The overweight in dogs not a problem to ignore. Although the causes may be different, the consequences are similar: reduced life expectancy, high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, liver malfunction, and difficulties digesting food.
Therefore, it is important to make the pets with an excessive weight acquire new Healthy habits. In addition to a balanced diet, it is essential to put into practice training that will help to improve their physical condition, their circulation, their vitality and, with it, their quality of life.
Table of Contents
Best exercises for an overweight dog
Although exercise is essential for a overweight dog If you are heading towards a healthier life, that does not mean that you have to make an abrupt change in your habits because it could cause physical problems.
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This means that you must not drastically increase the time or the distance or the pace of the walks, but rather increase them gradually, always making sure that the dog completes the journey without showing signs of suffocation, agitation or suffocation. .
Another way to indirectly exercise a pet is by playing with it, which will also strengthen the bond between the two of you. Throwing branches or balls at it, giving it special toys to chew on, and having it chase its owner are some of the options for enjoying time together.
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Once a significant improvement in physical condition is noticed, you can choose to take it to a park to perform more specialized and exhausting exercises. It is also an option to go out riding a bicycle and let the dog run at that rate.
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If you have a pool, it is highly recommended to exercise in the watergiven that swimming contributes to the movement of all the muscles of the body and avoids any type of impact on the extremities, so that the joints do not suffer and the risk of injury is reduced.
Identify overweight in a dog
How to know if a dog is overweight or obese? First of all, it is essential to know what each thing is. Dogs are overweight if they exceed the normal weight of their breed between 15 and 29 percent, and are obese if they exceed it by 30 percent.
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One of the easiest ways to notice these problems is by carefully observing the animal. While it’s hard to notice changes on a day-to-day basis, it can be seen with the naked eye if your face and neck are fatter or if you have a bigger belly over the weeks.
On the other hand, overweight or obese dogs can lie down for a long time and not feel like walking or exercising. In addition, they can present labored breathing or shortness of breath.
Diet changes for an overweight dog
If a dog is overweight, the first thing to do is take it to the vet. The specialists will prepare a diet according to the breed, age, weight and other factors of the pet.
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In addition, there are also important changes that can be made at home. For example, do not give food at non-meal times and do not offer leftovers from lunch or dinner.
Likewise, it is advisable to suspend the prizes for a while and measure the daily food ration. Last but not least, be careful during walks so that you don’t take garbage from the street with you.
