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weight loss

4 common misbeliefs about weight loss

January 15, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

 

 

Weight loss is a big issue, no pun intended.  The average pet in America could stand to lose at least a little weight, butfat dog its hard to say no when Fluffy gives you those sad eyes! Here are some common beliefs that we hear every day at North Memorial and why they are not always so true.
 
A. Pets need to eat every meal with gusto. 
A healthy pet does not need to eat several times a day, in fact its ok if they don’t eat at all for a day.  If your pet doesn’t want to eat their dinner, but already had a big bowl of kibble for breakfast, resist the urge to entice them with table scraps. 
 
B. Pets that are spayed/neutered get fat.fat cat
Any pet, neutered or not, will gain weight if it is over fed. The spaying & neutering may slightly slow the pet’s metabolism, as will normal aging, and it will then burn calories off more slowly; therefore, they may require less food. Keep in mind the surgery doesn’t cause the weight gain, eating too much does and you have control over that.
 
C. But she’s such a good dog we just have to give her treats!
Think of milkbone type treats as mini Snickers bars.  Every time you indulge your pet with treats you’re adding some serious calories to their diet.  Instead of giving a treat throw a ball, play with a squeak toy or use a laser pointer.  Pets often want your attention much more than a treat. If you must give a lot of treats make a change to how much food you’re feeding to accommodate. 
 
D. Fifi just won’t leave us alone until she has had her bedtime snack.
The pet in this picture has succesfully trained their owner.  Anytime your pet is begging and you give them a treat it is seen as a reward for the behavior.  Example: Fifi barks and jumps on her owner repeatedly until they finally give in and give her a treat.  From now on she will continue to do this and more forcefully until she gets her way. If your pet is doing something similar try to redirect them before giving the treat, tell them to sit or do a trick and then reward them.
 
Did you know our hospital has a weight loss program?  If you are struggling with an overweight pet call today, our trained staff will help.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: weight loss

Ring in the New Year

January 1, 2015 by Amanda McGrath

 

 

 
new years puppy
Ah the New Year! A blank calendar, a fresh start and plenty of resolutions.  If we had to pick the top three resolutions that should be on every pets list they would be:
 
1. Weight Loss –  over 50% of cats and dogs in the US are overweight.  All those extra pounds add up to an increase in some serious side effects.  Pets that are overweight have an increased risk of diabetes, an earlier onset of arthritis and higher risks of heart and metabolic diseases.  So in this new year instead of reaching for the treat bowl throw fidos’s favorite ball instead.
 
2 .Better Dental Care – Imagine if you will, that you have never brushed your teeth. Gross right?  Sadly this is the case for most pets. Dogs and cats need proper dental care to keep them at their best health.  Our office sells flavored tooth paste & tooth brushes. Stop in today and ask one of our trained staff to demonstrate how to properly brush your pets teeth.
 
3 .Get spayed or neutered – Every year it is estimated that 5 million pets are placed in shelters, of those 3.5 million are euthanized.  It is a hard fact that there are not enough homes for every pet.  Spaying and neutering is a sure way to lower those statistics.  Besides the moral reasons for the surgery there are countless other benefits including lower risk of cancer, less roaming and no messy heat cycles to deal with. 
 
Stay tuned in to this months blog posts as we dive in a little deeper on each of these topics.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: dental care, neuter, spay, weight loss

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