| Obesity is not just a growing problem for the | | | | prevent your dog from getting fat. |
| human population, overweight dogs--just plain fat | | | | |
| dogs--is becoming more common.Obesity is a | | | | If you practice "free feeding" (leaving dry dog |
| common nutritional disorder in dogs. Just like | | | | food available 24/7), STOP. If your dog hasn't |
| people, dogs can get fat through over feeding | | | | eaten his food within about 15 minutes, remove |
| and insufficient exercise.Even if you think you are | | | | his dish.Reduce your dog's between meal snacks |
| only giving your dog a small amount of food per | | | | and treats. Dog treats are often high in fat and |
| day, if you dog is getting insufficient exercise | | | | calories and some treats like biscuits and dog |
| relative to the amount of food intake, he can still | | | | cookies are heavy in low fiber carbs.Exercise your |
| gain weight. Over time, he can and will get fat.Fat | | | | dog regularly. Ideally, you should give your dog a |
| dogs are not healthy dogs. Overweight dogs tend | | | | brisk walk for at least 20 minutes twice a day. |
| to develop health problems such as diabetes, and | | | | This is as good for you as for your dog in helping |
| excess weight can aggravate conditions such as | | | | to maintain a healthy weight for both of you.If |
| arthritis, which often develops in middle aged and | | | | you have an overweight dog, talk to your vet |
| elderly dogs. To put it in perspective, an extra | | | | about finding the optimum calorie intake for |
| five pounds on a 15 pound dog is equivalent to an | | | | him.Consider switching to a low fat dog food and |
| extra 50 pounds on a 150-pound person.How You | | | | giving him low fat dog treats.With a little effort |
| Can Prevent Your Dog from Becoming | | | | your dog will be well on his way to a more |
| FatFortunately, there are some common-sense | | | | healthy weight. |
| weight control measures you can take to help | | | | |