Pet The World

Obesity is one of the greatest health concerns facing dogs. You can and should do something about it. Overweight dogs may live shorter and less healthy lives and your enjoyment of their unconditional love and companionship may be shortened because of it.

Extra pounds place an excess burden on bones and joints and can make arthritis problems worse. Overweight dogs are less able to exercise and play comfortably and their breathing may be labored. Their bodies may be less able to resist infections, and they may be at greater risk for problems during surgery and anesthesia.

Potential health problems include:

• Joint or Locomotion Difficulties. Extra pounds add stress to joints, bones, ligaments and muscles. Conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, spinal disc disease and ruptures of joint ligaments may be caused or aggravated by obesity.

• Heart and Respiratory Disease. Excess fat tissue in the chest cavity and around the muscles of the heart can decrease the efficiency of the heart and lungs. Your dog’s heart and lungs have to work harder to provide adequate oxygen and circulation.

• Diabetes. Just as in humans, diabetes is much more common in obese dogs.

• Liver Disease. Obese dogs are prone to liver disease.

• Heat Intolerance. The insulating properties of excessive fat make it harder for obese dogs to tolerate heat and they feel uncomfortable.

• Skin Problems. Obese dogs may have trouble grooming because the rolls of skin built up by fat deposits can often harbor dirt, bacteria and other harmful organisms.

• Gastrointestinal Disorders. Inflammation of the pancreas is frequently found in obese dogs. It is painful and can be life threatening.

How Dogs Become Overweight?

Dogs most always become overweight from lack of good exercise and from eating more food than they require. Food calories, which aren’t burned during their daily activities, are stored as fat.

Overeating can result from greediness, boredom, or overfeeding. Feeding leftovers or giving frequent snacks or treats often contributes to excess weight problems.

Over-fed puppies tend to become overweight dogs. They also have a greater risk of developing orthopedic problems. Properly feed puppies will be less likely to suffer from weight problems later in life.

Occasionally, metabolic disorders can cause a dog to become overweight. But overfeeding and under exercising are much more common causes of excess weight. If your veterinarian suspects that a metabolic disorder is causing your dog to gain weight, he or she will test for that disorder and treat it accordingly.

How Can I Tell if My Dog is Overweight?

A quick check to determine whether your dog is overweight is to feel his ribs with the flat palm of your hand. If you have difficulty feeling his ribs, then your dog probably needs to lose weight.

Helping Your Dog Lose Weight.

Weight loss for most dogs involves increased exercise and eating food with fewer calories. It’s generally easier to feed normal amounts of a low-calorie dog food than to feed much smaller amounts of his/her regular dog food. In addition, your dog will not feel as hungry when fed a normal amount of food

Dieting for Dogs.

Your vet will help set a weight goal for your dog and will recommend how much food he should eat each day. A special diet may also be prescribed. The food choice should be designed to satisfy your dog’s appetite and provide him all the vitamins and minerals he needs while at the same time helping him to lose weight.

Your dog may need a gradual transition from the old to the new diet. So, you would feed him increasing amounts of the new diet while decreasing the amounts of the previous diet each day over several days until the transition is complete.

To help keep your dog from begging, feed him before your family eats, and keep him out of the room during your meal. It is also a good idea to feed overweight dogs at the same time as other pets to help prevent food stealing from their slimmer companions. Always provide plenty of clean, fresh drinking water.

Regular exercise, such as walks or runs, is good for most dogs because it increases the number of calories they burn. If your dog is old or in poor health, check with your vet before increasing exercise.

The time period your dog will require to lose weight depends upon how much weight he is required to lose. Your dog may need 8 to 14 weeks or longer to reach his target weight.

What Type of Dog Food is Good for Weight Control?

A dieting dog has special nutritional needs. His diet should be balanced with a proper ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. The diet should also provide a normal volume of food to satisfy his hunger and the food should also provide quality nutrients.

Weight loss plans don’t need to include high levels of fiber. Fiber is not necessary for weight loss in pets, and in large amounts, it may have side effects such as increased feces and lack of interest in the food because of its poor taste.

We recommend Canine Zone - a revolutionary weight loss dog food based on Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone Diet. Millions of people all over the world have improved their health and have lost weight on Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone Diet. Now you can get your dog in “The Zone”. Canine Zone is based on the Zone’s 30-30-40 ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. This revolutionary new dog food will help your dog achieve a balance so his or her body can operate at its maximum efficiency while shedding unwanted pounds.

