Tips For Keeping Your Pets At A Healthy Weight

Owning a pet can be a wonderful experience. They are extremely loveable, and can teach you many life lessons like responsibility. Before you know it, you will have grown so fond of your pet that you won’t be able to live without him or her. The only problem with loving your pet is that you will want to reward them with a treat every time they do something cute, which will pretty much be most of the time. Unfortunately, this will lead to obesity, which only leads to other health related problems.

You are the one responsible for preparing your pets meals and taking them for their daily walks, so the responsibility of keeping your pet in shape falls on your shoulders. Below, you will learn some tips and information that will help you as a pet owner keep you pets slim and living a healthier life.

Consulting With Your Vet

The first thing that most pet owners want to do in order to get their pets in shape is switch to a different food or implement a new exercise routine right away. However, this might be a mistake, because the shock to your pets system could be damaging, or your might be switching to a food that is harmful to your pet. This is why it is imperative that you speak with your vet before making any changes whatsoever. He or she will be able to guide you in the right direction, as to which changes you can implement. In fact, the vet might be able to give you a routine that better suits your pet.

The most important thing to remember is, that unless you are using an automatic dog feeder your furry friend is not feeding him or herself.

Stay Away From Table Scraps

Did you know that feeding your pet table scraps could be one of the unhealthiest things that you ever do for your pet? Yes, it is hard not to feed your pet when you eat because he or she might set and whine at your feet, but you are not doing them any favors. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that some human foods and be deadly to your pet.

Understanding Portion Control

You might be surprised to learn just how much weight 10 extra pieces of dry pet food might lead to over time. When you purchase you pet’s foods the packages usually contains crucial information about the serving sizes and time of days that you should feed your pet. In some cases, this information might not be correct for your pet. Once again, speaking with your vet on these manners or doing proper research is a great way to make sure you are serving the correct portions.

Kick Up The Cardio

It should not be a secret that all pets need exercise. Of course, there are some pets that you can’t take on walks, but you can play with them and get them to jump, run, or chase after toys. If you can walk your pet, you should just consider increasing the walking pace and time of your pet’s daily walks. This might even help you burn a little fat.

Watch The Treats

Pet treats should be thought of just like sweets for humans. They should only be consumed on occasion and not every time your pet does something cute. However, if you really want to change the approach to treats, you can start rewarding your pets with healthy treats like carrots, frozen green beans, and blueberries. At first your pets might be reluctant to consume these healthy foods, but over time your pet will come to love them and beg for them just like he or she did with their normal treats.

Properly Weighing Your Pets

Throughout this whole process it is imperative that you keep track of your pet’s weight from time to time. While you might be walking and dieting your pet, it is possible the he or she could actually put on weight, and this is something that you need to know up front.