Is your dog overweight? Finding out and learning what to do about it is an important part of being a pet parent. It’s our job to keep our fur kids healthy, and that includes helping them maintain a healthy weight since this adds to quality of life and life expectancy.
How do you know if your dog is at their healthy weight? Start by checking out this video from Dr. Ashley Gallagher:
Did you watch it? If so you might have been surprised or even shocked to learn that more than 50% of pets are overweight…I certainly didn’t know that!
Dr. Ashley also mentioned this Healthy Pet Weight Tool where you can go to check your dog’s weight online. Be sure to go give that a try.
And the big takeaway from the video is to talk to your dog’s veterinarian for professional medical advice on whether your pet is overweight. It’s important to their overall health and wellness. If your vet says your dog needs to lose some weight, they will tell you the steps you need to take, including diet and exercise.
They may also recommend a special weight loss food like Hill’s® Science Diet® Perfect Weight. With a breakthrough blend of natural ingredients, prebiotic fibers for gentle digestion and 100% precisely balanced nutrition, 70% of cats and dogs who used Science Diet Perfect Weight lost weight within 10 weeks.
Formulas are available for cats and dogs, at your local vet’s office and specialty pet stores. And since small and toy breeds make up 40% of the dog population, they’ve introduced a new Small and Toy Breed Specific Formulas to help smaller dogs achieve a healthy weight and improve quality of life.
Whatever size and breed of dog or cat you have, there is a formula for them. You’ll also get a discount when you order on autoship through Pet360.com.
You can visit Hill’s for more Pet Weight Management information. And remember to visit your vet at least once a year (every six months with a younger or older dog) so that you can keep an eye on how they grow and change and make sure age-related issues don’t creep up on your pet and become bigger issues.
Thanks for your article about how to help maintain a pet’s healthy weight. Growing up, we had a 105 pound black lab. Our veterinarian always assured us that he was a healthy weight. His shoulders were over three feet from the ground. But, excessive weight can bring chronic health problems to your pet. You make a great point about how you might need to increase the amount of playtime that you and your pet enjoy together. Thanks for the tips.