Is Your Dog Overweight – Top 9 Tips To Putting Your Dog On A Diet & Increasing His Lifespan!
by Ed Kane

In the United States, pets and their owners have one thing in common: too much food and too little exercise.

With nutritious dog food abundant and palatable, a common cause of pet obesity isn't the food itself but the feeding.

Top 9 Tips to Putting Your Dog on a Diet

• If your dog is overweight, work with your veterinarian to develop a proper weight-reduction plan. Your veterinarian can help assess the extent of your dog's obesity problem and determine whether there are any complicating disease concerns, such as diabetes. In some cases, a prescription type of diet may be recommended.

• A drastic reduction isn't necessary. Except in special cases, most veterinarians recommend a moderate weight-reduction plan. Weight should be lost gradually, about 15 percent over a two- to three-month period for dogs. At maximum, weight loss should occur at a rate of 1 to 1½ pounds per week for dogs. In addition to a restricted diet, you need to provide your pet with gradual increased play and exercise. Make exercise fun, not strict or stressful.

• Make sure that all family members stick to your dog’s weight reduction plan. One person can spoil the results.

• If excessive food intake was the source of your pet's obesity, plan on feeding the proper maintenance amount. In general, a small six-pound dog requires 50 calories per pound, a 50-pound dog requires 30 calories per pound and a 100-pound dog requires 23 kilocalories per pound. However, there are no hard and fast rules; your pet may need less food if he's less active or more if he's very active.