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Fat Pets

One of the most frequent dog and cat health issues is obesity. Obesity in pets has become more frequent just like obesity in people. We love our pets and sometimes tend to overfeed them because they are so happy when they are eating. Here are some suggestions to keep your pets slim and trim:

Dogs: A 1997 study looked at two grous of Labrador retriever puppies taht were fed a high-protein diet for three years: The only difference between them was that one group was free-fed, and the other was not. The Labs that could eat as much as they wanted were on average 22 pounds heavier than their moderately fed counterparts. They also had significantly higher levels of hip dysplasia. This study has caused experts to recommend not feeding puppy food to large-breed puppies, recommending adult food instead.Adult dogs that are overweight are endangering their health and are at higher risk for everything from heart disease to diabetes.  To create a sense of fullness in a dieting dog, pet care experts suggest substituting some green beans or plain canned pumpkin, which have lots of fiber but not so many calories. Check with your vet though before making any radical change to your dogs diet.

Cats – If Garfield were a real cat, he would be a good candidate for diabetes. Among cat health problems obesity and diabetes go hand in hand for cats. Exacerbating the problem are diets that are heavy in cereal based carbohydrates. To prevent diabetes, some feline specialists tell owners to feed a “catkins” (Atkins) diet of 40 percent protein, 40 to 45 percent fat, and only 3 to 5 percent carbohydrates. “Fasting” a cat is a very bad idea. Cats that do not eat within 24 hours face possible life-threatening repercussions.Rabbits – Many veterinarians who are well-versed in bunny care suggest restricting pellets (but not eliminating them completely because they provide important trace minerals) and augmenting them with fresh vegetables such as carrots (tops and all), borccoli and a variety of greens. Because rabbits must also eat indigestible fiber to keep their gut functioning properly, they must have access to grass hay at all times.

Birds – For pet birds seeds may be addictive to parrots and other companion birds, but they are basically junk food for birds. I had no idea that seeds were not particularly good for birds until a friend of mine who breeds parakeets and has a companion parrot told me. Many avian vets recommend a diet of nutrionally complete pellets, combined with fresh vegetables. (Be sure you know which foods are potentially toxic to birds such as avocado and chocolate.) Feeding a varied and complete diet early in the bird’s life will prevent it from developing a narrow palate.

Fish – Myth: Fish can not really be fed to bursting. But uneaten food in the tank can lead to all kinds of problems from cloudy water to bacteria and algae growth. Plus if you don’t overfeed you will save a lot of money on fish food.

See our post on Save On Pet Care

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