Helping dogs lose weight

I was asked this question by Amy who wanted to know how to help her dog lose weight.

Question;
I Have A 2 Year Old Syberian Husky I Got Him A Month Ago! I need to put him on a diet. I work in a pet shop so I would put him on Wainwrights as I can´t afford Science Plan. Do you have any tips on how to do It?

Answer;
Hi Amy,

Getting a dog to lose weight is never an easy task but it is perfectly possible. Firstly, if you are moving him to a new food, change from one to the other gradually so his guts don´t get upset and also so he accepts his new food.

A few good tips for weight loss are
- Always feed a ´light´ diet, there are plenty available now in vets and pet shops
- Always weigh out your dogs daily allowance, it is impossible to guess how much they will need, and they won´t let you know!
- Feed twice a day to prevent your pet becoming very hungry at one end of the day. This reduces them pestering for food.
- Cut out the treats!! A must for all pets on a diet. Use some of the daily allowance of food as treats, and then you know they are not being over fed. Never give table scraps
- Exercise more. Aim for at least 1 hours exercise a day, off the lead if possible.

I know the premium diets are expensive, but they can work out quite economical if you calculate the feeding cost per day, and cut out all the extra treats and things bought! They are great for animals which are very fat, but are not always required if your pet has just a few pounds to lose.

Hope this helps

Cat