This is a topic I had covered a while back, but I think it's timely to cover it again. I find more dogs these days that are overweight, than I do underweight. Part of this is due to activity level, but it's also because the dog may not have the proper diet.
So, what is the proper weight? I have attached a diagram so you can see it but here's a good guideline.
If you can see all of your dogs ribs, their hip bones and even their shoulders, they are underweight. Keep in mind, some breeds run leaner than others. For example, it's harder to keep a good layer of fat on a boxer, than it is a Husky. If your dog looks like this it could be as simple as feeding them more. But, wait, what if they eat until they are full and they still don't add enough weight. This happens all the time. Consider supplementing the dog's food with something high in protein and a little higher in fat. DO NOT USE OIL OR HOTDOGS. That's a huge no no. Hotdogs cause Pancreatitis in dogs, and it is very unpleasant. Having an underweight dog can cause a host of medical issues, such as organ problems, muscular atrophy and skeletal and structure problems. Again I don't see this often, unless the dog has been abused or in a neglected relationship.
Keep in mind, your puppies when you first get them will be a little fatter, then they will lost their weight, and then they will level out.
On the other hand, how can you tell if your dog is overweight. If you can't feel each of their ribs individually, with a moderate or heavy level of fat covering them, they are too heavy, and they need to drop weight. This is the most common thing I personally see, is dogs who are overweight.
This is a huge problem and is caused by over-eating, not enough exercise and or/poor diet. You will find most heavy dogs have lower energy, even though they have more food. Everyone, IT'S TIME TO CUT THE CRAP AND CUT THE FAT (yes, I am coining this phrase) smile emoticon)
Much like being underweight, being overweight is the cause of a lot of medical issues. It can cause heart disease, hip problems, muscular and skeletal problems. Both of these will cut years off the life of your dog.
For some, it's simple laziness by free feeding the dog. For others, it's a cheaper food and a bad diet, whether that be from a financial standpoint or the owner doesn't really know any better. Then for the rest, it's because they feel bad so they feed their dog more than they need because they don't want them to be hungry, or they simply don't know how much to feed their dog.
Dog owners. You are doing MORE harm than good by overfeeding and underfeeding your dog. Your dog does not need to have every rib visible to be the athlete you want them to be. Likewise, your dog doesn't need to be a walking blowup river tube to be happy and healthy.
Make their weight ideal, as seen in the diagram I have attached. You will find your dog is much much much happier if they are at the ideal weight. A good way to know if your dog is ideal, is if you can't necessarily see their ribs, but you can feel them each, individually, with a thin layer of fat covering them. Some of your more athletic breeds (Malinois) I keep a slightly thinner than that, where the only ribs you can see are their back two at max. But these dogs need to be in peak physical condition.
So in conclusion, let's either get our dogs better food, more food, or lets help them drop their weight if needed. I like food where the protein content at the low end is 21 percent. My first ingredient is ALWAYS meat product. Dogs are not vegetarian. Take one look at their teeth and tell me that's a vegetarian. I feed my dogs a very cost friendly food; Kirtland from Costco.
Kirtland has a high protein content (26 %), first ingredient is meat, and it's about 27 dollars for a 40 LB adult size bag. They have puppy food as well, as well as small breed. I will NEVER recommend something I don't personally believe in, and I believe in this brand of food.
I hope this helps everyone and I hope you found it worth your time to read.
Thanks all
No comments:
Post a Comment