Happy New Year!!!  January is Walk Your Dog month!  What do you think your dog or cat’s resolution for 2020 might be?

Did you know that 57.9 of pets are overweight or obese?  How will your pet benefit from losing a few pounds in the new year?  Giving your pet a healthier start to the new year can mean more energy, reduce odors, better skin health, and less trips to the vet!

5 ways to help your dog or cat lose weight:

1.  Exercise is huge!!!   Just like humans, being active is one of the best ways to burn calories and lose weight.  Dogs love walks or a game of fetch, while cats could simply benefit from a few minutes of play with a favorite toy each day!  Being playful with your dog or cat can lead to a healthier, happier pet overall.  My dogs love the “chuck it dog ball thrower” and the best part is they are durable and won’t get destroyed!  

2.  Playtime: Cats love to play with catnip mice, anything on a string, or newspaper and boxes, of course, they live the simple life!  Dogs and cats alike love to play for the most part, so get them active with a challenging game of cat and mouse, or dog and squeaky toy ~ They are sure to join in for the fun!  Dogs love to chase a ball, tug o war, or throwing a squeaky toy across the room from time to time and it will boost their heart rate, keep their joints in good shape, and help them lose a few extra pounds if you are playing with them regularly.

3.  Cut Out Table Scraps:  It’s hard to resist those cute little eyes staring at you, begging you for just a little morsel, or that paw reaching for your hamburger as you take a bite, but don’t give in!  It’s just not good for our pets to have table scraps, and the more you give in, the more likely and hard it is to control how much your dog/cat might be eating.

4.  Read Dog/Cat Food Labels:   I personally am a label reader for my own family’s health ~ but this goes for our pets too!  Many dog & cat foods contain high amounts of fat (particularly crude fat), salt, and even chemicals that just aren’t good for them!  Cut your dog or cat’s food serving down a little bit each day, and try to look for pet food that is low in fat and has beef, chicken, or fish as the first few ingredients, instead of meat byproducts, or other fillers such as corn.  This alone can drastically cut your pet’s calories in half.

5.  Limit Treats:  limiting the amount of treats you give your dog or cat can help them lose weight too!  A small treat every now and then is good, or even the little training treats since they are super tiny and low calorie.  It’s the large milk bone treats or high calorie “junk food” treats as I call them that can lead to obesity.  Stick with small treats for special occasions or when training, or give them healthy foods such as carrot sticks, which most dogs love!  Cats can be a little more particular, but you could stick with cat nip as a treat too!

Working long hours or traveling and need a pet sitter or dog walker to keep your pets happy while you’re away?  Let Pawfect Pet & House Sitter meet your pet sitting and dog walking needs.  Our trained professionals know exactly what to do to keep your fur-kids safe, happy, and entertained!  Just contact us to book your pet care today!

Pawfect Pet & House Sitter LLC

(480) 296-0026