Some Tips to Help With Dog Obesity

Dog obesity is a serious issue for any pet owner who wants to own an animal. Overweight dogs can die earlier in life, have severe health issues and be generally unhappy when they can't get around. Yet, 84 million dogs and cats in the United States are overweight and obese. Add to that the idea that the FDA has approved dog obesity medications to give dogs when they are overweight; the world is facing a real crisis.

If you ask the experts they will give several reasons dog obesity is so acute. The single biggest problem is giving too much food, especially leftover human food and scraps from the table. While owners think it is cute to feed Fido off the table, it could be actually killing him. The foods people eat are not made for dogs nor does it provide the basic nutrients needed for a healthy dog lifestyle.

Lack of exercise can also result in dog obesity. Try to make sure you get out often enough to keep your dog fit. These days more and more dogs are indoor pets, leaving the time outside to be brief bathroom breaks. Try to increase walk frequency if you think that your dog might be putting on weight.

The best way to deal with dog obesity is to look at the dog owners immediate lifestyle. Since Fido follows his master, there can't be anything changed without the owners starting first. Getting out and enjoying life every day when you walk is the first way. Then make a pact that nobody in your family feeds your dog off the table. Make sure that your dog just eats dog food, not people food as well. Based on how heavy your dog is, feed accordingly and wait to see if your dog appears hungry before feeding more.

If you think that your dog might be facing an obesity problem, you really need to consider taking some steps to correct it. The first step always needs to be taken by the owner.

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