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Dog Health Health.blogspot.com Pet Veterinarian Article
You've been told by your vet, and probably your friends that
your dog needs to lose weight, and as your dog gets older with
less activity they tend to gain even more weight. So, how can I
get my companion pet to slim down? Here are the main reasons
your pet may be overweight, and what to do about it!
1. How much food am I giving him?
Even if you've been feeding your dog an All Natural Dog Food, it
may still be overweight. Overfeeding is perhaps the number one
reason your companion pet is overweight! Most people overfeed
their pets and give them too much food. First, you should
measure and track how much food and how often you are feeding
your best friend. Be sure to count how many treats they are
getting daily as well. Then read the suggested daily intake your
dog should be getting based on its' weight from the bag of dog
food, it's right there on the label. Now you have a starting
point of how much they are eating and once you compare it to
what they should be eating, perhaps all you have to do is just
give them the correct amount of food.
2. What am I feeding my best friend?
This is the second most common problem causing obesity in dogs.
Hopefully you are feeding "Tubby" an All Natural Dog Food, but
somehow he manages to convince us to give him table scraps and
lick the plates. Once he has trained you to do this, it will be
hard to stop because he enjoys eating what you eat. He thinks
the pack eats together and should eat the same food, at the same
time. But most adult dogs should only eat two meals a day, not
three meals like we do, so how much food is he eating again?
Table scraps do not provide a balanced diet for dogs, especially
because our meals vary from day to day and from meal to meal.
Also, their nutritional needs are different than ours. Dogs
should be on a consistent diet because they only produce certain
enzymes to digest what they normally eat. So when you introduce
a new food to them, chances are that they may like it, but won't
get the full nutritional value of it anyway. All Natural Dog
Food provides all the essential nutrients that dogs need.
3. What kind of dog food am I buying?
We know that table scraps are not well suited for dogs because
meat should be the main ingredient in their diet. Now go check
the ingredient label of the dog food your using and see if meat
is the first ingredient. If the dog food you are using does not
have meat as the first ingredient, then find one that has meat
as the first ingredient. Stick to one of the top ten All Natural
Dog Foods like Eagle Pack or something similar. Avoid those with
by-products and alot of grains. Getting their protein from
grains will also mean that they are getting added calories from
the grains, and some grains are difficult to fully digest and
get an adequate supply of the available protein. You may think
you are saving a few dollars by feeding your dog supermarket
food, but the super premium blends are better for your pet. The
All Natural Dog Food is more bio-available to your pet, i.e. the
nutrients actually get into their blood stream. The inexpensive
store bought food is loaded with fillers, and causes the dog to
eat more as well. All Natural Dog Foods also recommend a smaller
portion size, and you really get what you pay for.
4. What else can I do?
So, now you have changed how much food they get, what they are
eating, and feeding an All Natural Dog Food, what else can you
do? Well, the first option is to limit their food intake alittle
more. You could also switch to a lower calorie blend of dog
food. Dogs don't usually like low-cal foods, but they will
eventually eat it and get used to it. In addition, you could
insure that they only have two meals a day. Of course you can
also limit the number of treats they get as well. The final step
would be to insure your pet gets enough exercise. Walks are good
for dogs and humans, so take him for a walk and increase the
time or distance you go. Most dogs don't get enough exercise, so
spend alittle more time with the special pet and soon they will
be fit, trim and healthier.
We've given you 4 key ways to slim your dog down, and hopefully
you will consider All Natural Dog Food, the very best for your
best friend.
About the author:
Fred Ege has been a breeder and showed his animals since age 13.
He started his own company in 2004, and markets his own custom
blend of All Natural Dog Food, and of course a complete line of
Holistic Dog and Cat Food. To learn more about our All Natural
and Holistic Dog and Cat Food, go to:
http://www.foxvalleypetfoods.com
Written by: Fred Ege