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Pet Pig Articles / News / Blogs

Pet Pig - How to Feed your Dog to Prevent Obesity?

Over the last century, the role of animals as human companions has changed drastically. We no longer look at animals as being hunters to rid us of our household pest or as necessities in the sport of hunting. Our pets are cherished given warm beds inside, special diets, treats, and toys. The change in roles is by no means wrong but it has consequences such as obesity that must be carefully monitored to keep your pet as healthy as possible.

Obesity in pets has become a major concern to Veterinarians over the last decade because obesity can lead to secondary problems such as:

- Orthopedic problems with legs and hips
- Liver/kidney failure
- Diabetes
- Skin problems (bacterial infections)
Even your pet’s physical examination becomes more difficult for the veterinarian to palpate or collect a blood sample.

What is Obesity and How Can Obesity Be Prevented?

Obesity is when an animal is consuming more calories than they need. The extra calories are converted to fat by the body and stored for emergencies. There are many options available to owners who have pets that are overweight:

1) Fasting – 90 % reduction of calories
2) Severe restriction – 80 - 75% reduction of calories
3) Mild restriction – 40 - 35% reduction of calories

Option 3 is the most recommended as it offers a more gradual weightloss that limits the possibly of a yo-yo effect (Yo-yo effect is the likelihood of the animal to gain back the weight lost when diet is returned to recommended calories for their breed and age). Ultimately by implementing a mild restriction, the owner needs to reduce the intake of their pet by one of two factors:

(1) The amount of feed
- Restrict amount of feed
- Restrict the time eating
(2) Buy a modified diet target for weightloss
- Looking for a diet that has a high fiber component and a low fat content
- A high fiber diet offers to satisfy your pet because fiber takes longer to digest giving the feeling of being full for a longer period of time

Here are some steps to ensure that you pet loses achieve their weight loss as is able to maintain an ideal weight.

Feeding to Reduce Obesity
1) Set a target weight loss at 1-2 % body weight loss per week
2) Restrict caloric diet to 40 -30 % of current body weight (choose an appropriate diet)
3) Eliminate treats and table scraps
4) Offer moderate daily exercise
5) Adjust feed intake to maintain ideal weight after wt loss achieved
6) Prevent regain by continuing exercise and monitoring caloric intake

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