Does your pooch need a diet
Posted on July 29 2020
Is your puppers a little on the heavy side? Or perhaps your dog is diabetic? We all tend to put on a little bit of tub during the chilly months so we thought we would give you some intel on low fat/ low cal treats and food for your pup.
It’s said that 30% of New Zealand dogs are overweight and obesity in dogs can cause a number of issues such as..
🐾 Arthritis and Bone and Joint Issues
As you can imagine dogs are supposed to be agile and athletic, like Usain Bolt in the 2008 Olympics. When a dog has to carry more weight around this can compromise their smaller joints and skeletal systems thus making them slower, fatter and in pain. Dogs like Dashunds can get painful slipped discs in their backs and other breeds will suffer from Arthritis, which is sore and expensive to manage.
🐾 Ligament Injuries
ACL and TPLO surgeries are common with dogs that rupture their knee ligaments and tear cartilage. Our resident dog Rollo has had both surgeries on his back knees because of his love for jumping. Often this is caused by running and jumping but can be made worse by obesity as weight puts a strain on the joints and leads to an unnatural gait during exercise.
🐾 Skin Issues
A poor diet can affect your dogs skin as some breeds such as Bulldogs and Sharpies can develop rashes between the folds in their skin. Dogs do need Omega 3’s & 6’s which are classed as good fats and help shield their skin. Cheaper kibble options usually use fillers and questionable protein sources which can irritate the skin.
🐾 Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a very painful condition which causes inflammation of the pancreas.
Older dogs and pudgy pooches are also more likely to get it.
🐾 Heart Problems
Both overweight and old dogs are more likely to develop heart issues. This can cause issues like slow fluid build-up in the lungs, fainting or trouble coughing and breathing. Eeek scary!
What to do?
First and foremost do not feed your dog scraps, human food or left overs. Firstly there are a lot of foods us humans can eat but dogs cannot and can be toxic for them, some even causing death. Our human food can be extremely fatty or high in salt causing major digestive problems in your pup.
Here's some products to help
Deer liver, Deer Jerky, is low in cals and is a one source protein which has been freeze dried. Because the moisture is removed you are left with a protein dense treat that is low in fat.
Veal chips - Meat that has been air dried is a perfect treat. There are no preservatives, additives and you can rest easy knowing its 100% Natural
Edu Treats - Royal Canin know that training is hard, and to get the maximum success rate you need to give your dogs treat. They formulate great little morsels that have a limited calorie intake of less than 3 kcal.
Light weight Mini - Royal Canin combines science and nutrition to make the perfect biscuit for your pup. The lightweight formula has an adapted protein as well as L-carnitine which transfers amino acids and burns fat.
Black Hawk Chicken Grain Free Cans - The Blackhawk tins are 90 cals per 100 grams, 4% Crude fat and totally free of grains, preservatives, and nasties.
Addiction Kangaroo Food - Addiction is our favourite! The Kangaroo food. Wild kangaroo meat contains the highest levels of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) of any red meat, this helps to rain muscle mass and burn fat. Wild kangaroo meat is also prized as a lean, high quality game meat with only 2% fat…who needs weight watchers.
Whimzees Toothbrushes - These vegetarian toothbrushes are low fat and rich in vitamins and antioxidants, plus fiber to promote regularity and aid in good digestive health. They help to clean your pups teeth - bonus.
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