Pet Stress and Pet Behavior Problems

Dog Obesity, Dog Diet

Jack the dog is a little obese and his veterinarian is concerned about his weight. So Jack is on a veterinarian-approved dog diet and exercise program.

He eats two meals per day. For each meal he has two much smaller scoops of dry dog kibble, with an extra portion of vegetables and a little broth to make it tastier and more filling. He loves whatever he finds in his bowl.

However the dog treat reduction program was problematic. Jack knows he’s supposed to get three of them, and he’s good at counting so he kept waiting for his third biscuit. Now, instead, his treats are broken in half so he still gets three pieces, which seems to satisfy him.

He’s trying to get more exercise, which is challenging in New England in January. It’s tricky running on ice. When it’s really cold there aren’t any evil squirrels outside to chase and fetching balls has limited appeal.

And of course, there are those days when we’d all rather curl up in a soft warm bed.

Nonetheless, he’s already looking a little trimmer around the middle, and seems a little more energetic. While Jack may never have six-pack abs or a buff beach-ready body he will be much healthier and have a reduced risk for diabetes, cardiovascular problems and other obesity-related problems.

Read more about overweight pets at http://www.petstress.com/answers/articles/archive/1-2009/diet.asp and contact your vet if you’re concerned about the possibility that your pets are overweight.