Keeping Your Dogs Weight Healthy
A friend who hadn't been over in awhile and hadn't seen Cooper commented on how fat he was getting. To us he looked just the same but then again we see him everyday and we just fluffed the comment off and didn't think too much of it. It just so happens that we had to go to the vet the next week and sure enough our vet was surprised about how much weight he had gained. It's easy for a labrador retriever to gain weight, as you know they can eat like it's the end of the world and they can as they get older get lazy or become more inactive.
As you are probably not going to give your dog Tonalin or other diet pills to keep their weight in check here are some steps we took to make sure Cooper remained healthy. One, make sure your dog gets daily activity and exercise. Not so much that they are pushing themselves past their limits but enough. What I mean by this is make sure they get a least one good walk a day, even when you are lazy make sure you take them out at least once. Even if they get a walk make sure they get some other exercise or playtime during the day like playing fetch or even a swim. They have to remain active daily. Secondly, watch what you are feeding them and how much you are feeding them. Pay attention to the servings on your dog food bag and be careful what treats you are feeding them. They love peanut butter but just like us too much are not good. Supplement their treats or snacks with things like apples, carrots or bananas. Finally, you are paying your vet good money every year. Set it up with them so you can bring your labrador retriever in and have them weighed every few months and keep a log. Our vet doesn't charge, we just bring him in and weight him and track it. If there's a huge weight gain or lose then you can discuss it with them.You want your labrador retriever to live as long and as healthy as possible so give them a hand.
Tag: dog health
