As dog owners, we want to make sure that our four-legged friends are as healthy as possible. Worryingly, 51% of dogs in the UK are overweight with as many as 86% of owners not even realising their pooch is carrying extra pounds. As we have explored, obesity in dogs can lead to a plethora of medical issues and make daily activities far more challenging for them, so here is our advice on how to manage your dog’s weight.
Regular vet checks
Your pup should be taken for a health check by a vet at least once a year - this can be done at the same time as their annual vaccinations - or more regularly as they get older. This will allow you (and your dog’s vet ) to check your dog is a good weight and if they are over or underweight your vet can look in to why that is? You may be feeding too much (or too little) or your dog may not be getting enough exercise. If your dog has a healthy, balanced diet and is active, your vet can run simple tests to find out if there's any underlying medical issue.
Exercise
Making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is so important, not only to their physical health, but also to their mental health. Many dog parents think of exercise as going on walks - which is the primary activity - you can also take them swimming, play fetch, practise some obedience and take up dog sports, like agility or flyball. We recently published a blog on how you and your dog can get fit together - read more about it here.
Sometimes we, as dog owners, don’t have the ability to take our dogs on long walks in safe, open locations. So it is absolutely fine to take your dog on several shorter walks a day, especially if they are very young, old or are a smaller dog. If you live in a city, finding off-lead areas where you can let your dog run free is better for their mental and physical health than walks only on the lead.
Where you do have to keep them on a lead, you can make your walks more interesting by making a pit stop at a friend’s house, dog-friendly coffee shop or even the pet shop. You could arrange walks with someone who also has a dog, so you and your pet can both socialise on your walk, explore a route you’ve never taken before or spend some time training - bring your Caboodle treats (they are low calorie!).
Diet
Almost a quarter of owners overindulge their dog because they don’t know how much food their dog needs, and only 20% of dog owners always measure their dog’s food. We understand how confusing it can be trying to work out how much to feed your dog, not only in terms of their food, treats and chews but also from brand to brand (as nutritional value and calories will vary).
Your vet can help you work out how much to feed, and now, so can Caboodle!
If you tell us a few details about your dog - like weight, activity level and body condition - we will find the ideal portion sizes for your dog. We measure and tailor each daily box so that it's the right amount for your dog every day.
We believe that a mixture of wet and dry food is the best way to offer your pet a balanced diet. Each daily box includes tasty wet and crunchy dry food, tempting treats and a dental chew. It's everything your dog wants and no more than they need every day.
Watch those extras!
If you are someone who likes to give your dog lots of treats, this will contribute to your dog’s weight. If you are a softie with your dog and find it hard to resist those big eyes, they will very quickly learn that begging works. It's important to gauge when your dog is genuinely hungry and when they are being a touch greedy. With smaller dogs especially a little overindulging can turn in to extra weight gain quickly.
Having a Caboodle daily tray with you means you know how much they've got each day and ensures your dog doesn’t miss a meal or have one too many treats.
You can try Caboodle now and save 25% with the code FIRSTBOX25.
