Labor day!
Alright guys! Its a holiday weekend, and everyone is over at your house eating fabulous snacks and delicious BBQ. And where are your pets in all of this chaos? They are begging! They are definitely under the table, and chances are they are getting some table scraps from your well meaning family and friends.
How to avoid this? I would recommend leaving your pet in your bedroom or the garage, where they don’t have the opportunity to get all of these extra treats. This may sound mean, but its better to have your pet healthy than happy in this case. Otherwise at the end of your night, your dog is going to be so full he won’t know what to do with himself- and all of the food your serving your guests is much too fatty and inappropriate for your pet as it is.
Hopefully this will help you have a healthy and happy holiday weekend with your family, friends, and your pets!
Tips for helping your pet lose weight in a healthy way!
Recent studies have shown that one in four dogs are obese- thats not a good ratio! Considering some families have four dogs or more, I would say many families and pets must be affected. So lets explore a few ways to facilitate weight loss for your pet…
First, think about what all the famous diet programs tell you- eating smaller meals throughout the day is better than having three large heavy meals in a day. When your pet is obese, its important to try a diet food, my recommendation is checking with your vet for some options. I know from my own vet tech experience that vets can prescribe diet food for your pet, or you can check the aisles for whatever food you already feed, and get the lower calorie version. Since you are giving a diet food you may feel like you can give them more- this is not the case! Just like for us, eating a whole tray of low fat cookies is still eating a whole tray of cookies! And we can’t have that!
Also, make sure everyone in your house, including visitors, knows that your pet can no longer have any treats or table scraps to ruin its new healthy lifestyle. It does your pet no good to put them on diet food if they are receiving the rest of their calories at your dinner table.
Pets are like people when it comes to exercise. You wouldn’t go to the gym for the first time in quite a while and run for 45 minutes, lift weights and do a spin class! You would be lying on the floor in about ten minutes! Well, comparatively, so would your dog. To ensure that your pet is getting a good workout and not overdoing it, start out slow! Don’t take them on a four mile jog when they haven’t even had a walk in a month. Begin with short walks, and over time extend the time you are walking and increase your speed. Once your pet has gotten used to the daily walks, you can try to jog with them- make sure that your pet can handle that kind of exertion, and that they have seen a vet and had a healthy check up. And always watch for signs of sunstroke, or dehydration, and fatigue, by being aware of the signs your pet is giving you. Rapid breaths, halted moving, laying down-these are all signs that the pet is overexerted and the exercise needs to cease.
These are some simple tips that will really help you begin to walk down a healthier path with your pet. Like dieting for people, its better to have everyone in your home aware of the diet and supporting it! Lets make sure your pet is getting the healthy food and exercise it deserves!