Help Your Pet Keep The Weight Off With Proper Nutrition
Like most dog owners, Stacey loved spoiling her dog, Bailey, a medium sized lab mix. Because Bailey was from a local animal shelter Stacey wanted to give her everything she missed out on while living in the shelter. So Stacey often spoiled Bailey with lots of love and fed her well. Over the course of a year, this translated to Bailey gaining some weight.
Stacey contacted us at Summer's Paw to get some advice on how to help Bailey shed some pounds. Stacey knew that she had to cut down on what she was feeding Bailey and to exercise her more. But even though she did these things, Bailey wasn't really losing the unwanted weight. It was most likely because Stacey wasn't doing it right. But with some guidance from us Stacey took our nutrition tips to get Bailey back on track to her ideal weight.
Below are 5 tips that we gave Stacey to help guide her through her dog's weight loss journey.
1. Moderate Fat
When it comes to feeding your dog for weight loss a diet that is moderate in fat is the best. Most people incorrectly think they should completely cut out the fat. Although fat has twice the amount of calories as protein and carbohydrates, it is fat that satisfies the appetite. Thus, a low-fat diet will make it difficult to lose weight because it will leave your dog still feeling hungry. This may lead you to feed your dog more or your dog may resort to poop eating.
2. High In Protein
Although both protein and carbohydrates supply the same out of calories, protein will help build and support lean muscle which further burns more fat.
3. Lean Protein
You will find that many weight management dog foods contain fish and the reason for this is that fish is a lean protein with less calories. Plus fish is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, nutrients with many health benefits from heart health to a healthy skin and coat. Thus, to help your dog lose some weight feed a diet that contains a lean animal protein such as fish, pork, bison or chicken (breast).
4. Split The Meals
Instead of feeding your dog his/her meal in one sitting, try splitting the meal into portions so that he/she eats two or even three times a day if possible. This will enable calories to be burned throughout the day as opposed to having the meal sit in his/her stomach.
5. Split The Exercises
Just as you would split your dog's meals in portions, split his exercise routines so that he/she is constantly moving. Instead of one 30 minute exercise a day, try 3 ten minute sessions. It is good for your dog's physical and mental health to have him/her engaging in a few exercise routines throughout the day.
In Summary
By incorporating the above tips in your dog's daily life and with some time, love & patience your dog should hopefully be losing some unwanted pounds. A healthy weight translates to a healthier, happier and longer life for your dog. It also means less trips to the vet for health conditions that arise from being overweight. Without the unwanted pounds you & your dog will be able to enjoy fun activities together.