So my Dog is Pleasantly Plump??

It is hard to not give in when we think our dogs are ‘starving’.   Did you know that if you can maintain a healthy weight for your dog you can actually reduce the chance of your dog getting arthritis by 33%!!  Dogs that are overweight are also treated for the pain associated with arthritis at an earlier age. Overweight dogs also rupture their cruciate ligament (ligament in the knee)  2-3 times more often than dogs of normal weight.  Convinced yet??

So what is the secret to loosing and keeping weight off?  Well it is the same secret that nutritionists give human counterparts.  Diet and exercise.  By diet, feeding a well balanced food but do not overfeed.  If we fed a Labrador Retriever every time they asked for food they would look more like black seals. We have to control the portion size.  Use an actual dry measuring cup from the kitchen.  You will be amazed at how much food that plastic ice tea glass holds.  Measure your meals out with a dry ingredient measuring cup.  Small meals more often help the dog feel more full. Feeding wet food can also help with satiety since the water content can make the dog feel like they have more food.  Exercise is key to maintaining muscle tone. The more muscles, the more mitochondrias to help burn calories.  Gentle exercise- start slowly and condition up to a full program. Like humans, they can overdo it and feel sore if they do too much so slowly extend your walks and play time.  Your veterinarian can be a great partner to help with a nutritional program.