Most pet parents are blissfully unaware that their pooch is on the chubby side and that this is a potential health concern in the making, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer and high blood pressure as well as a shortened lifespan. According to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, pet obesity is still the number one health problem pets face. To help get your furry companion back into shape, try these tricks:
- Ditch the food bowl
Instead of watching your dog wolf down their bowl of food in five seconds, only to give you the puppy eyes in the hopes of getting a few more pellets, rather ditch the bowl and make your furbaby work for at least half, if not their entire, daily food ration. Put the pellets into treat balls, puzzles, slow feeders or LickiMats® to not only help stimulate their minds and bust boredom, but to also slow down their eating. - Hide and seek
A little game of “find your food” will help your pet burn some energy by searching where you’ve hid their food. Start slow and easy, to avoid your pet getting frustrated and giving up.
- Set a goal weight
Ask your vet to help you choose the right food in order to lose or maintain weight. You can also check your pet’s body condition score on a regular basis and adjust feeding accordingly. Petslimmer.co.za provides guidance on how to do this. - Adjust accordingly
While it’s good to look at the feeding guidelines on the dog food packaging as a starting point, it is important to remember that your pet’s food requirements may differ slightly. Lifestyle, age, health and whether they have been spayed or neutered, all play a role in the amount of food your pet should be eating. - Move and play more
Be it taking your dog for a walk around the neighbourhood, an outing to the doggy park or just some playtime in the garden – daily activity is important. If you are a cat parent, using boxes, a pet tunnel, a tickler, a cat tree or even a scrunched up piece of paper are all activities your cat will love. This quality time is beneficial for you and your pet.
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