Horoscope universe: Keeping the pounds off your pet - New York Daily News
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The more active your dog, the better shape they'll be in.
When people eat an excess of junk food or don't make the right choices health wise, they tend to gain weight. The same holds true for your pet. Pet obesity is just coming under the microscope as people become more aware of the negative impacts of an overweight animal.
Just like in humans, extra weight on your pet can lead to heart disease, arthritis and a number of other health issues. Not only can this be costly to you as the vet visits become more frequent, but the reduction in quality of life and comfort of your furry friend can be enormous. When you want to lose weight there are two areas to look at, and these are the same areas to look at if your pet needs to drop a few pounds: diet and activity level.
To treat or not to treat?
What you eat has a huge impact on how you look and feel, and what you feed your pet can impact him or her in the same ways. Keep in mind dog and cat treats are meant to be just that, treats, not a steady diet, and an overload in them can cause the scale to rise. If you ate numerous servings of cookies or candy each day, chances are you'd see your waistline increase, and quite possibly your cholesterol and blood pressure.
When you feed your dog or cat too many cookies or treats, they can experience the same bulge. There are low-calorie alternative products available in the treat department but moderation is also necessary. Just because the treat has fewer calories than the original version, doesn't mean it's a good idea to feed them to your pet excessively. Depending on the animal, fruit and vegetables can also be substituted for premade treats. Carrots and green beans are a few doggy favorites that still allow you to treat your buddy, but not at the expense of their health.
Diet Basics
Recently there has been an increase in the number of commercials touting higher quality pet foods as a result of the increase in demand for a healthier more nutritious daily diet. Pet owners are just becoming aware of the fact that many dog foods are the equivalent of human junk food and we feed our dogs and cats this every day. As people seek out higher quality pet foods, more are becoming available and these products are worth looking into, especially if you have an overweight pet.
There are all organic pet foods, grain-free and low calorie diets available; many at a greater cost but only compared to the 'junk foods'. If you compare the cost of keeping your pet healthy and reducing the number of vet visits due to the problems associated with obesity, investing in more expensive but higher quality food could actually save you money in the long run.
Read More @ Source Taurus Monthly 2012
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