When it comes to your dog’s diet, you have to have the will power for your dog.  Due to the increased sense of scent (on average up to 40 times stronger than that of a human), it is incredibly tempting for a dog to seek out and eat anything it can.  Therefore for your dog’s sake, keep all foodstuffs out of its reach and bins safely secured.

Obesity

Obesity among the dog population is alarmingly more and more widespread.  Whilst dog owners think they are showing love to their dog by giving continuous and inappropriate ‘treats’, in reality in some cases they are killing their dogs with kindness, or at the very least cutting their life expectancy short by several years and exposing them to the dangers of obesity, cancer and other illnesses.

Dogs are omnivores – therefore they eat both plant and animal matter so they benefit from the addition of fruit and vegetables to their diet.  Only feeding your dog dry kibble can be boring and monotonous so fruit and veg can be a welcome addition.  The best way to introduce vegetables is to cook it and mince it.

Treats

Giving your dog a small ‘dog biscuit’ is equivalent to approximately 27 grammes of lean chicken.  It’s much better to use small pieces of lean chicken, carrot, apple or orange throughout the day as a delicious treat, especially to use during training.

Some excellent foods for your dog are:

• Vegetables
• Fruit (but not avocado)
• Rice
• Oats
• Low fat yoghurt – contains good bacteria and aids digestion
• Kidney beans
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Raw egg (occasionally)

Harmful foods to avoid:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Avocado
• Onions, onion powder
• Salt
• Garlic
• Raisins and grapes
• Macadamia nuts
• Yeast dough
• Fatty foods
• Mouldy or gone off foods
• Products sweetened with xylitol
• Coffee (all forms)
• Chocolate (all forms)

Chocolate contains theobromine.   This is not harmful for humans as we have the ability to break it down, dogs however cannot.  Ingesting chocolate increases your dog’s heart rate and breathing.  Depending on the quantity ingested, the dog’s heart will beat faster and faster, eventually leading it to take a fit and possibly die.  Never give your dog chocolate.

Consult with your vet regarding the appropriate amount of food for your dog.  Some dog owners feed their dog once a day and others prefer to divide the daily allowance in two and give half the amount to the dog in the morning and the second half in the evening.  This can alleviate the hunger pangs of your dog and it may be less tempted to scavenge for food throughout the day.

Dog poo

A good way to monitor the quality of your dog’s diet is by its poo (excrement).  Good poo is properly formed (not runny) and when you scoop it up off the pavement it should leave a little bit of residue.

Checking your dog’s weight

A quick tip for seeing if your dog is overweight is to run your fingers down its back to the bottom of its ribcage.  You should be able to feel the ribs without prodding.  Also at about the same level you should be able to clearly feel its back bone.  If you can’t then chances are your dog is overweight.

As you bring your dog for its annual booster and check up, your vet will weigh your dog.  Any significant increase or decrease in weight is the first indication that there may be serious health problems.

Exercise

Always consult with your vet regarding the amount of exercise your dog requires.  This will depend on the breed, age and state of health of your dog.  As a rule, dogs require 2 walks a day of approximately 30 minutes each time.  Some breeds depending on their energy level may require more.

If your dog is overweight, be very careful about putting it on an exercise regime that may be too strenuous for it.  Excess weight puts pressure on the dog’s joints and muscle. 

Hydrotherapy is an excellent solution to get your dog into shape as the water supports the weight making the joints and muscles less prone to strain and injury whilst providing a total body workout.

One minute of swimming burns approximately as many calories as running a mile.

Crash dieting your dog (as with humans) means that weight can go straight back on so it is best to aim to reduce the body weight by 1% each month through a well planned exercise regime and diet change.