Proper nutrition for your dog will help improve its skin and hair coat health. It will also help in repairing damaged cells in the body and boost its immunity against most diseases.
Maintaining a healthy diet for dogs may not be a downhill task for all dog owners, though. If you’re following a plan that’s not sustainable, your dog’s health won’t improve. Besides maintaining a healthy diet, there are also many solutions that will keep your dog’s well being out of the stake. Feel free to visit a site such as Lively Paws that offers natural dog supplements for improving your dog’s health.
A healthy diet is also crucial if you wish to ensure that your dog is in the ideal weight limit according to its size. Overweight or obesity in your dog can make it develop unpleasant behaviors that would make everybody uncomfortable around it.
How to know if the Dog is Overweight
It is believed that chronic overfeeding and lesser physical activities are the primary causes of overweight in dogs. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (ASPOP) reports that around 55 percent of dogs suffer from obese or overweight complications.
Unfortunately, most pet owners don’t know how to diagnose if their pet dogs are overweight, and most of these conditions end up not being treated. If you suspect that your dog is overweight, check out for these signs;
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Poor Stamina
It is possible that your dog could still appear active, but it suddenly stops doing certain things the ‘normal way’. For instance, if stops running as fast as it usually do, gets tired more often and playing lesser than before, it is advisable that you check its weight.
Chances are high; the dog may have put on a few extra weights that its muscles struggle to support. The excess weight could also be making it difficult for its heart to maintain, among other factors.
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Reduced Interest in Physical Activities
To some extent, this is attached to poor stamina discussed above. Getting ‘lazier’ for a once energetic and physically active dog is a red flag.
If it begins to fancy more rest and sleep as opposed to playing outdoors as before, its weight could be bothering it.
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When you can’t feel the Ribs Anymore
Try running your fingers around the flanks and the abdominal region to see if you can easily feel the ribs and backbone. If you can’t feel them or are struggling to feel them, your dog could have put up some extra pounds over time.
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Saggy Stomach
You can easily spot this from the sides. Ideally, in a healthy dog, the stomach should be slightly raised. If the stomach is sagging, it could indicate a weight problem or abdominal complications.
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Check its Weight
This is the simplest way to know if your dog has accumulated excess or dangerous weight. If you suspect that it’s overweight, be sure to have its weight checked.
Note that the ideal weight in dogs varies in regards to size and breed. Therefore, to ensure that you’re comparing your furry companion’s weight with the perfect weight limit according to its size and breed you will need a weight chart.
You can get a good weight chart from a veterinarian or download one online. If it’s 5 percent to 19 percent heavier than the healthy weight for its age, breed, or size, you’ll need to develop a healthy diet for it.
Tips on Creating Healthy Diet for Your Dog
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Add fresh whole foods to its diet
Dogs can eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. From carrots to blueberries and apples, there’s quite a lot to add to its daily menu.
Foods like veggies and fruits are rich in vitamins and enzymes that will enhance their health. Before feeding your dog fresh whole foods like fruits, though, do a little background research to know the types of foods the dog should avoid and the best ways to serve them.
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Give it treats that are abundant in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants
You can make homemade treats for your dog if you’re keen on avoiding the extra additives and sugar in artificial dog meals. Nevertheless, homemade dog feeds are not convenient most of the time, and there is also the risk that you can mix the ingredients in unbalanced proportions and worsen your dog’s condition.
To avoid such mishaps, it is prudent that you check with your veterinarian on the recommendable proportions when mixing ingredients for making dog food. Either way, you may also order all-natural dog treats from legit brands like Tailbangers.
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Feed it Raw Meat
A dog’s digestive system is designed only to digest raw meat. While serving it cooked meat isn’t harmful, cooking meat eliminates the essential nutrients that the dog can benefit from when eating the food.
Serving your dog raw food will also help keep its digestive system healthy and fit. Finally, the nutrients from raw meat are easily absorbed in the dog’s system as compared to cooked meat.
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Consider a lot of bones
Gum and teeth health is another primary concern for dog owners. Bones should come first if you’re looking for a more practical way of keeping the gums and teeth healthy.
Pet health experts recommend including bones in your dog’s diet since brushing the dog’s teeth isn’t a practical option. On the other hand, gnawing on uncooked bones will ensure that the teeth remain healthy and clean.
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Don’t overfeed or over-treat
It feels good to see our dogs healthy and, most importantly, be disciplined. Being over-excited over the development of your pet or how it responds to different commands could lead to overfeeding or over-treating it.
The number of snacks or treats you give it per day could increase the risks of the dog suffering from obesity. If you’re developing a diet for your dog, be keen to check on how many times you treat or feed it per day.
If you don’t know how much food to give it per day, it would be better to have a certified veterinarian to help you figure out how much food is enough for it.
Wrapping Up
If you’re a first-time dog owner, it is normal to feel overwhelmed when trying to understand canine biology. You shouldn’t panic about your dog’s dietary requirements; however, especially if you can order all-natural, fresh dog treats from trustworthy pet stores, or dog bakeries.
At Tailbangers, our focus is to provide you with delicious but healthy treats that will significantly increase how your dog responds to training or strengthen the bond between you and it. For inquiries, call us today through 877-725-2469 or email us at [email protected].
