subject: Making the Best Diet for your Dog [print this page] Making the Best Diet for your Dog Making the Best Diet for your Dog
Canine obesity is one of the major causes of death in domestic dogs. Overweight dogs are prone to many serious health conditions such as diabetes, joint conditions, heart disease and respiratory illnesses. In order to prevent your dog from developing these serious conditions it is important to diagnose and cure obesity before it begins to cause problems in your pet.
Should You Put Your Dog on a Diet?
Deciding whether to put your dog on a diet or not is relatively easy. A healthy dog should be slim with a defined waist and his ribs should be covered yet slightly visible. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if a dog is overweight if he has a very thick coat but you can easily feel the dog's middle section to see if there is excess fat covering the rib cage. If you are unable to feel your dog's ribcage, this means he is overweight.
If you are unsure if your dog needs to be put on a diet, you should consult with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will weigh the dog and determine the best diet for the dog based on breed, weight, age and physical condition. Your vet will also be able to determine if your dog needs to lose some weight and advise you on how to do so safely and effectively.
Devising an Appropriate Diet
There are so many different brands and dog food formulas available that it can be a daunting process to pick the best diet for your dog. Many different opinions exist on the best food for dogs but there can generally be narrowed down to two: organic diets and raw diets. While many breeders and dog owners differ on what the ideal doggie diet is, the majority will agree that an organic or raw diet are the best way to feed a dog.
Feeding your dog an organic diet will take quite some dedication on your part as you will have to purchase organic dog food which is considerably more expensive than conventional dog food. Some dog owners prefer to cook their dog's meals themselves using organic ingredients and this type of diet though labor intensive usually yields the best results. Cooking your dog's food from scratch ensures you will be adding only the most nutritional and healthy ingredients as you know exactly what's going into your dog's food. You can also control the amount of fat in your dog's diet which will greatly help in preventing obesity.
Proponents of raw diets believe that dogs were designed to eat raw meat and bones and that this is the healthiest way to feed a dog. A raw diet entails feeding your dog raw meat and bones and eliminating any vegetables, fruits and grains from the diet. The premise is that you can only feed your dog what he would have eaten in his wild, natural state and you aren't likely to find a wolf munching on a carrot, are you? Because raw diets are low in carbohydrates, they are ideal for helping dogs maintain a healthy weight.
Starting Your Dog on a Diet Safely
The correct way to start your dog on his new diet is to introduce any changes very gradually. Drastically changing your dog's diet can result in digestive upsets and other problems. Gradually decrease the amount of food you feed to your dog to prevent starvation or excessive hunger in your dog. It is cruel to suddenly reduce your dog's food intake without allowing his system to adjust to the decrease in food. Resist the temptation to feed your dog table scraps and treats as this can easily lead to weight gain.
A proper exercise program goes hand in hand with diet and increasing your dog's physical activity will help promote healthy weight loss. Set aside time to walk and play with your dog on a daily basis and you will soon find your dog becoming slimmer, healthier and happier as well. Keeping your dog healthy by providing him with proper diet and exercise will result in a happier, healthier dog and you may extend his quality of life and lifespan as well.
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