Is My Pet Overweight? (Part 11 of 13)

Round Hound?  Curvy Kitty?  Click here for tips on peeling off the pounds! (Continued)

10) Smaller Meals More Often

Pets that are only fed once per day are more likely to become overweight or obese.  Their bodies go into "starvation mode" and become extremely efficient at storing fat and conserving energy.  Dogs and cats should be fed twice a day, at roughly the same times.  Make sure you are not adding additional food to your pet's diet, but rather breaking up a single, large meal into two smaller ones.  Just this simple change can jump start your pet's metabolism by forcing the body to burn calories as opposed to storing them.

This puppy is eating his way through a month's worth of food!

Is My Pet Overweight? (Part 10 of 13)

Round Hound?  Curvy Kitty?  Click here for tips on peeling off the pounds! (Continued)

9) People Food is for People

When selecting alternatives to commercial pet treats, it is imperative to remember that human food is very calorically dense, and usually unsuitable for our furry friends.  Plain rice cakes can be broken into small pieces and given as "cookies".  Other than grapes and raisins, which should never be given, most fruits and vegetables are safe to give your pets.  Pets should never be given seeds from fruits, sunflower seeds or nuts, as these cannot pass easily through the digestive tract.  A small amount of peanut butter can be used to disguise pills, but not as a dietary staple.  Why?  Here are some more fun facts from Dr. Ernie Ward's book "Chow Hounds":

• 1/2 tablespoon of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter for a 40lb dog is the same as is eating a McDonald's Sausage Patty
• 1/2 of an Oscar Meyer Beef Frank for a 10lb dog is like us eating three hot dogs with ketchup and mustard
• 1/4 of a plain bagel for a 20lb dog is like us eating four homemade brownies
• One cup of cooked pasta for an 80lb dog is like us eating a Burger King Original Whopper Junior with Cheese

Processed foods should never be given to our pets.  Truth be told, they are not good for us either.

 

Is My Pet Overweight? (Part 9 of 13)

Round Hound?  Curvy Kitty?  Click here for tips on peeling off the pounds! (Continued)

8) Still not Convinced?  Here are some Fun Facts!

The following tidbits have been taken with permission from the book "Chow Hounds" by veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward:

• One Small Pedigree

 Denta-Bone for a 20lb dog os like us eating a Denny's Buttermilk Pancake Platter

One Snausages SnawSomes Peanut Butter and Apple Flavor for a 20lb dog os like us eating 1/2 Large Domino's Pizza with extra cheese

One Good Life Wholesome Bone Small for a 40lb dog is like is eating four chocolate eclairs

One Purina Busy Bone for a 40lb dog is like us eating four McDonald's Egg McMuffins

One Large Milk Bone Dog Biscuit for a 60lb dog is like us eating a large Snickers Bar

Here's my favorite: one large Beggin' Chew for an 80lb dog is like us eating a Wendy's Classic Single Hamburger with Everything, a medium order of fries, and a 20 ounce Coke Classic!  Many of my patients get several of these treats every day.

Is My Pet Overweight? (Part 8 of 13)

Round Hound?  Curvy Kitty?  Click here for tips on peeling off the pounds! (Continued)

7) Trading the Treats

Since many pet parents cringe at the thought of cutting treats out of their pet' diet completely, focus on trading them rather than trashing them.  Start by replacing commercial pet treats with healthy alternatives like fruit (never grapes or raisins), vegetables or rice cakes.  A large, plain rice cake consists of only ten calories.  By comparison, one Good Life Recipe Wholesome Mini Bone contains 62 calories.  When fed to a 10 pound dog, it's like a human eating THREE Hershey's Chocolate Bars!  Give that same dog a Snausage, and it's the same as us eating a McDonald's hamburger.  Many of my patients get several of these treats every single day.  Imagine how miserably unhealthy we would be if we ate four McDonald's hamburgers every day.  If you must give treats, use something natural and healthy as an alternative.