Fit or FAT?

FIT or FAT?

What to feed, how much,
how often, puppy or adult,
home-cooked or even raw diets

Lean, fit and healthy.

"You are what you eat" applies to our companion animals as well as us, and good nutrition is the first line of defense against illness and disease. Cancer, allergies, and behavior problems can be food related. Diet and weight can have a direct impact on structural problems and some studies show a direct correlation between fast growth and nutrition and such problems as hip and shoulder dysplasia and other structural problems.

Fit and fat. Littermate sisters.
Same height, same build.
Sis on right needs to lose 5 or more lbs.

"If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise!"

These dogs may be the same breed type and same age,.....
but they have very different calorie requirements............
Just because the BAG says they should eat a certain amount,
it isn't necessarily true. The dog on the left is dieting!

"For a full year, til he's full grown"

is an advertising slogan designed to sell the maximum amount of puppy food possible to a single consumer. When researching food, the last place to go for information and feeding advice is the marketing expert whose job is to SELL you the food. Ask your vet, your breeder, read, research, go online and study a variety of sources on canine nutrition to find out what to feed and what's best for your particular breed and your particular dog and its activity level, and when to switch from puppy to adult food. In general, when the pup is old enough to be spayed or neutered, it's probably a good time to start the switch to a good quality adult maintenance diet.

Individual dogs have individual metabolisms, just like people. Feed accordingly!

Home cooking? As is true for your family, the best food is often food prepared yourself. It's not as difficult as you think. If you want to learn more, Dr. Pitcairn's book can help you get started. Remember that developing a healthy well-balanced diet is not just a matter of making soup for your dog. Adding this and that to his regular diet or adding supplements without studying what you are adding can upset the nutritional balance and do your dog no favors.

Lean and physically fit pets live longer, healthier lives.
We aren't given enough years with our pets - their lifespan is already much shorter than our own. Don't shave off any more years by over-indulging your pet - overfeeding isn't kindness! Be selfish, keep your dog with you for as long as you possibly can! Feed less and exercise more!

How to tell if your pet is pudgy:
Touch is the best way to measure. Place your thumbs on your pet's spine and spread your fingers across its rib cage. You should be able to discern each rib easily, there should be no more than a thin layer of fat over the ribs. If it feels spongy, if you can't find the ribs, your pet is overweight. Viewed from above, your pet should clearly have shoulders, ribs, waist and hips. If there is no waist, or if the waist is bigger than the hips, your pet isn't pudgy, it's FAT!

Ask your veterinarian!
Tell your vet to give it to you straight. Some vets are "too nice" when it comes to concerns regarding weight. They may not bring it up if you don't - and even then they may soften the blow with polite statements like "Well, she looks like she hasn't missed a meal" or "You might cut back a little." Weigh your pet and ask the vet to tell you how many pounds to take off and how much you should feed - and would a "lite" variety help? Many vet clinics have walk-on scales and wouldn't mind at all if you dropped in to weigh your pet weekly so you can monitor your progress.

The dog on the left is a little thick in the waistline, he's certainly not "fat" - but now is the time to cut back! At this point you need only feed a few kibble less than he's used to. If you let it go because "he's not that bad" until it is "that bad", he will notice the larger amount you will need to cut back when he's on a diet and he will feel a little cheated!

Read the label.
The ingredients that are used to make your pet's food determine the quality of the food; the better the ingredients the better the food. Most pet owners never fully realize the impact that the choice of food has on their pet's lives. The pet's personality, appearance, and short and long term health conditions are all impacted by its food. Labeling laws require manufacturers to list ingredients in descending order of weight before the food is cooked or processed. Typically the combination of the first 4 to 5 ingredients make up 75% of the food (by weight prior to cooking) and are a fairly accurate indicator of the quality of a particular food.

Things to avoid:
meat by-products, food fragments (such as hulls and mill run), beet pulp (an artificial stool hardener), artificial preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, sweeteners, artificial colors and propylene glycol. The best preservatives are natural vitamin preservatives like Vitamin C and E (tocopherols).

These books and more are available through Dogwise - www.dogwise.com or 1-800-776-2665

Play-n-Stay Dog Day Care - (509) 325-0581 - 724 W. Rosewood Ave.
a variety of the very best dog foods in stock - and the best daycare in town!

Ruff Sit - they deliver!

The Pet Pantry - 509-468-9300
-If you call and leave a message for them they will call back, find out your food needs, and drop off samples.