Overweight Dog - How to treat your pet to a healthier lifestyle

Being overweight can seriously affect your dogs health, so if you can’t resist those puppy dog eyes and always hand over that tasty treat, then read on.

Overweight dogs generally have a shorter life and can develop medical problems such as diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. Dogs naturally scavenge in the wild and will readily hoover up any morsel they can find unattended, begging for food is a trick they quickly learn from a young age and feeding them from your plate is a habit that should be avoided from the start.

Just like us A healthy dog should not have a pot belly, and should have a healthy body shape, looking at your dog from above you should be able to see a waist. Can you easily feel your dog’s ribs? If it’s a no to both then your tubby pooch could do with a bit more exercise and a few less treats.

Always follow the feeding guide on dog food, a complete food has everything your dog needs for his daily allowance. A trip to the vets is a great place to start as they can weigh and assess your dog, advising on the ideal weight, this will help with portion control for their target weight. Remember that treats should be counted in that daily food allowance and given sparingly.

Increase exercise gradually, especially with older dogs, little and often is best. Helping your overweight dog to lose a few ounces you’ll start to see a healthier, happier pet giving you many years of joy.