Overweight Dogs Need a Special Diet

Have you been asking yourself whether or not you need to put your dog on a diet?

The answer to that all too important question is…

As long as your veterinarian recommends it. Just as you are always told to seek the advice of your health care professional before attempting any type of diet, the same principle should apply to your dog. You cannot follow a proper diet while making sure your dog continues to get all the required nutrients without consulting with your vet.

Remember that your vet is an expert in the area of dog nutrition as well and has many special diets at their disposal. There are special diets for the dog with heart trouble, one with kidney disease, and of course one for overweight dogs. They also have access to prescription diet foods for puppies, for pregnant dogs, dogs with allergies, and dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Special diets come in all different varieties. There are both dry and canned diet foods for dogs. The canned variety comes in various sizes to meet the needs of different dogs, from the smallest to the largest.

Your vet may suggest mixing several different types of diet foods together. Special diets are often fortified with vitamins and mineral supplements. So you can trust that your veterinarian will suggest the best possible diet for your dog that will provide the best nutrition.

The Overweight Dog
There are not any quick fix diets for the overweight dog. If your pet is overweight it is your responsibility as a responsible dog owner to bring her weight back down to an acceptable range.

An overweight dog is quite similar to an obese person. They can be short of breath and always tired and sleeping. Moving around is a chore for the overweight dog since they have to carry around all that extra weight.

You should also remember that all that excess fat inside her body can lead to many other health problems as well. Excess fat in the body can cause a buildup of fatty tissue around vital organs like the heart, the lungs, or the digestive tract. This could eventually cause any of these organs to not function properly.

An overweight dog will need a diet that is low in calories so that she can lose some of the weight. Your vet will weigh your dog and determine how much she needs to lose. The vet will then prescribe the type of diet your dog should go on and how much she should be fed.

You will need to put in the time and effort to make sure that your dog is sticking to her diet. Make sure that none of the other members of your family are sneaking her snacks in between her feeding times. And absolutely not table scraps.

As long as you stick with it your dog will lose the excess weight and can go on to lead a long and happy life with you.