Helping Your Dog Deal with Obesity
Chubby dogs may look adorable, but excess weight can be detrimental to their health. While packing a few extra pounds don’t cause much harm, if they’re too overweight and crossed the barriers of obesity, you must take action to prevent severe health problems that can affect their quality of life. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to tell if your dog is overweight, related health problems, and how to help your dog deal with obesity. Let’s get started!
How to Figure Out If Your Dog is Obese
Like humans, you can check the BMI of your dog using calculators online. You need to enter their breed, sex, weight, and height to receive the results and determine whether they’re obese. An easy way to determine your furry friend has gotten obese is checking their ribs. If there is a heavy fat cover that makes it difficult to feel their ribs, they’re packing extra fat with them. An obese dog typically remains inactive and has trouble breathing when walking or moving about.
Health Problems Associated with Obesity
Obsess dogs can develop a variety of medical conditions and diseases, including high blood pressure, orthopedic issues, arthritis, respiratory disease, type-2 diabetes, and more. Weight gain can also increase the risk of tumors, skin disease, and heart conditions. Moreover, the extra pounds affect the quality of life and decrease life expectancy. It’s important to get your furry friend checked by a vet to determine the excess fat is not a result of an underlying medical condition.
Helping Your Dog Deal with Obesity
There are many ways you can help your pup deal with obesity. For starters, you need to adjust their diet. Make sure to measure all their servings. Like the human weight-loss program, you need to create a meal plan and give controlled portions. Keep a journey or use a spreadsheet to keep records of their diet. Also, you need to establish an eating schedule and only serve meals at specific times of the day. Avoid leaving food in front of them all day. If they don’t eat in half an hour, take it away.
If you give snacks to your dog throughout the day, you need to change this habit. However, don’t cut down on all the snacks immediately. Slowly remove the snacks to help them with the transition. Also, choose low-calorie treats like healthy fruits and vegetables rather than fattening biscuits that can be counter-productive for their weight loss. This dieting regime will help your furry friend to shed excess fat from their body and become healthier.
Furthermore, make sure your dog remains active and energetic throughout the day. Take them to walk multiple times a day and play with them to get them moving. Keep in mind that obese dogs are more susceptible to injuries, so start with light activities like walking and playing fetch, then gradually move to advanced activities. A proper diet plan, followed by a good amount of exercise, will help your furry friend get into a healthy weight zone and raise their fitness levels.
Professional dog walking services in Chicago
Do you live a busy lifestyle and have trouble taking care of your furry, overweight pup? We can help! At Bark Industries, we provide dependable pet care services, including dog walking, pet and more, in Chicago at affordable prices. Our skilled staff can walk your furry friend multiple times a day and keep them active to facilitate weight loss. We take care of your dog like it’s ours. Call or text 773-985-0420 to get started.