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Purina has developed a Body Condition System that you can use to determine if your pets’ body condition is ideal or too heavy. Pets that are in the ideal shape are likely to live a longer and healthier life.
The description for an ideal body condition score for a dog is as follows: “Ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed from side.”
It is the owner’s responsibility to help to add healthy years to your pet’s life. Please use the following steps as suggested by Purina’s Life Span Study.
1)Ask your veterinarian for help in recognizing signs of obesity in your dog or cat. Using the Body Condition System to see if your dog or cat is too heavy, too thin or at ideal body condition.
2)You and your veterinarian can create a nutrition plan that feeds your dog or cat to his or her ideal body condition. Adjust the amount you feed as your pets activity level and body condition change.
3)Do not just fill up your pet’s bowl at each feeding. Follow the feeding guidelines on the bags of food to give your dog or cat the proper-size serving for its ideal body condition. For dogs, it has been recommended to divide the daily amount of food into morning and evening feedings instead of having your dog eat only once a day; 2 smaller meals are better for your dog’s metabolism.
4)Shower your dogs and cats with love and attention instead of too many high-calorie treats, especially table scraps. Be mindful of the quality and quantity of treats you feed each day-calories add up quickly.
5)Daily exercise is one of the keys to your dog’s health. Just 20-30 minutes of walking or playing fetch each day can help keep your dog fit. Cat’s need exercise too, but they take a bit more ingenuity to get them to exercise!
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