Sorry for the abrupt title, but it should be understood how devastating a dog’s overweight condition can be. On their general health, their ability to maneuver, their quality of life, their length of life.
Just like people.
Before you get all offended and testy, I have four dogs. Two are weight management challenges.
That means I have to adjust food for all four. Watch for precise calorie measurements, exercise requirements, training reward effects, snacking on people food, plate licking.
Yeah, it all matters.
What To Look For In A Dog’s Body Shape
Look for a waistline.
With the dog standing in a normal position, stand in front of it and look.
If you don’t see a separation between the dog’s soft sides, and their rib cage (a waistline), your dog is too fat.
[The only exception to that is some Bully breeds that are bred outside usual body ratio expectations.]
Here are some guidelines to get your dog’s weight under control:
>Commit to stop all ‘people food’ licking, snacking, other consumption.
>Ignore the social media dog food ads.
>Get a high quality kibble with meat as the first ingredient. There are legitimate ‘weight management’ formulas.
>Check the food nutrition information, particularly the protein and fat content.
>Find the general recommendation for ‘weight management’, and USE IT.
>Stay committed to it until your dog is at their healthy weight.
>Set markers (days of the months ahead) to see progress.
Then increase your dog’s general exercise. Increase their general activity around your house and yard. Increase their time out on trails, around parks, in the woods. Their time to be dogs.
All that will increase your dog’s health, endurance, agility.
And it will increase their life span and quality of life.
And who knows. Maybe with you working with them, it will increase all of that for you too.
Here’s to your best life with your dog.
~Mark Rogers