Always consult with your vet before you start a weight loss program for your dog.

About The Author

Bev Storer is a writer and researcher in the field of nutrition and nutritional supplements. To learn more about Canine Zone, go to http://www.dog-food-zone.com or e-mail her directly at info@dog-food-zone.com.

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In most homes in America, the family pet is just like another member of the family. While we may not invite them to join us at the table for dinner, we love them nonetheless. As with any other family member, the health and wellbeing of our pets is of the utmost importance. By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your furry friends are a part of your family for many years to come.

Be sure to have your pets vaccinated annually. With all of the debate surrounding vaccine safety, many pet owners have opted out of vaccinating their pets. The main issue to be aware of is that animals are highly susceptible to contracting certain diseases, such as canine parvovirus and canine distemper. These diseases are easily prevented with standard vaccinations, and very expensive to treat should preventative measures be ignored. Standard therapy for these diseases can cost upwards of $1000.00, when factoring in antibiotics and hospitalization. The vaccine itself might cost a fraction of that.

Dental care is another consideration. Just like other members of your family, your pets need to have semi-regular dental check-ups. This is especially important if you have a dog that is being fed a regular diet of human food. Furthermore, dental disease in pets can lead to other serious illnesses, such as heart, kidney, and liver disease. Some studies have even suggested that 80% of all domestic pets over the age of 3 have some existing form of dental disease. It may sound silly to some, but brushing your pet’s teeth is one of the most important things you can do to reduce the risk of health complications. Take a preventative approach to the dental care of your pet.

Obesity is another issue that pet owners need to be aware of. Most of the time, this can be managed with a healthy, well rounded diet. There are plenty of quality pet food brands on the market today, many of which are tailored to your pet’s stage of development. While an overweight pet might seem cute and cuddly, obesity can lead to serious health problems for your pet. This can include joint problems, arthritis, heart problems, difficulty breathing, and diabetes. Ensure your pet is getting a reasonable amount of exercise each day.

Christine Arbor owns two dogs, three cats, and a bird. She is a lifelong animal lover and a regular volunteer at her local Humane Society. When she is not tending to her animals, she writes about them for topsellingpetsupplies.com - a wonderful resource for information about buying pet supplies online, pet insurance, pet microchips and more.

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Simply buying pet supplies from a local franchise isn’t always the best option. If you have a pet shop in your local area, buying wholesale pet products will definitely give you a lot of discounts. This will gain you a very good profit and will allow you attract more customers with your minimal prices.

The same is so if you are buying pet products for several pets. If have like a dozen of pets in your house, you will need to buy wholesale products so you are confident that you have saved even a little for your pet’s food and other products.

The best approach toward buying pet supplies online is to keep in mind the precise products you are looking for. If you are just browsing and getting ideas, you can just type in the phrase “pet product”, and a lot of website searches will come right into your screen. You must search from the most popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo or AltaVista. Then after entering the keyword, a lot of pet product websites will be displayed, and you can look at them one by one. It’s best to take time to browse through the different directories.

If you want to perform a detailed search, you can enter the specific words like “pet food” or include wholesale in your search. Multiple varieties of pet food will be displayed in your search. Now all you have to do is to choose the pet food that best matches your criteria. This method of online shopping allows you to buy the best product while lounging in the comforts of your home.

Buying online pet products can also give you access to a veterinarian or a food expert. If you have questions regarding a certain product, you can ask them online for help and advice. If you are not sure of the product you wish to buy, it will be most appropriate to ask for more information first. Some products are not suitable for your pet’s health.

This is important especially in buying food pet products. If your dog is not that healthy, you should not give them just about any food you get to buy. A specialist’s advice is needed just like humans do before eating.

If you buy wholesale products online, you can just set your search as a local one so that the product can be delivered to your house immediately. Trying to purchase from out of your area might cost you extra shipping fees and cause more of a time delay.

Buying wholesale pet products has become easier than ever with the internet as a tool for quick and efficient product search.

Hannah Roberts has an interest Shopping & Retail related topics. To access more information on pet product or on wholesale pet product, please click on the links.

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