Keep Your Pet Fit

Sometimes a pet, especially as it grows older, can tend to get overweight, and this can give rise to health issues that are best avoided. As pets age, they become less active, running and playing less, but usually their food intake is not reduced accordingly. It is a good idea to put your pet on a special diet if you find that he or she is putting on some extra weight. Such diets, usually recommended by vets, contain plenty of fibre that offers nourishment, and are filling without being fattening. However, some animals miss their normal food, and don’t seem to enjoy the special diet. In such cases, healthy exercise makes a lot of sense, too. So if your pet has weight problems, an optimum combination of the right food as well as adequate exercise is the answer.

The problem here is that while you can explain to a person that being overweight is unhealthy, and convince them to eat less and exercise to a greater extent, this is obviously not possible with an animal. Your pet does not realize that the new diet or the required exercise is good for him or her, and it can be hard to get the animal used to the new regime. But you must persist in your efforts to see that your pet gets the nourishment he or she needs, without overfeeding, and gets proper exercise that will help control weight.

Here you will find some helpful tips that you will find invaluable if you are keen that your pet loses some amount of excess weight. These tips are based on the principle that it is always a healthier option to reduce one’s food intake, while making sure of plenty of exercise. This is as applicable to pets as it is for people.

A veterinary doctor will give you an ideal diet plan for your pet. A sensible way to go about introducing the new diet is to take it a step at a time, progressively adding the required items and eliminating the less healthy options. This will prevent an adverse gastric reaction from your pet. One way of doing this is to mix the usual items with the recommended ones in equal proportions. Bit by bit, you can raise the amount of the new food, while reducing the old. So your pet will get used to the new diet comfortably, especially if you tempt him or her with a tasty, non-fattening treat.

Your pet’s vet will suggest treats that are popular with pets, as well as healthy and suitable for your pet’s new restricted diet. Such treats – dog cookies, for example – are non-fattening yet tasty and with a high fibre content. Treats like these will prevent your pet from feeling deprived. You can get them easily at a shop that sells products for pets and your pet will love them.

Another way to reduce your pet’s calorie intake is to offer treats in smaller quantities, perhaps by breaking the portion into two. Some dogs like vegetables, and these make a healthy alternative. Give a dog a toy to play with – he may not be hungry, he could just be bored.

Weight loss is of course, not going to happen overnight. Be patient, and persevere, it will take time for results to show. In any case, a steady loss is healthier in the long run than a crash diet which can leave your pet mentally and physically upset. Try these suggestions and give your pet a better, healthier life.