We have rounded the corner from Thanksgiving and are headed towards Christmas.  During this span, the average American gains 5 pounds.  It is OK… we will start out the new year with a commitment to lose the added weight.

Will you make that commitment for your pet?  Pet Obesity is a growing problem.

A 2005 study found that 60 percent of pets in the U.S. were overweight.  Most owners will tell you that their pets are the perfect size.  Would they say that if they new that they were killing there pet?

How can you help your pet lose weight?  The answer is simple… Diet and Exercise.

Feed your pet good healthy pet food, staying away from human junk food and sweets.  Control your pets portions.  Do not over feed your pet.  For aid in portion control, try an automatic pet feeder.  It is the best way to give your pets perfectly portioned meals three times per day.

Exercise with your dog.  Take your dog for walks or runs everyday.  If you are a cat owner, invest in some cat toys.  Take some time out of each day to play with your cat.  With the right training, you can even walk your cat on a leash.

Make the commitment this holiday season to help your pet lose weight.  Take the steps necessary to ensure the good health of your furry friend.

What do you do to help your pet get exercise?

I have a cat that loves to play.  Fortunately, he loves to fetch… I know.  Mo will bring you toys and when you throw them, he will sprint to pick them up and bring them back.  He will also chase toys around until he is tired and dizzy.  I use these tendencies to help Massimo exercise.

Massimo also likes to chase butterflies and other bugs at the park.  We will take him out and let him run around until he passes out.  We have to be careful, he is a cat.  He does not obey commands like a dog.  The other concern is that he is so fixated on the prize that he does not pay attention to the surroundings.  We have to make sure we go to a big green space away from any busy streets.  Luckily we have a pocket park in our neighborhood.

The important note, find ways to exercise your animal.  If you have a dog, take it for walks, let it run in the park.  Cat owners, play with the kitty.  Find creative and fun ways to help your animal get exercise.  It is the key to good health for humans, it is the key to good health for pets.

So again, what do you do to help your pet exercise?

I just spent the weekend with my wife’s family. They have a Norwegian Forrest Cat named Patches. He also goes by the name Big Man, and for big reason. Patches struggles with pet obesity. He is not alone in this struggle, pet obesity is a growing problem that can cause serious health problems.

Obesity can damage the joints, bones and ligaments. It can cause damage to organs. It can also lead to diabetes, heart disease, and increased blood pressure. The list grows longer with every new study.

Pet owners should know that some breeds are more prone than others. Below is an excerpt from a Flint River Ranch article that discusses pet obesity.

“Some cat and dog breeds are genetically predisposed to being overweight, a predisposition that can be made worse by lack of regular exercise and/or overfeeding (including free feeding). All cats have the potential to become overweight, but the problem tends to be more prevalent in mixed-breed cats, Persians, Domestic Shorthair and Manx breeds.

Some of the more popular dog breeds prone to obesity are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Weimaraners, Dalmatians, Basset Hounds, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties), Mastiffs, St. Bernards, Great Danes, Elkhounds, English Springer Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Pugs, Dachshunds, Miniature Schnauzers, Miniature Poodles, Shih Tzus, Welsh Corgis, Bichon Frise (Bichons), and Cairn Terriers . Unfortunately, many of the dog breeds prone to obesity are also predisposed to suffering from bone and joint disorders such as hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.”

How do you combat this problem?

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to curve a weight problem. Low fat, low calorie food will also give your pet good results. Perhaps the best method is portion controlled feeding. Increasing the number of meals and decreasing the portions will help your pet to lose weight. I know that it requires more work on behalf of the pet owner, but there are solutions out there to make your life easy.

There are an abundance of electronic timed portion controlled feeders on the market. The Ergo Auto Pet Feeder and the Five Meal Electronic Pet Feeder are two great options for dogs. The Six Day Automatic Pet Dish and the Le Bistro Electronic Pet Feeder are great options for cats.

I will continue on with this topic later this week. It is one of the most important pet care topics.