| Fat Dogs
- How To Get Overweight Dogs to Diet and Slim Down
Without Whining
Article:
Obesity in dogs
is a growing problem, which can cause many
problems
including heart disease, joint problems, and
diabetes.
Almost half of dogs in America are fat,
especially beagles,
dachshunds, basset hounds, and
Labrador retrievers. Before your
dog reaches the
point where they need insulin shots, you can
slim
them down. It will take almost a year, but it's worth
it.
Even puppies shouldn't be
overweight - all dogs need to be slim,
not fat, to be
healthy. A dog is at the right weight if you can
feel
the ribs without excess fat covering. From the side,
the
dog's belly should be tucked up, and from above,
there should be
a noticeable waist in front of the
hips. When you feel his ribs,
they should be shallow
indents which you can count, although you
shouldn't
be able to count them just by looking.
A major cause of overweight dogs is
feeding them table scraps.
While it is fun to feed
your dog leftover food, there are
serious
consequences. One is, of course, that the dog
will
become unsure of who is the alpha in the family.
The alpha is
the one who eats first, and if the dog
is being fed before or
during the meal, the hierarchy
of the family becomes unclear.
Also, table scraps may
not provide the right nutrition for a
dog. For
example, many dogs fed table scraps can get vitamin
A
toxicity, and excess protein and phosphorus. If a
dog is fed
exclusively table scraps, they usually
won't get enough calcium
and can get over-activity of
the parathyroid glands.
To reduce the weight of fat dogs,
one option is to just keep to
the same feeding
schedule, but feed the dog less, starting by
feeding
the dog only ¾ as much as you do now. This
option,
however, can produce a dog that whines a lot,
so many owners can
add bulky vegetables to the food.
You can also get special
low-calorie foods, which are
high in bulk so the dog feels
better fed. Dogs don't
usually like low-calorie foods, but they
will
eventually eat it and get used to it.
Another option, which can keep the
whining down, is to change
the feeding schedule to
twice a day instead of once a day. Never
leave food
out all day long. Treats need to stop being
given,
but instead of a treat, overweight dogs can be
fed one of the
two small meals. If you really want to
give your dog a treat,
use a carrot or an
apple.
A balanced dog food is at least a
quarter protein and 1600
kilocalories of energy per
pound, but if the dog is not active,
overweight dogs
will need less food. For canned dog food, the
calorie
intake is measured at 500 calories per pound,
although
if the dog food is all meat, it's 600
calories a pound. For dry
food, 1500 calories per
pound, and semi-soft or moist food is
1350 per pound.
So if a dog weighs less than 11 pounds, feed
them
about 4 ounces of dry food a day. Up to 22 pounds, feed
5
ounces, 22-50 pounds gets 11 ounces, 55-75 pounds
gets 17
ounces, and 75 pounds or more get 35-30
ounces of dry food.
All these calculations don't
necessarily work, though, as each
dog metabolizes
food differently and has different activity
levels.
Remember, a dog doesn't have to eat every day, and
can
go up to five days without eating. Also, spaying
or neutering
the dog does not cause obesity.
If your dog only nibbles at the
food, don't be fooled. Nibblers
tend to eat more in
the long run than gobblers, and thus gain
weight
quicker. And if the obese dog is picky, the dog
will
eventually become accustomed to the healthy
food, it may just
take a while.
Once your dog is on a diet, keep
track of the dog's weight. If
the obese dog has lost
even a little weight over two weeks,
you're on the
right track.
Walks should be given regularly (a
couple times a day), but
don't overdo it at first if
the dog is really fat. Moderation in
everything is
the key to seriously overweight dogs. The goal
should
be double the amount of the walks your dog is
getting
now. Once your dog is trim, though, it's good
to walk your dog a
lot - most dogs don't get enough
exercise.
About the
author:
http://littledogonline
- What Type of Little Dog is
Best For
Me? |
|
