Many fur parents shower their pets with love through treats and snacks, sometimes too much, and often the wrong types. Sometimes we overfeed them during their meals because we’re unsure how much to feed or are carried away by their cute, pleading eyes. And if this continues for a long time, your pet might become obese and risk developing multiple health issues.
Fortunately, a couple of simple adjustments can help maintain your pet’s weight in the healthy range.
How to Keep Your Pet’s Weight in the Healthy Range
If you believe giving your pet too many snacks, treats, and foods is the best way to make them happy, reconsider. When your pet becomes obese and suffers the consequences of developing numerous health problems, this will only give them struggles and cost you large sums of money in their treatment. This is where the importance of keeping a healthy weight comes in.
Here are five pointers to do so:
1. Keep Them Active
Keeping your companion active is as crucial as their nutritional diet. Regular walking is the best activity to keep your pet active. It helps exercise their body, enhance muscle tone, reduce boredom, and provide mental stimulation. Besides walks, try jogging and playing fetch with their favorite balls. You may also set regular visits to the dog park or have fun in your backyard.
Always observe moderation when doing activities with your pet. If your pet accidentally fractures one of their legs during an exercise, stop the activity immediately and take them to an animal emergency hospital to address the situation.
2. Improve Their Environment
A boring environment can cause your pet to become inactive and gain weight. Dogs and cats are clever animals that enjoy food puzzle toys, treat balls, and chew toys that can keep them moving and stretching to enhance their muscles and maintain a healthy weight.
3. Weigh Them Regularly
When you take your four-legged friend to centers like Westside Animal Emergency Clinic for routine vaccinations and parasite prevention, don’t forget to weigh them. Keep a record of their weight each time you do so you can monitor if they are gaining or losing weight. Doing so can prevent minor issues from becoming severe. Don’t hesitate to ask the vet if you’re uncertain about your pet’s weight. They can give you advice and suggest tailored adjustments to maintain a healthy range for your pet.
4. Adjust Seasonally
If your dog is more active during the summer and stuck inside the home every winter season, change the quantity of food you feed them as necessary. If your dog is less active in winter and you don’t balance their meal portions, they may put on more weight, so it is essential to set their diet depending on their active season.
If it’s wintertime and you’re worried about your inactive pet dog, there’s usually nothing to be afraid of. But if you suspect an unknown underlying condition, take them to facilities that offer vet meds for pets to be diagnosed and treated immediately.
5. Skip the Table Scraps
Not all human foods are safe for canines, so regularly feeding your dog with table scraps can be a dangerous and worst thing to do. High-quality dog foods are nutritionally balanced, so it’s the more suggested diet to feed them. Feeding them too much human food might cause nutritional deficiencies. If you like to share your food with them, make it an occasional treat and consider the healthier choices.
To End
Pets on a diet might still ask for food even after you feed them. Try petting them, giving them affection, or taking them for a walk instead of feeding them more. Doing so can help eliminate their idea of getting attention by asking for food, and your love might fulfill their cravings. If this doesn’t work, divide your pet’s allotted daily food into smaller portions. This might help keep them satisfied than feeding their meals in one go.
