Overweight dogs

Written by:
Obesity is no longer a growing problem for just the human population, overweight dogs—and just plain fat dogs--are becoming more common everyday. Obesity is a very common and treatable nutritional disorder in dogs. Just like people, dogs can get fat through over eating and lack of exercise. Owners who think they are only giving there dog a small amount of food per day may need to think twice, if your dog is getting insufficient exercise relative to the amount of food intake, he or she can still gain unwanted weight. Over time, he can and eventually will get fat. Fat dogs are not healthy dogs. Overweight dogs tend to develop health problems such as diabetes, and excess weight will aggravate joint and bone conditions such as arthritis, which often develops in middle aged and elderly dogs. To put it in perspective, an extra five pounds on a 15 pound dog which sounds like nothing, is the equivalent to an extra 50 pounds on a 150-pound human.

<b>Overweight<b> dog</b>s</b>

How You Can Prevent Your Dog from Becoming Fat?
Fortunately for all of us, there are some common-sense weight control measures you can take to help prevent your dog from gaining that extra weight.



* If you are one of the many who practice "free feeding" (leaving dry dog food available 24/7), you should stop. A good rule of thumb is if your dog hasn't eaten his food within about 15 minutes, remove his dish.
*Reduce your dog's snacks and treats. Dog treats are normally high in fat and calories and some treats like dog biscuits and dog cookies are heavy in low fiber carbs.
* Exercise your dog daily. Ideally, you should take your dog on a brisk walk for at least 20 minutes twice a day. This is not only good for you but for your dog as well in helping to maintain a healthy weight for each of you.
* If you already have an overweight dog, talk to your veterinarian about finding the optimum daily calorie intake for him. Some brands of dog food offer weight control foods.
* Consider switching to a low calorie low fat dog food and start giving him low fat dog treats.

With just a little effort on your part your dog will be well on his way to a longer life and more healthy weight.

If you enjoyed this article please take a look at our Pet Tips and Information Archive.

Discuss Overweight dogs on Facebook