Obesity in Pets

The obesity epidemic rises with each generation.  With technological advances, Americans are spending more and more time indoors.  We are also spending much more of our time sitting for work.  In our parents’ and our grandparents’ generations, people spent more time outside for work and for recreation.  Now, both work and recreation can be found in our smartphones.

The more sedentary we are, the more sedentary our animals are.  I don’t know about you but there are days when I consciously have to remind myself to go outside. Our pet sitters spend a lot of time outside walking the pups so they get plenty of exercise.  Someone has to run the office.  That means three things… 1. that I sit most of the day, 2. that the pet sitters have a much more fun job than me, and 3. that I don’t get to play with puppies all day.  That last one hits me right in the feels.  I love puppies too!

There are however a few things you can do to combat obesity in your pets even if you don’t have a super active lifestyle:

 

1. Don’t Over Feed

Just as we overserve ourselves sometimes, we often overserve our pets. Be sure and follow the recommended serving size on the dog food.  If you have questions or if your pet seems to really want more, please do address this issue with your vet. Every animal is different but you definitely want to be cognizant of feeding with a heavy hand.

This includes snacks.  This one hits me in the feels too.  I am a firm believer that snack time is the best time.  However, snacks have calories too. I do my best to block out this fun fact most days but those extra little bites can really start to add up for your daily caloric intake.

2. Don’t Feed from the Table

The foods we cook for ourselves are often filled with many preservatives and additives.  Your pet’s digestive tract may not be able to process those ingredients as well as humans can.  Pets definitely love people food… I mean it certainly smells better than theirs. How could they not beg for a little taste? All of those things that add flavor to our food also often adds fat and calories.  It’s best to limit or even avoid feeding pets from the table.

3. Increase Play Time

This one is not only for the pet, this is such a mood booster for us humans too.  Have you ever seen an angry person play with a puppy?  Yeah, me either.  It’s impossible.  The animal loves spending time with you. They need the exercise and you get a mood booster too.  It’s a triple win!

 

If your pets need a little extra playtime throughout the day, give us a call. We would be happy to schedule a mid-day visit and make sure that your pets get the exercise they need while you’re at the office. Depending upon the animal, our sitters take dogs on a short walk or spend some time in the backyard playing. Either way, your pets to get expend some energy, get the exercise they need, and get plenty of love and attention.

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