Tips from Vet’s Kitchen on Maintaining a Dog’s Healthy Weight & Their New Woof and Well Award
Where would we be without them?
Our canine companions have helped us through lockdown and we’ve rewarded them with the odd treat or two.
The result for some has been an expanding waistline, so Swindon-based Vet’s Kitchen want to help improve this.
They want to find dogs that have gone from fat to fit, as they’ve created a special award!
The Woof & Well Award is for a special dog that’s stuck to a sensible eating regime and exercise regime.
If you have a waggy dog story to tell, then get in touch with Vet’s Kitchen to share your tale.
The most inspiring dog will receive a free canine diet consultation with their in-house Nutritionist, 6 months of tailored nutrition from Vet’s Kitchen, and a doggy fitness tracker.
They even get a gold medal to fit their collar!
Second and third prize of runner-up rosettes will also be awarded, with fitness trackers and some Vet’s Kitchen products.
The Awards will be supported by Wood Green, The Animals Charity to provide tips and advice for maintaining dogs’ healthy weight to pet owners.
Pet Nutritionist, Fiona Firth, says it’s important for dogs to maintain a healthy weight range;
“Dog obesity can lead to severe health problems such as diabetes, so regular exercise combined with feeding the correct amount of a good quality food is one way of caring for them from the inside out.
It’s important to remember that dogs with different ages or different conditions can sometimes require a different type of food. If your dog’s overweight, find a product rich in protein, but low in fat to help them lose weight.
The Vet’s Kitchen Healthy Weight dog food contains 30% less fat than our Everyday Health dog food, it’s also high in fibre to help satisfy hungerfiona firth, pet nutritionist at vet’s kitchen
Tips to Help Dog’s Lose Weight
Vet’s Kitchen offer these tips to dog owners who’d like to help their dog lose weight:
- Choose a lower calorie food or ‘lighter’ food option, making sure the fat content’s below 10%.
- Weigh out their food each day, or a week’s worth if you find yourself short of time during the week.
- Don’t forget to allow for treats, dental chews out of their daily calorie allowance.
- Add extra fibre using root vegetables, such as carrots as part of the daily allowance to help fill them up.
- Exercise, exercise, exercise! Just like humans, taking your dog out for a walk every day is good for them. It’s important to start with shorter distances and build up the time you spend outdoors gradually.
For older, overweight dogs 80% suffer from arthritis (often undiagnosed) so should be exercised using shorter, more frequent walks. This can be three 15-minute walks per day, which avoids over-stressing the joints.
Woof & Well Award
The Woof & Well Award launches on the 31st March 2021. It’s open to all dogs resident in the UK who can show they’ve been getting fit.
A before and after photo with 100 words to explain their journey can help the judges to choose their winner.
The award entries close on the 30th June 2021.
This is a collaborative post.