INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Pet Health
SPONSORED CONTENT
Overweight Pets:
Is your pet overweight?
If you’re being
honest with yourself, I’m betting that your reply
is yes because almost 50% of all pets are these days.
It’s interesting that our pets have mirrored our
own tendency to have trouble with weight control.
One distinct advantage we can provide to our
“best friends” is to control what & how much we
feed them, thus controlling their overall well-being.
Unless your dog or cat is sneaking into the fridge
and making sandwiches when you’re not around,
the only way they can eat is when YOU feed them!
So how do you know if your pet is overweight?
One way is being able to feel each rib. They
should have an hourglass shape and feel to them
when looking at your pet from a top view. From
this simple test if you determine that your pet is
overweight, the first thing you want to do is have
your vet run a blood panel to rule out hypothyroidism or any other medical condition. If there
is no medical condition contributing to your pet’s
This chart
applies to
cats as well.
weight problem all you’ll need to do is reduce
calorie intake and increase exercise/calories
burned. Sounds easy right? Not always and
there’s actually much more to it than that.
First thing I’d suggest is to look at “what” type
of food you’re feeding. Examine the ingredients
of the food you are currently feeding or bring the
bag in and we can examine it. The first ingredient
should be an identifiable meat source. Any type of
grains or corn should never be the first ingredient.
Because dogs are omnivores and carnivores,
(cats are true carnivores), their protein needs to
come from meat, not carbohydrates! Simply put –
they need a diet high in protein, which isn’t
stored as fat, and is low in carbohydrates. A high
carbohydrate diet increases insulin production
which tells the body to store unused calories as
fat. Now don’t be so quick to run out and buy that
“Lite” pet food. These diets have restricted fat
levels to reduce the calories but by necessity
have to increase the carbohydrate
percentages to maintain the
proper protein levels.
Did you know
that almost
50% of all pets are
overweight?
Secondly I’d suggest you
look at “how” you are
feeding your pets. “Free
feeding” means keeping that
bowl nice and full, so your
pet can eat whenever it wants!
Remember, you’re in control!
You should give your pet a measured
amount of food twice per day. If your pet is
used to free feeding it may take some “tough
love” on your part to get on a feeding schedule
but is certainly possible with minimal effort.
Another big No-No when it comes to your pet’s
weight is found in their between-meals treats.
More often than not they are full of simple
carbohydrates and low quality ingredients such
as by-products, chemical preservatives and
food coloring.
Gary Yon
(providing more support to the musculoskeletal
system) and lastly it keeps them happy, calm and
well-behaved. Just like us humans who look to
lead a “quality” lifestyle through proper diet and
exercise; why should it be any different for our
four-legged family members!?!
Interestingly enough, we have had several
customers come to us just wanting to change to a
better food and they have seen weight loss in their
pets. Reason being the foods we choose to carry
contain high quality meat protein and not corn or
any simple carbohydrates. Choose health and a
quality (not quantity) lifestyle for our pets. They’ll
love you even more and look/feel better doing it!
SOUTH HILLS:
Crossgates Plaza
1742 Washington Rd.
Upper St. Clair, PA. 15241
(Next to Model Cleaners)
412.831.3700
Monday-Thurs: 9am - 8pm
Friday-Saturday: 9am - 6pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
NORTH HILLS:
9805 McKnight Rd.
McCandless, PA 15237
Thirdly, you need to consider how much exercise
your pet is getting. Exercise burns calories and can
also lead to a plethora of other benefits. Increased
bone density (decreasing chances of arthritis and
osteoporosis), strengthening of ligaments, tendons
Find us on
412.366.0700
Monday-Friday: 9am - 8pm
Saturday: 9am - 6pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm
www.healthypetproducts.net
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