Pet Health – How To Make Your Overweight Pet Lose Weight?

By: Stephen Whitehouse

The problem of excess fat is not only restricted to humans anymore. Cats, dogs and other pets have also joined the brigade of human beings in the battle of losing extra weight. The obesity problem among pets is found to be increasing at a pretty fast rate. So, it is now a challenge for the owners to keep their pet healthy without paying a huge lump sum.

Due to the obesity, just like their owners, pets are susceptible to high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, respiratory or heart disease and several forms of cancer. But, there is some solution to extra weight of pets as well, just like their human counterparts.

More movement and lesser calories

If you burn many calories and make more movement, the more you will be losing weight. The simple formula is applicable to pets as well. Monitor on the amount of food your pet take each day. You cannot allow your pet to be lethargic. But, if you are not an expert and a new pet owner, always check out with expert veterinaries as they can give you an idea regarding the perfect weight loss regimen.

Activities for your pet dog

• You can take your pet for a one mile walk. Keep your pet bound in chain; keep a comfortable distance with the pet so that the chain does not choke your dog. It is best if you can finish this one mile within 15 minutes. With time, you should be able to master it and then you will be able to finish the walk in 12 minutes. This is definitely a great idea to keep not only your pet, but you fit as well.
• You can play with your dog with tennis balls or basketballs. If your pet is reluctant to give you back the ball, then run after it and get it back only to toss again. Continue for some minutes and this will allow you to burn a lot of calories.
• You can use tug toys as well. Indulge your dog in a makeshift tug of war. You will find the rope knots available at pet shops to be very useful for this purpose.

Activities for your pet cat

• Cats are not as active as the dogs, so you cannot repeat the same methods. You can use the red flash pen to make your cat chase the red dot inside your home. If you can put feather toys on sticks then it helps cats to hop as well.
• Check what the favorite toy of your pet is. Hide it somewhere inside your home where it is unlikely to be found. The cat will continue to hunt for its prize. You can repeat this method by hiding the food bowl as well.

Choice of food is important

Always avoid high calorie foods for your pets. Some food items to be avoided include candy, ice cream, cake etc. If you can make a good habit of taking healthy food, your pet is bound to follow you sooner or later. Make your pet drink as much as water possible and also some proper healthy snacks. It should be able to lose weight at no time.

About Author :

Stephen Whitehouse from Petcheerfuls.com writes about Pet Health For more information about Pet Health visit www.petcheerfuls.com