If you are a proud dog owner who often gives yummy rewards to his or her furry friend, you should know the problem of dog obesity. It is not casual but a serious issue that should be taken seriously. An overweight dog is not healthy, so you must know how to prevent obesity in dogs.
Obesity is a big problem both in cats and dogs. It has been observed that most dog owners overfeed their pets and take them for regular exercise. This ultimately leads to overweight dogs. When a pet gets overweight, it gradually loses interest in regular physical activity. As per estimation, around 56 per cent of dogs and 60 per cent of cats are overweight, resulting in various health problems.
Obesity is caused by severe health problems and not only due to lack of exercise and poor diet. Excessive weight gain is also related to hormone problems such as acromegaly in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs.
These types of hormonal issues cause excessive weight gain without eating much food. No matter what is the cause of obesity in dogs and cats, it may lead to severe health problems if it remains untreated. Obesity creates a significant impact not only on the quality of life but also on the life span.
Dogs suffering from the problem of obesity develop joint-related issues such as loss of mobility, arthritis, etc. Besides these, it creates several other problems, such as breathing problems, fatigue, inability to do the exercise correctly, etc.
Here, in this content, you will learn some valuable tips that can help prevent obesity in dogs. So, let’s now check out those points below –
1. You Must Know How Much Food Your Pet Requires Per Day
If you are a pet owner, one of your responsibilities is to go through a handy chart that clarifies how much food you need to serve to your furry friend. If you are getting confused, it's better to ask a pet professional. Different types of animals require other nutritional food based on their age, size, type of breed, and activity level. For example, a growing puppy requires more calorie-based food than an 8-year-old dog. Prefer to consult with a veterinarian regarding how many calories your dog needs per day and try to stick to it.
2. Avoid Giving Table Scraps to Dogs
You should not allow table scraps from your dog. It is considered a type of bad behaviour. Besides this, human food and pet food are different. Many human foods may cause serious illness in dogs and threaten their lives.
Onion, grapes, and chocolate are some harmful foods to pets. It should be of your knowledge that not all human foods are safe for dogs, and therefore, you should prevent your dog from eating human food.
3. Exercise Your Pet Daily
You should take time from your busy schedule to take your dog out for daily exercise. The time you give to yourself to be in shape, you should provide the same effort to maintain your dog’s health. Your dog’s health will get many benefits from a daily workout session. At the same, they will engage in various playful activities.
You can use your yard to enjoy playful activities with your furry friend. To ensure its protection, you can choose to install an invisible dog fence. It is a valuable thing. The invisible dog fence cost is not so high but provides excellent protection to your yard and your pet. Daily exercise has another benefit; it helps keep your dog active and prevents boredom. This helps in improving the quality of life as well as metabolism.
4. Give Healthy Food in a Specific Amount
As a pet owner, you must hold a tight grip on your pet’s treats. Don’t serve them food in massive amounts. Try to maintain the quantity each time you provide them with food. Before buying any pet food, check the labels for high-quality ingredients and feeding information.
Along with this, you should also be aware of the type of food you are giving to your furry friend. Some foods are calorie-based, so these types of food should be given one or two times per day.
As an alternative to such calorie-based, you can also try to give garden fresh items. String beans and raw carrots make good treats, and it also helps to prevent obesity and keep your furry friend healthy.
5. Take Your Furry Friend to a Veterinarian regularly
If you want to keep the health of your furry friend fit and well, you must take your dog for a regular health checkup with a veterinarian. As per the views of pet experts, you must prefer to take your pet for a check-up every six months. If you think that your pet is gaining weight, your veterinarian will perform an examination to determine whether your pet has developed thyroid-related problems or so.
It is essential to address the issue of obesity if your pet is carrying excess weight. Being overweight creates severe joint-related problems that cause stress on joints and injuries to ligaments. If obesity is untreated for a long time, it may lead to a prediabetic condition and urinary problems.
