Why It’s Important To Manage a Dog’s Weight
Caring for a dog deserves as much thought as taking care of yourself, your child, the elderly or even your home or your car. After all, a dog is a man’s best friend! This being said it is very important to take the time to manage your dog’s weight and for this very reason this article will focus on the importance exactly that- managing your dog’s weight.
Seeing your favorite furry four-legged friend curled up on the floor after having a belly full of leftovers may be quite pleasing but it is not as good as it seems. Instead, it is a sure indication that something is wrong. As expected an increase in body weight means an increase in body fat. With our canine friends, this is the opposite of what they need because they are healthier when they are leaner. Data from Hill’s Pet Nutrition reveals that 50% of America’s canine population is affected by obesity. Just as how obesity results in several problems in humans, canines also experience similar problems. This is because they are affected by diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and obesity can even result in some dogs having bladder cancer among a range of other more serious problems.
More so it can also result in some dogs being less playful ad some dogs can even begin suffering from depression. This we can all agree is the last thing any dog lover wants. Not only are these challenges humans have trouble dealing with when it comes to their own health, but to have to think about what our canine friends going through this kind of pain and anguish is something that hurts too much to think about. They should be playful, running about, alert and doing all those other things that we love to see dogs do.
Unfortunately, many dog owners may not realize if their dogs are overweight. How then do we recognize an overweight dog? Generally, this would come from noticing that your dog has lost his waist, the collar needs to be loosened and if the ribs cannot be easily felt when you pass your hands along your dog’s side. If your dog has difficulty walking, experiences shortness of breath, has slow movement or a really bad temper these are other signs that your dog is overweight.
Weight problems in dogs can be easily managed by changing your dog’s food or using a nutrition program. Regular exercise and giving your dog a low-fat low-calorie meal will make the world of difference to ensure your dog loses the weight that needs to be lost and it will also ensure that your dog has the right weight. So too would a visit to your veterinarian to discuss a target weight and an exercise program. After all, a 10lb dog will need 300 calories daily while a 20lb dog will need 500 calories and a 50lb dog will need 1,200 calories.
When your dog is eating better and your dog is healthy you will surely be seeing how differently this dog behaves. Clearly now we know why managing a dog’s weight is important. Let us all do our part to make our canines happier. Let us also do our part to ensure that we take better care of our canines and help those around us so that they too can do the same.
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
