Making sure that your dog stays at a healthy weight is ideal for their quality of life and is a great way to point them in the right direction to fight against the possibility of associated conditions with obesity. If you overfeed your pooch, with good intentions, you are loving them. However if you dog becomes overweight this can reduce their years here with us. Here are some feeding tips to ensure you are doing the right thing to help them stay fit and well.
1. Visit Your Vet To Find Out Your Dogs Healthy Weight Range
First you want to figure out what a healthy weight really means for your dog. We recommend that you visit your vet. If you have concerns that your dog might becoming overweight or you just want to make sure your pooch is at a healthy weight. A vet will be able to tell you the most appropriate weight for your dog according to their breed, gender, age and some other factors.
2. Controlled Feeding
Free-feeding your dog is something you should reduce and instead try and control feed your pooch. Depending on your dogs age and breed with some other factors your dog has different nutrition demands. But your pup instinctively will want to gobble up all the food it can, in most cases. Controlling how much they eat is crucial in keeping them at a optimal weight. Try not to leave your dogs food out, when they are bored they will just eat.
With a controlled feeding regime dogs are given an exact amount of food every day based on their weight and nutritional needs. If you are unsure how much your dog should be eating it is best to visit your vet. However for puppies your can reference this article on how to feed your puppy. In most cases you can follow the recommendations on the dog food label.
3. Skip Feeding Them Table Food
You should try your best to stop feeding your dog human food. A diet of regularly feeding your dog human food can be rather bad for your pooch in the long run. Some human food is not safe for dogs to eat at all. Dog food is nutritionally balanced for dogs when human food isn’t as much. If you want to share your love for your dog with some snacks from the table it should only really be done as a rarity. But make sure that what you feed your dog is not harmful for their health.
4. Weigh Your Dog Regularly
To ensure your dog is at a healthy weight and continues to stay there. Make it a habit to weigh your dog on a regular basis. To keep on top of any weight changes. If you dogs weight makes a big jump you want to keep track so you can visit your vet if you feel your dog is becoming overweight.
5. Go Easy On The Treats
With dogs just like humans treats should be only consumed occasionally. You don’t want your dog to have more then 10% of their total calorie intake coming from treats. Just because your dog does something good, there is no need to reward them with a treat. Make it more unpredictable for them. When you do give them a treat try something that is multi-purpose like our Dental Treats. They are a tasty treats but also support dental hygiene and give them the benefits of fresher breath.
6. Use Food Puzzles
Food Puzzles are a great way to slow your dog down if they are fast eaters. They work well at managing your dogs weight as they reduce how fast they can eat their food. When dogs are given their food in a bowl it is not very exciting for them. Instead using a food puzzle, which is a toy that dispenses treats or food while stimulating your dog’s brain. This stimulation can reduce the risk of obesity that a dog may experience from getting bored just eating food straight form a bowl.
7. Get Active With Your Dog
Just like we should exercise and keep active to maintain our weight so should your dog. Make sure to make it a habit to have some play time with your pooch. Weather you go for a run or walk. Getting out side and moving is one of the best ways to keep your dog at a healthy weight.
8. Feed Your Dog A Nutritious Diet
Finally one of the most important ways to keep your dog at a healthy weight is to feed them nutritious dog food that is perfect for there age range and energy needs.
If you have a puppy you should be feeding them a diet with peak nutritional benefits for optimum growth. Our Delicate Care™ Puppy Food has been especially formulated by leading Australian Food Technologists and Nutritionists, using premium Australian ingredients combined with the most up-to-date nutritional knowledge. It is the perfect choice to give puppies a good head start in life, balancing nutrition, energy and calcium levels.
For adult dogs you want a nutritious, palatable and sustainable complete and balanced diet. The Delicate Care™ Adult Dog Food also includes functional nutrients and natural antioxidants from fruit and vegetables to keep your dog in peak condition and prepare your dog with the best foundation for their senior years.
If you have a adult or senior dog that needs to manage their weight. Delicate Care™ Weight Management Dog Food offers complete and balanced nutrition delivered through a lighter caloric load, to make it the perfect choice.
Making sure your dog gets the right nutrients to support their lifestyle is very important for maintaining a healthy weight. If you are in Australia and want to find out more about where you can find the Delicate Care Range check out our stockist page to see where you can buy.
