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Look your pet down from above its back and check for a ‘Waist’- pets at the proper weight will have a visible indentation behind their ribs. Place both the hands, palms down, lightly on your pet’s ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs. If you can’t feel the ribs, chances are your pet is overweight. Overweight pets commonly have pouches of fat in the groin area between the hind legs. If you can see the ribs, chances are your pet is underweight.
Steps To Take When Your Pet Is Overweight…
Obesity is the most common nutritional disease among adult pets. Research has proven that pets fed on home-prepared food are more prone to suffer from obesity compared to those fed on pre-prepared food. Excess weight creates a high risk for other medical problems. If your pet is over-weight, following tips can support a healthy and successful weight loss:
• Divide the daily offered food allowance for your pet into two to four small meals a day.
• Weigh your pet at the same time of day at least once a week.
• Cut all the treats and table scraps during weight loss period.
• Keep a weight record.
• If you have more than one pet, feed your pet one at a time, since a dieting pet may move to the bowl of his house-mate to get more food.
• Feed pets before you eat and keep them in another room during your meals to discourage begging.
• Restrict your pet’s unsupervised outdoor activity so that he may not scavenge for food when outside.
• Make sure that outdoor and indoor garbage cans have secure covers.
• Tell your neighbours to avoid their feeding your dog.
• Always provide plenty of clean, fresh water.
• Exercise your dog gradually by walking and when your pet shows signs of increased fitness, increase the exercise timing by moving to games that require running. |
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