How to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

If your pet is overweight, you are not alone. Nearly 3 million dogs in the UK are thought to be obese, that抯 over 40%.

Obesity can lead to straining of the joints, causing arthritis, as well as internal illnesses like diabetes, liver disease and heart disease in both dogs and cats as well as increasing the chance of respiratory, surgical and anaesthetic complications. In the worst case scenario, your pet being overweight can ultimately lead to its early death.

Most people overfeed their dogs out of love not cruelty, an extra treat seems like a nice way to reward your pet. However, many animal welfare organizations, veterinary bodies and individual experts see pet obesity as an extremely serious welfare issue because of its adverse impact on health, welfare and quality of life.

So how can you address this problem?

The first and obvious way is to look at what you feed your dog. Even just making some small changes can make a difference to your pet抯 weight. Your vet or local pet supplies store will be able to advise you but brands of dog food (http://www.swellpets.co.uk/dog/dog-food-698.html)such as Royal Canin, Eukanuba and Arden Grange all have varieties designed to help your dog lose weight.

Cut down on the treats, especially left-overs from your dinner. Don抰 give in to those pleading eyes! Provide two smaller meals at morning and night rather than one big one and bulk up with healthy fillers such as grated carrot or courgette. Make sure that you抮e not over feeding- check with your vet if you are unsure how many calories your dog should be taking in.

Exercise is also vital, build up the fitness regime over a few weeks so that your dog becomes used to it. Make it fun, so take a stick or a ball and make your dog work for their supper. If your dog is elderly than regular short walks is better than one long one.

At the end of the day, your dog will know that you love them whether or not you give them treats. A stroke and a tummy rub at the end of the day when they抮e snuggled up in their dog bed (http://www.swellpets.co.uk/dog/dog-beds-1123.html) is worth far more than junk food and you抣l be able to rest better knowing that you are doing what is right for your dog.