Overweight Dog - Tips To Trim The Fat

An overweight dog faces many of the same problems as an overweight human.  Chubby canines have a higher risk of developing diabetes, joint problems, infections, certain cancers and a list of other ailments associated with being an overweight dog.

Obviously the best way to deal with this is to not let your furry friend get fat in the first place but if you’re reading this then he probably is already a tubbo.  This is becoming and increasingly bigger problem because of the number of urban dogs that spend their day inside a town home or condo where exercise is limited to barking at cars through the window.

But let’s start at the beginning.  Just how fat is your dog?  The first thing you want to do is establish if there is a waist or not.  There should be a visible indentation behind the rib cage and before the hips.  Secondly check the rib cage itself.  If you can’t easily feel the ribs, if all you feel is a roll of fat, then your dog is overweight.

If you really want to get serious about your overweight dog, take a trip to the vet and insure that the condition is not being caused by some physical malady.  Ask the vet for ideas as to how much weight the dog needs to lose and how fast he or she should lose it.  That can be the tricky part for as a general rule, dogs don’t tolerate rapid weight loss very well.

Now that you have a goal, it’s time to put a plan together. In order for your overweight dog to lose pounds in a healthy manner, the pooch is going to need the proper diet and exercise. This can be a problem for urban dogs.  Ideally you would feed the dog at set times and then put the bowl up so bowser can’t free feed all day long. Dogs, like people, eat when they get bored.

It means that the dog bowl has to be put up before you leave for work and that’s may be an adjustment problem for the pooch at first.  Obviously dinner is served when you get home, and if you tend to work late or do chores straight from work, that means the dog goes without food for 10 to 12 hours.  It won’t kill him but it will probably make you feel guilty and you’ll want to give him treats.

There’s nothing wrong with that so long as you give healthy treats.  Carrots and broccoli may not be your favorite but most dogs love them.  They are chock full of good vitamins and antioxidants and almost no calories.  Give it a shot.  These veggies will also save you some bucks compared to commercial dog treats.

And that brings up another area you might want to explore.    Making your own dog food not only saves you a ton of money but gives you complete control over just what the dog is eating.   Forget the contaminated dog food recalls that come around about once a year, the regular dog food isn’t really all that great either.  It’s not until you get into the premium foods that you are providing your dog with the proper mix of nutrients.

Exercise is the second part of the weight loss program and again it’s important not to do more than your dog can.  They can’t sweat like people so they don’t have nearly the capability to cool down and they are easily overheated.  Don’t put you fat dog on a leash and take him jogging or cycling with you.  A brisk walk should do the trick.

Your dog loves you and relies on you to take care of him.  Do the right thing for your overweight dog and take the time to slim him down to a healthy size.