Dog diets - will neutering cause your dog to gain weight?
May 9th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
A common misconception that many people believe is that having their dog spayed or neutered will cause them to gain weight. This is false.
What is true is that animals that have been neutered and spayed will use less energy and therefore should require fewer calories in their diet. With that thought kept in mind, realize that all dogs that have had this done should also see a small reduction in their calorie intake requirements.
When you talk to your vet about this procedure, learn what your dog will need to have done afterwards. It is important to realize that dogs will likely consume slightly less in terms of food naturally, but again that food needs to be based on a healthy diet.
Provide your dog with the nutrition that it needs but be sure that the calories are less after they have been fixed. This will help him to continue to burn stored fat too.
Big tip - ensure that you exercise your dog. Just as with people, exercise helps your dog to build his muscles, and muscles use more calories than flab. Healthy daily exercise will help your dog live longer - and it will save you money on vet bills too.
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Dog treats - a minor part of your dog’s diet
May 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Dogs love treats, and because we love our dogs, we enjoy giving them treats.
Treats are a large factor in many pet’s diets and that is a problem. The good news is that you can monitor how much they take in and how much you give them in a day.
Your goal should be to make sure that no more than 10 percent of the dog’s intake of food comes from treat related products. Any and all treats should have the dietary information that your dog needs so that you can record it. This does not mean that you have to sit down with a piece of paper and keep notes.
Instead, know what the calorie goals are for your pet and multiply this number by .10. This number is the number of calories that are allowable to come from treat products. Anything more than this and your pet is consuming too much of their diet on treats.
Look for treats that are no more than that 10 percent. Or, break treats in half and do not give them the full recommended serving size. Pay attention to the numbers on packages.
You need to pay just as much attention to your dog’s diet as you do to your own. His treats are an extra, and need to be counted as part of his diet.
Not sure what to feed your dog? Keep your dog healthy with Dog Food Secrets.
Dog food for overweight dogs
May 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If your dog is overweight, it’s time to reduce his calorie intake. Yes, you can put your dog on a diet, just as you put yourself on a diet.
It is important to realize that if a pet is overweight right now, he needs to consume less than his recommended calorie intake to lose weight.
As your body takes in too much food, food is stored as fat in the tissues of the body so that when there is not enough food, this stored fat can be used to help them to get through the rough time. Most pets will never have that situation since you are taking care of them.
To help them to lose this stored weight, then, you must reduce their calorie intake by a small amount so that their body uses stored fat instead of using the foods that they are given for energy needs.
Depending on what your pet’s calorie intake goal is, reduce this number given to them by just 5 to 10 percent. This small reduction will help them to use stored fat as energy and therefore help them to lose weight. More than this amount will cause the body to go into starvation mode which will not allow them to use stored fat. Monitor restrictive diets closely.
Many dog food manufacturers offer calorie-controlled diets for overweight dogs, and this is an excellent option. You can also cook your own dog food, adding lots of vegetables to a small amount of meat. This is a healthy option.
Vegetables you can add to your dog’s diet include: grated carrot and grated pumpkin.
Not sure what to feed your dog? Keep your dog healthy with Dog Food Secrets.
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