Ten Ways to Help Your Pet Live Long and Prosper While
Saving a Bunch of Money on Vet Bills at the Same Time
Part 5: Don’t Let Them Get Fat!
In part 3 of this series, we said that feeding really good food is one way to accomplish our over-arching goal of long life for your pets and low veterinary bills for you. However, too much really good food can be just as troublesome to your pet as feeding poor quality food. According to a May 2014 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, almost 53 percent of dogs and 58 percent of cats in the US are overweight or obese. Next to dental disease, obesity in pets is probably the most common health problem we see!
Obesity is a contributing factor in the majority of debilitating illnesses of cats and dogs, all of which are difficult and expensive to treat! From early arthritis and diabetes, to liver and heart troubles, carrying around too much weight takes real time off of the end of their lives! So, how much should we feed our pets? Here are some guidelines:
Dogs: One cup of dry or one (14 oz) can of food per 20 lbs body weight
Cats: ¾ cup of dry or one (5.5 oz) can of food per 10 lbs body weight
These amounts assume NO TREATS ARE BEING GIVEN and should be reduced if treats are a regular part of your pet’s life. Better yet, measure out the food each day and use some of it for treats while eliminating all other snacks! If your pet is a spayed female, a large breed dog, or is fairly inactive, you should also reduce the amount of food given per day.
Feeding high quality food in modest portions with few or no treats, coupled with regular exercise will ensure that your pet stays lean and healthy its whole life. We are always happy to weigh your pet and give nutritional and weight-management advice at no charge!