Like humans, there are many health benefits to your pooch being the correct weight. Being overweight has negative health implications and can lead to real unpleasantness for your dog. So, as tempting as it is for us to overfeed our voracious eaters, it takes real love and caring to realise we must maintain our dog’s weight. It is important to have a real conversation with your vet to find out if your dog is overweight and make a decision to follow the recommended dietary steps to reach your pooch’s ideal weight. It is also important for dog not to be underweight!The best way to establish what condition your dog’s physique is in is to stand above him looking down. You should be able to feel his ribs, but not see them. If you can see them, he is too skinny. If you can’t see his ribs, place your hands on either side of his chest and if you can’t feel them, he is probably overweight. He should have a nice taper to his waist, which is between the abdomen and where the hips go into their sockets. Dogs should have an hour glass figure, if they are overweight they’ll be oval or egg shaped.

Some other clues that your pup might be overweight:

Once you’ve established that you pup is overweight, talk to your vet about changing his diet to a controlled one. DO NOT reduce his number of meals, he still needs to be fed twice a day. Your vet will recommend the correct brand of food, which may be lower in kilojoules but still contains all the nutrition he needs. Lay off on the treats or get low kilojoule treats, recommended by your vet. Get active with your pup.

Pet Categories