I think I'm going to try and post more than once every five months. Anyway.....
A couple years ago Casey was fat. When she sat she had a muffin top. When I looked at her from above I noticed that she was shaped like an ottoman. Casey was chubby. Luckily, she has a vet that isn't afraid to speak up. She told me and my husband that it would be good for Casey to shed a few pounds. The vet didn't push any "specially formulated" pet diet food on us or any other ridiculous dog diet product. She told us to exercise her more and feed her a high-quality, low-fat dog food.
So we did. We also stopped giving her table scraps (it's a bad habit anyway). We changed her food to a chicken and rice formula dog food (at the time it was California Natural, then Artemis-Weight Control). Dog foods containing by-products, unnamed meat sources, and/or corn are low-quality. Dogs need to eat more of a low-quality food to get all the vitamins and nutrients they require. With a high-quality food a dog can eat less and still get everything they need without the added fat and calories. All the dog treats were also low-fat. Casey got walks, or runs, 3-5 times a week. It was good for everyone! We were all benefiting, and Casey couldn't be happier (she loves walks!). It wasn't a difficult thing to do.
A while back I saw a ridiculous segment on some morning show about help for overweight pets. They talked about a special Science Diet type dog food. They sent the food to you already divided into servings. Dumb. It's your dog. You should know how much food your dog should be eating (Beware- many times the feeding guide on pet food bags suggests too much food). If you're not sure, talk to your vet. That's what they're there for! Also, that "special" food may not be the right food for your pet. Remember: no corn, no by-products, no mystery meats.
They also talked about a treadmill for your pet. Dumb. No dog I know would choose a treadmill over a real walk. On a real, outside walk they get great physical exercise and mental stimulation. The sights, sounds, and smells are all interesting and educational for a dog. A treadmill is an expensive and lazy way to walk a dog. We could all use a walk, so why not take your dog and the both of you can get some exercise. If a person is honestly too busy, (busy, not lazy) hire a dog walker. Your dog will thank you.
Let's stop making our pets fat. That's right, it's our fault. We feed them too much crap. We feed them the wrong crap, and we let them sit on their butts while we sit on ours. It's not cute when a dog is fat. The fat, walking sausage is suffering. A dog that is a little underweight has a longer lifespan than a dog that is a little overweight.
So let's all get a little healthier this summer. Let's build a stronger bond with our pets while we get a little exercise. I know exercise sucks but come on, you know they're worth it.
(Sorry about any grammatical errors or misspellings. Still feeling a little funky, and my allergy medicine makes everything just a little hazy...)
Oh, by the way.....
Healthy dog weight - you should be able to feel the ribs and spine, but not see them. There should be that nice dip up from the chest when you look at them from the side. When you look at them from above they should not look like an ottoman. You should be able to see a waist.
A couple years ago Casey was fat. When she sat she had a muffin top. When I looked at her from above I noticed that she was shaped like an ottoman. Casey was chubby. Luckily, she has a vet that isn't afraid to speak up. She told me and my husband that it would be good for Casey to shed a few pounds. The vet didn't push any "specially formulated" pet diet food on us or any other ridiculous dog diet product. She told us to exercise her more and feed her a high-quality, low-fat dog food.
So we did. We also stopped giving her table scraps (it's a bad habit anyway). We changed her food to a chicken and rice formula dog food (at the time it was California Natural, then Artemis-Weight Control). Dog foods containing by-products, unnamed meat sources, and/or corn are low-quality. Dogs need to eat more of a low-quality food to get all the vitamins and nutrients they require. With a high-quality food a dog can eat less and still get everything they need without the added fat and calories. All the dog treats were also low-fat. Casey got walks, or runs, 3-5 times a week. It was good for everyone! We were all benefiting, and Casey couldn't be happier (she loves walks!). It wasn't a difficult thing to do.
A while back I saw a ridiculous segment on some morning show about help for overweight pets. They talked about a special Science Diet type dog food. They sent the food to you already divided into servings. Dumb. It's your dog. You should know how much food your dog should be eating (Beware- many times the feeding guide on pet food bags suggests too much food). If you're not sure, talk to your vet. That's what they're there for! Also, that "special" food may not be the right food for your pet. Remember: no corn, no by-products, no mystery meats.
They also talked about a treadmill for your pet. Dumb. No dog I know would choose a treadmill over a real walk. On a real, outside walk they get great physical exercise and mental stimulation. The sights, sounds, and smells are all interesting and educational for a dog. A treadmill is an expensive and lazy way to walk a dog. We could all use a walk, so why not take your dog and the both of you can get some exercise. If a person is honestly too busy, (busy, not lazy) hire a dog walker. Your dog will thank you.
Let's stop making our pets fat. That's right, it's our fault. We feed them too much crap. We feed them the wrong crap, and we let them sit on their butts while we sit on ours. It's not cute when a dog is fat. The fat, walking sausage is suffering. A dog that is a little underweight has a longer lifespan than a dog that is a little overweight.
So let's all get a little healthier this summer. Let's build a stronger bond with our pets while we get a little exercise. I know exercise sucks but come on, you know they're worth it.
(Sorry about any grammatical errors or misspellings. Still feeling a little funky, and my allergy medicine makes everything just a little hazy...)
Healthy dog weight - you should be able to feel the ribs and spine, but not see them. There should be that nice dip up from the chest when you look at them from the side. When you look at them from above they should not look like an ottoman. You should be able to see a waist.
