Dear Hindy,

I desperately need advice on how to help my dog lose weight. I was in the park recently, and a very rude woman told me my dog’s back looked like a table, than chastised me for allowing him to get to that state!! When I told a couple of people I know about that horrible encounter, I expected sympathy but instead they all agreed with her and had been afraid to tell me! I have since learned it can be very bad for their health, so please help me help Frank!!

Thank you,

Sharon

Dear Sharon,

First I want to thank you for reaching out, and then I want to say don’t beat yourself up! What’s important is that you’re doing something about it starting right now. I don’t know how much or how often Frank eats, or how much exercise he gets so I’m going to write a few points to get you started.

I recommend you have your dog checked out by the vet if it’s been awhile. You want to know how his overall health is, current weight and the ideal. Most practices have a free weight loss clinic so ask if they offer that service. 

I am not a fan of leaving food out all day for dogs to graze on, so I would make a schedule to feed him twice a day. In terms of the type of food he’s eating that’s a book in itself, but I would recommend you find a food with limited ingredients you can actually identify! There are lots of FB groups about nutrition and homemade diets you can check out. 

Treats are fine but within moderation and if they’re good for him. How about a piece of raw carrot or apple (without the seeds)? There are tons of super simple homemade dog treat recipes on Pinterest you could try.

I don’t know Frank’s age or his level of mobility, but typically dogs need about 3 walks a day, and they should be at least 20-30 minutes, longer depending on the type of dog and his needs.  You may only be able to walk him 5 or 10 minutes at a time, and that’s okay you’ll get there. 

Dog activity monitors

There are a couple of dog activity monitors you may want to check out, in case you think they will be helpful. I don’t have any personal experience with them but it seems like they would be worth looking into. One is the PitPat  and the other is called FitBark2 

Hope this helps!!

Hindy

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