Obesity in Dogs What to Do About It

Obesity is a problem for animals as well as for people and it ultimately can affect the lifespan of your pets. The pet has many added stresses such as additional joint pain, liver issues and may have diabetes. For that reason it is very important as a pet owner to take care of the pet and ensure that the pet has plenty of exercise. Here are a few faces that you need to know as a pet owner.

1. Obesity will come when more food is eaten than energy is expended. The extra energy that is taken in is stored on your dog as fat. Your pet may stay obese even after he has stopped consuming so many calories. That means that you need to know that the obesity may be a combination of too much food but also as well of lack of exercise.
2. There are certain breeds of dogs that are also more prone to being obese than other dogs.
3. How to tell if your dog is overweight? Make sure that when you are looking at your dog that you are able to feel the ribs as well as his backbone. Check with your veterinarian.
4. You should also be able to see your dog’s waist when you are looking at him. You should also notice that there is slimming at the base of the tail bone which should represent the waist of the dog. If you do not see this you have an overweight dog on your hands.
5. The correct diet is very important to make sure that you are able to have a healthy dog. You need to work with your vet to ensure that you are able to meet all of your dog’s caloric requirements as well as you should be able to know how much you need to feed him or her. That means specifically that you should be able to know that your dog is eating enough fiber as well as that your dog is eating the kind of fiber that will keep the coat of the dog from deteriorating during weight loss. Diets that have high fiber will lead to increased stool as well as increased movements in the time.
6. Exercise: It is very important as well to increase the amount of exercise that your pet is getting in a time where it is trying to lose weight. One thing that you see is that this is actually a contribution to the long term health of the animal as well as to the effort to lose weight. By increasing the amount of exercise that the pet is getting you will be able to ensure that the pet also has a higher metabolic rate. This also means that the pet will be burning fat.
7. Changing Your Pet’s Habits: As a pet owner you need to realize that it is your responsibility to make sure that your pet is happy and healthy and that means that you need to ensure that you are taking your dog out for more exercise as well as reducing the amount of treats that your pet is eating.
8. If you are committed to your pet’s weight loss you also need to make sure that you are able to follow a few other habits to make sure that you are able to be a part of their health and that you are helping them to take off the extra weight.

When it comes to managing the health of your dog one thing you need to realize is that you are responsible for them. That means that you need to spend time with them as much as possible so that you will be able to know what their habits are as well as help them increase the amount of exercise that they are getting. By doing this you will know that you are able to work with them to continue to become healthier and healthier. The health of your pet is incredibly important to ensuring that they live a long and full life. By working with your vet as well as with your dog you will be able to take control of the weight problem. Just like humans our canine friends need assistance as well and that means that we need to do all that we can to give them a long and full life that will translate into their happiness and health forevermore. Get ready to have a new dog on your hands!