3 Ways To Control Springer Spaniel Weight
Springer Spaniels are active dogs, and provided there are no health problems and they are regularly wormed then spaniel weight should not be an issue
. A normal adult male English Springer Spaniel weighs about 25 kg (50lbs), with the bitch being a few pounds lighter. These weights apply to the show dog bloodline - the working dog bloodline is a bit more slender and fine boned.
These are smart animals, loyal and affectionate and people love them - sometimes too much, and therefore they often get more calories than they need. You may not even know about it until you see them getting overweight. Where does it all come from?
Tip #1 - Cut Out Secret Feeding
If you have a family, then your children may be feeding him extras without you knowing - secret scraps from the table and secret treats. The children need to understand that it is bad for him. And, it's not always the children!
We once had a neighbour who threw scraps over the fence (unknown to us) when our dog was in our large garden. After a while I cottoned on when I was cutting the grass and found odd pieces of bone. He did love those lamb bones! I had a quick word with our neighbor and Sam (our Welsh Springer) lost out on his regular bones.
Tip #2 - Overfeeding
If you feed your dog yourself then you are able to strictly monitor the quantities. If feeding your dog is a shared responsibility (and it is good for children to have chores likes this involving animals) then you need to make sure that the quantities your dog is getting are strictly controlled.
A small increase in quantity of, say, cereal for us (say a couple of spoonfuls) is not a lot relative to our weight, but the same increase for a dog is a lot relative to their body mass and the amount of energy they need on a daily basis. It is easy where you have to open one can of dog food for his meal, but the addition of say, biscuit mix is a bit more variable. Our natural tendency is to see that he is fed well and so a bit more gets put in his bowl. Ever so slowly, his weight goes up and you wonder why! So, portion control is essential for spaniel weight control.
Tip #3 - Older Dogs
Older dogs - that is those moving from middle into old age, say after about eight or nine years of age - are less active and need adjustment to their diet. This is done by cutting down on the protein and the fat content relative to the carbohydrate. This need to be done with care, so that the balance of the diet is correctly maintained. He will also need fewer calories as activity levels fall. Discuss this with your veterinarian who will know your dog and be able to give you detailed advice. To lighten the load on their digestion and make it more efficient, you can divide their quantities of food in two and serve as two meals, morning and evening.
Finally, do remember to weigh your spaniel regularly, and record his weight. Make it part of the monthly groom and trim routine. Then you can see any trend to overweight developing.
by: Phil Marks
Lose Weight With Hypnosis – Discover The Smart Way to Weight Loss Success Great Process To Get A Fat Free Figure By Adhering Hcg Diet And Weight Loss Program Tailor Made For Inexpensive Ways For Safe Weight Loss Criteria To Safe Weight Loss Ordering A Medifast Package Versus Ordering Meals Build Biceps Without Weights-Burn Calories While You Workout The Newly Wed Alicia Keys' Diet Secrets Necessary Systems To Land A Sexier Figure By Following Hcg Diet And Weight Loss Regimen For Over Wei Lap Band Surgery A Popular Weight Loss Surgery Treatment Finding the right ingredients for a balanced diet Gestational Sugar Diet Plan What Can a Candida Free Diet Do For Me? Fat Loss Revealed - Lose the Weight Today