Tails
Making pet parenting easy

Is Your Pet Overweight?

This entry was posted on 2017-02-02 by Pet Heaven Store.

Although we love spoiling our furkids with tasty food and treats, how do we know when we are taking it too far? Although your ‘chubby’, ’big’ or ‘fluffy’ pet may be the designated vacuum cleaner of the household, how does one distinguish between a harmless bit of extra cushion and actual pet obesity which can lead to a multitude of illnesses such as diabetes, liver disease, and cancer?

If you are worried that your beloved pet may be heading towards obesity, take this quick quiz and find out!

Examine your pet's outer appearance

#1 Can you clearly distinguish your pet's chest from its stomach and waist, or are they all merged into one blob on legs?

#2 Are you struggling to feel (or even find) your pet’s ribs and rib cage?

#3 Particularly in dogs, can you see fat rolls on the neck, spine or base of the tail? For cats, can you feel your kitty’s joints underneath the layer of fat that is covering them?

Watch your pet’s behaviours

#4 Is your pet not interested, or simply not able to partake, in physical activity?

#5 Does your pet struggle to move around, sit up or groom itself?

#6 Are you often victim to your pet's ‘stink bombs’? Overweight pets are more prone to releasing gas and experiencing other digestive problems.

If the answer is YES to at least 2 of the above, it may be a sign that perhaps your best friend’s diet and exercise regime need to be adjusted!

What to do next?

If you have discovered that your pet may be at risk of obesity and other disease, the good news is that with a strict diet (no more treats!) and regular exercise your furbaby can bounce back to a healthy weight. Petheaven.co.za offers a range of dry and wet foods for this exact purpose! Be sure to choose a food that is low in calories, high in protein and formulated for your pet’s size and weight.

Dogs


Eukanuba Dog Adult Medium Weight Control	Hills Advanced Fitness Adult Medium	Ultra Dog Special Diet Low Calorie	Acana Light and Fit Dog

Cats


Royal Canin Feline Light Weight Care	Eukanuba Cat Adult Weight Control	Hills Perfect Weight Feline	Royal Canin Health Fit