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Winter Weight Gain

Winter Weight Gain on Pets

Do you know if your pet has gained weight? 
Sometimes it is easy to tell and other times it is not. 
We all can probably say that we are guilty for adding on a few pounds over the course of a winter, 
but what about our dogs and cats? 
It is much harder in Indiana to get our dogs out depending on the weather 
and perhaps even harder to keep our cats exercising.
 We also maybe decide to give them a few more treats. 
You know what I mean. 
Those little extras because it is the Holiday Season and they would love some extra food during the cold long nights here in Indiana.
However, those extra pounds could be doing more harm than good. For each extra pound on your pet, it is like adding 10 pounds to yourself. So what can you really do about it?

1. Take a look at the back of the bag that you feed. 
As animal lovers, many of us feed our pets with love. So that may mean that you are not measuring out the correct amount of food. You also want to be feeding the for the weight that your pet should be, not necessarily the weight that they are if they are overweight. You can always drop in the clinic to see how much your pet weighs and we can keep a record of it here. It is safest to lose a few pounds a month, nothing drastic.  You can add carrots or green beans to the their food as well.

2. Treats?
Can your pet have treats? Of course they can. Just remember that treats could potentially add many calories to your pet's diet. If you would like to feed a lot of treats, then consider cutting back your dog or cat food so that you can still love them with treats and not add on the pounds. What kinds of treats are safe? This is a good question and we are happy to talk with you about the treats that you feed your pets. Here is a starting point for you to take a look at. Healthy Pet Snacks

3. You do not have to go for a long walk. 
We all know that here in Indiana the weather can change quickly in the course of a day. If the weather is safe enough for you to go outside, a short walk can be better than no walk if it means getting in a little bit of exercise for your animals. It is not only good for your pet's body, but also is good for mental stimulation. Know that winter will be coming to an end here soon and we will all be out and about so much more.

4. Know what healthy looks like for the breed that your pet is. 
It is known that pets can live longer lives if they maintain healthier weights. Check out this website by Purina that gives a guideline to what is standard for many pet breeds. How does your pet hold up next to the breed standards? Remember that these are also guidelines and mixed breeds may be harder to know what is most ideal for your pet. We are happy to discuss this with you when your pet comes in for a weigh in.

5. Remember that your pet relies on us and you to be healthy. 
If you are unsure about what might be healthy for your pets for diet or exercise, please contact us so that we can help. You are not in this alone when it comes to weight changes (be them up or down). We are happy to discuss the best ways to manage your pet's health. You can reach us by phone at 317-846-8710 or if you know that you would like to set up an appointment, you can conveniently do so from our website. Click HERE to make an appointment.




written by Danielle Fuller ~ RVT




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