As in humans, Obesity in dogs is becoming a more frequent problem: it is believed that around 40% of dogs in Europe would be overweight. The causes are similar to those that cause obesity in humans: too much food, too many sweets and too little exercise.
A quarter of overweight dogs have serious joint problems: osteoarthritis that makes it difficult for them to perform daily activities such as walking, sitting, lying down. In addition, excess fat puts pressure on the lungs and diaphragm, making breathing more difficult. To all the disorders caused by being overweight such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, there is a decrease in the quality of life of the overweight dog: he cannot move as well, play and fully enjoy his life.
In this article on our site we are going to give you tips so you can discover how to make your dog lose weight, keep reading:
1. Assess the situation
To find out if your dog is overweight, an easy test is to touch his ribs: normally his ribs should not be visible but you should be able to feel them easily by touching it, if you don't feel them your dog is probably overweight.
Another option is to weigh it and compare its weight with the average weight of the breed: an excess of between 10% and 20% is considered overweight, beyond that it is obesity.
The ideal is a visit with your veterinarian to establish your dog's ideal weight and thus have the goal to achieve in mind. In addition, your veterinarian will be able to determine if any cause such as a hypothyroid problem is causing the overweight.
two. A team effort
After you have assessed the situation and determined the goal, the most important thing is for the whole family to make the decision to put the dog on a dietand to stick to it. Otherwise your efforts will be in vain: if you keep giving him treats while the others resist his pleading eyes, it won't work.
To get your dog to lose weight, everyone must do their part, from the smallest to the largest.
3. Adequate nutrition
Food is logically one of the first parameters that we must modify: with the help of your veterinarian, determine the amount of food he needs each day.
If you decide to change his food to a I think " light " do it progressively to avoid causing your dog digestion problems: start by mixing a small amount of the new feed to the old and gradually increase the proportion of the new feed.
4. Food: a few little rules
An adult dog only needs one or two meals a day, avoid leaving the food freely available all day, it is also important that give him his meals at fixed times and in a certain place.
In addition, the dog must be alone during its meal: if you have other pets, avoid giving them their food in the same place or at the same time. The presence of other animals makes your dog, anxious that his food be stolen, will eat faster. Preventing our dog from eating quickly is useful for better digestion and to avoid stress.
5. The role of food in education
Treats should not always be given: to educate our dogs we tend to use treats as rewards, used in excess they contribute to our dog's overweight. There are other ways to reward our dog: petting him or playing with his favorite toy are he althy options.
We must know how to recognize the rewards to which our dog is more sensitive: if the reward in the form of treats is what he prefers and you do not want to stop giving him this pleasure, you can trylights treats , or you can simply feed each grain of food one at a time.
Avoid giving him table scraps: a dog should not ask for food while you eat, it is bad for his education and for his he alth.
6. Physical exercise
For his physical and mental he alth, your dog needs to exercise every day, to stimulate him you can vary walks and games Exercise Physical exercise is a must for dogs, some breeds require less exercise than others, but in general physical exercise is essential for their good he alth and well-being.
But the exercise must be done progressively to avoid muscular problems: if your dog is sedentary and does not usually play sports, get him used to it little by little. If you have a puppy don't go on long walks with him until he is a year old, to avoid joint problems.
There are different types of exercise for obese dogs: throwing a ball or a stick, you can also try dog sports such as agility, or you can go for walks with your dog, bike rides or go for a run with your dog.
There are many ways to make your dog exercise and it ranges from light exercise to more intense sports, and physical activity with your dog will reinforce your complicity with him.
7. Determination
No matter how cute your cute dog is when he asks for food, you have to resist, and it won't always be easy
If you don't have treats at home it will be less difficult, when you prepare food for yourself or your family, don't let your dog be around you, close the doors if necessary: effectively the change of he might not like the diet and he might try to steal from you or harass you with cute faces to get him food.
Overweight in dogs is generally due to the man having an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, which means that his dog also has an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Fortunately, after ruling out a he alth problem with your vet, reestablishing a good quality of life will allow your dog to be at his ideal weight and live longer and in better he alth.
If you want to know more about your dog's obesity, don't hesitate to visit our post with tips to prevent obesity in dogs.
