fixed times for meals and a specific place for them.
The dog should be alone while eating: if you have other pets, avoid feeding them all at the same time and in the same place. The presence of other animals makes the dog eat faster, due to anxiety and fear that they will steal his food. Preventing your dog from eating too quickly is helpful for better digestion and avoids unnecessary stress.
5. The role of food in education
You shouldn't give out treats and treats all the time: to educate our dogs, we should use treats as rewards, as offering too much can contribute to their overweight. There are others ways to reward the dog: cuddling or playing with his favorite toy.
You must learn to recognize the rewards that your dog is most sensitive to: if the treat in the form of a treat is what he prefers and you don't want to rob him of that pleasure, choose the less caloric options, or simply give a little piece by little piece of ration.
You should always avoid giving away your leftover food: a dog should not ask for food while you are eating, it is bad not only for his education but also for his health.
6. Physical exercise
To ensure physical and mental health, the dog needs to exercise daily. To stimulate it, you can vary it the rides and the games. Exercise is a dog's need. Some breeds require less exercise than others, but overall, exercise is essential for the health and well-being of all puppies.
Exercise should be done progressively to avoid muscle problems: if you have a sedentary dog that is not used to playing sports, you should get used to it little by little. If you have a puppy, do not take long walks with him until he is one year old, to avoid joint problems.
There are different types of exercise for obese dogs: throwing a ball or a stick, trying out canine sports such as agility, taking walks, cycling, jogging, etc.
There are many ways to get your dog to exercise, from milder to more intense sports. In addition to helping your dog lose weight, physical activity will reinforce your complicity with him.
7. Determination
As cute as your dog looks when he's asking for food, you have to resist and that won't always be easy.
If you don't have any treats at home, it will be easier. When preparing food for you or your family, don't let the dog walk around, close the doors if necessary: the dog is likely not to like the diet change and will try to steal food or lean against you making cute faces to that you don't resist and give him anything.
The overweight of dogs is usually due to the lifestyle of the guardians, who are increasingly sedentary. Fortunately, after having ruled out possible health problems with the veterinarian, the restoration of a good quality of life will allow your puppy to reach his ideal weight, live longer and healthier.
If you want to know more about your dog's obesity, read our article with advice on preventing obesity in dogs.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.