New Year’s resolution: pet weight loss

January 7, 7:51 PMDC Pet Care ExaminerErin Paquette

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At the beginning of each New Year, the resolution to get in shape and lose weight doesn’t just apply to people, it also applies to pets.

While wanting your pets to live a healthier, more active lifestyle is an admirable thing, you need to be careful about what steps you take in an effort to help your pets lose weight.

Want some simple, safe things that will help your pets lose weight? Try…

Just a Spoonful: Take one or two spoons of food out of your pet’s food dish every time you feed them. Continue removing a little more each day until your pet is eating the recommended amount of food.

Stepping it Up: For dogs, add five extra minutes to their daily walk.

Less Work, More Play: For cats and other animals, set aside at least ten minutes a day to play with them, or add 10 extra minutes to their current play time.

Water, Water Everywhere: Make sure that your pets have clean water; sometimes, pets will avoid drinking water because it needs to be changed. To compensate for thirst, they will often eat more food to fill their stomachs.

Cutting Down on the Treats: Start by giving your pets one less treat per day and continue to reduce the amount until they’re getting a healthy amount of treats per day.

Beauty Sleep: It’s not just humans that need their rest, pets do too! Make sure your pets have a safe, quiet place where they can get their beauty sleep. Doing so will make sure that they won’t overeat due to tiredness.

Giving ‘em Some Love: Make sure that you give your pets plenty of attention; pets can feel depressed if they don’t get enough attention, which can lead to overeating.

Taking a Trip—To the Vet: I know… they whimper, whine, and use every cute-tactic they have to keep you from taking them to the vet; but it’s important for your pet to get regular check-ups. Your pet might be having weight problems due to a health problem, not because of their food intake or activity level.

As always, be sure to check with your vet before you start your pets on any weight loss regimen that could be considered extreme or harmful. While there are some pets that need to lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time so they don’t develop diseases such as diabetes, most pets can lose weight at a slow, steady rate.
 

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Let us know about other safe ways to help pets lose weight by leaving a comment below. 

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