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It’s not enough to simply feed your dog the amount indicated in the chart on the back of the bag. Like people, each dog’s body uses food differently, and changes in age and activity level change the number of calories a dog needs. If you feed your dog more than the needed amount, the extra energy may be stored as fat and could lead to obesity – the number one nutritional disorder among dogs.
This extra weight puts pets at risk for certain health problems involving the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal systems. Knowing how to recognize the signs of obesity and take corrective action is important. But more important is knowing how to keep pets in good body condition to start, thus avoiding the development of obesity in the first place.
Maintaining Ideal Body Condition
Start by figuring out where your dog falls on the 9-point Purina® body condition chart. In order to do this, you will want to conduct three checks of your dog:
- Rib Check: Place both of your thumbs on your dog's backbone and spread both hands across his rib cage. You want to be able to feel his ribs. Actually feeling your dog is important, as the coat of many dogs will make a visual check difficult.
- Profile Check: Examine your dog's profile – it’s best if you are level with the dog. Look for the abdomen to be tucked up behind the rib cage.
- Overhead Check: Looking at your dog from overhead, see if you can see a waist behind the ribs. Most dogs at a healthy weight should have an hourglass figure.
View the Body Condition Chart
Once you’ve identified your dog’s body condition, adjust the amount you are feeding accordingly:
- If your dog is underfed, increase the daily ration for two weeks, then check body condition again. If your dog seems to be moving towards an ideal body condition, continue feeding the increased amount until ideal condition is reached.
- If your dog is severely underfed, talk to your veterinarian about how to best bring your dog to ideal body condition and to check for other issues related to being seriously underweight.
- If your dog is overfed, reduce the amount you feed daily and check your dog’s body condition every two weeks until he reaches ideal body condition.
- If your dog is obese, consult your veterinarian. A weight management food may help make reaching ideal body condition easier.
- If your dog is at ideal body condition, continue feeding the same amount you have been feeding at a scheduled time every day. Monitor your dog’s body condition every two weeks and make adjustments as needed.
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