Is It Fido's Fault That He's Overweight?

Article Title: Is It Fido's Fault That He's Overweight?
Author: Joann Henry

Sorry, but you just can not blame the dog for this one! Unless
you have a very smart & very capable pup who can somehow manage
to fix himself a bowl of food, you, my friend must take the
blame for the extra bulge around your pets' tummy. A recent
study has found that 40% of America's pets are overweight. They
certainly mimic everything that we do, don't they? Sometimes,
that isn't a very good thing.

Ideally, you should be able to feel the ribs easily when
pressing on his belly. Press gently now, don't strangle the
poor thing! Sometimes, you do not even have to go through that
step; it is more than apparent just by looking at your pooch.
They are just like us, too much food and too little exercise
results in too much around the middle. And, just as it poses
many problems for our health, it poses about the same amount of
problems to our dogs' health. Obesity decreases the life span of
your best friend.

Your pet could face potentially life threatening lung, heart,
liver or kidney diseases, as well as diabetes or thyroid
problems. They are also more prone to injury because of the
added stress the extra weight places on their joints.

Have your buddy checked by the veterinarian to see if the
thyroid might be contributing to the bigger belly. That way
while you have him there you can have the vet give him a full
examination to make sure that it's ONLY extra weight that you
need to be concerned about.

Start by feeding your pet a high quality meat- based diet;
don't just buy the store brand because it's cheaper. Look at
the ingredients, MEAT should be the first item listed, not corn
or cornmeal. Watch out for the "reduced calorie" foods though,
because these diets have very restricted fat levels to reduce
the calories but then because of necessity, they have increased
the carbohydrate percentages. The increased carbohydrate level
stimulates insulin secretion and that in turn makes their body
store the calories as fat. That's not a very good thing when
you are trying to help your pup shed some pounds. Another
common sense solution is to cut back on the portions that you
feed your pal. I read that a dog can actually live without food
for around 5 days, so a few less nuggets certainly shouldn't be
a problem for them. I know that it's tough when they give you
that sad little look to NOT throw your pooch a few scraps from
the table, or give them a bite of whatever you might be
munching on at the time, but they are relying on you to make
the decision that is best for them. Try giving baby carrots to
your dog as a treat, just because YOU don't like them doesn't
mean that you can't give them to your pup.

I am sure that your dog would love to spend some quality time
with you and either taking them for a walk or playing fetch
with them, would please your pet as well as help him become
healthier. And let's face it; a healthy pet makes for not only
a happy pet, but a happy pet owner!

About The Author: Joann Henry operates "Doggie Health Care"
http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com a blog all about our pooches
health. Sign up to receive her newsletter, & not only will you
get some free tips to keep your dog healthier, but FOR A
LIMITED TIME, she'll give you a FREE ebook.
http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com

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