Many of us are concerned about the impact of the Covid Lockdown on our own waistlines, but have you thought about the impact on your dog’s waistline?
While we may be walking our dogs more, we are also probably sneaking in more treats or tidbits off our plates. Multiply this across the number of people in your home and that’s a lot of extra food. Shower your dog with affection, not treats.
Our advice is that you feed your dog the best quality food that you can afford and that you use the feeding guide on the food. Get a measuring cup and use it.
Check with your vet about your dog’s diet, particularly if you are raw feeding to ensure that you’re meeting your dog’s nutritional requirements.
Cooked vegetables can be a good filler to bulk up meals.
Vet Nurse Michelle Jones, suggests ditching the food bowl altogether. She suggests feeding using a snuffle mat, slow feeder bowl or other forms of enrichment which slow down the eating process and make it mentally more rewarding. Use your dog’s daily ration of dry food for training and reinforcement instead of filling them up with junk food.
Take into account any treats you feed in your dog’s daily food intake. Treats for training should be small and not more than 5 per cent of your dog’s daily intake.
Keeping excess weight off your dog will reduce the impact on joints in your dog’s later years and hopefully minimise the risk of other chronic disease.
Enjoy this extra time with your dog.
