How to Help Your Pet Lose Weight

Being a responsible pet owner means keeping your pet happy and healthy throughout their life.  If your pet is overweight, there can be some significant ramifications for their health.  What should you do to help your pet with weight loss and to keep them healthy?

Visit the Vet

First, take your pet to the vet for a checkup.  Your veterinarian will be able to examine your pet and give you specific information about how much weight your pet needs to lose.  In addition, your vet might be able to tell if there is an underlying medical condition that is contributing to the weight gain, like diabetes or arthritis.

Provide a Healthy Diet

The next step is to make sure that your pet is on a healthy diet.  Often, foods that you buy from your local big-box pet store are cheaply made and not particularly nutritious.  A visit to a specialty pet store can help you find a healthy food that will help your pet shed the unnecessary pounds. 

As a rule of thumb, anything that lists ‘corn’ or any other grain as it’s top ingredient should be avoided like the plague.  Corn is a cheap ‘filler’ and although it sounds healthy to uninformed pet owners, neither cats or dogs can digest it, meaning they have to eat more in order to feel satisfied.

Cut the Treats

You will also need to stop giving your pet those fatty treats.  Treats can be great ways to train your pet, as well as to help in the bonding process, but unhealthy treats can add unwanted weight to your pet.  Cutting down on these treats and replacing them with healthier options will do your pet a world of good.  Also, resort to toys or more playtime for rewards, instead of extra calories.

Exercise

Finally, you need to make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise and you need to have patience.  It can take some time for the weight to come off, so don’t lose hope.  Make sure you take your pet back to the vet for regular checkups, and watch the weight start to come off.