For many of us, this is the time of year to get our weight under control. But for pet owners, they have double responsibility: for themselves and their pets!
A client shared with me recently that she saw a saying at a canine rescue shop: “If your dog is fat then you’re not getting enough exercise!”
At my clinic we take a less accusatory line. We understand that pet owners have lives which can change through the course of a dog’s life.
Stay strict to fight fat
Maintaining a strict exercise routine is hard when there’s a change like a new job commute, or an unexpected operation or illness. It’s never our place to judge, but we do love to help.
We felt so passionate about this that two years ago every member of the team gave up a Sunday to sit down and learn more about how we can help overweight pets get slim. Then we became the first ever Royal Canin Approved Weight Management Clinic in the south.
Since then we’ve helped many pets and their owners to understand why weight matters, and to take the steps needed towards a slimmer future.
My nursing team offer free of charge weight management consultations. This gives us the time to look into every aspect of the overweight pet’s life from who feeds it what, when and how often. What treats are being given? And how does this balance with the amount of exercise being taken?
It may seem obvious that if a pet is overweight you need to feed them less. But if you restrict some diets too much, you can end up not providing enough trace elements and minerals for a healthy lifestyle.
Some middle to older age pets slow down and experience health issues, and this can impact on their weight. My nurses relish the challenge of finding the perfect food choices for even the most complex of medical cases, ensuring that each individual gets the protein, minerals and trace elements they require in adequate amounts.
