Hi Dogs Today,
My family and I have recently inherited my late great aunt’s Bichon Frise. She’s seven years old and is very sweet, but has a sweet tooth, and my dear aunt, being a sweet lady, used to feed her sweet things, meaning Bella is rather rotund.
We’re first-time dog owners and don’t have much of a clue I’m afraid, so any guidance as to how we can help get Bella down a dress size or two would be gratefully appreciated.
Thank you.
Lynne O’Connor, by email
The easiest thing to do is to feed Bella on a high-quality dog food (as a basic, 99% of the dog food you can get in a supermarket is *not* high quality), and feed her the required amount for the weight she should be. Combine this with appropriate exercise for her age and size, and she should soon shed the excess weight.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne,
ReplyDeleteInitially it would be worth having a conversation with your Vet to find out the recommended calorific intake for your dog taking into account her breed, age and lifestyle. Your vet will also provide advice on a target weight for Bella. You may also want to look at the calorie content of the food you are feeding and find out how this compares to other brands. There are various ‘light’ formulas on the market which may help.
Remember if you do decide to change food do so gradually over a 5 to 7 day period by mixing the new food with the old.
As a general rule we would recommend reducing Bella’s daily ration by approx. 10% to begin with and increase the amount of exercise she takes providing she is fit and healthy, with no underlying health problems. If viable it may be worth splitting her meal times into three small meals which may leave her feeling more satisfied. If Bella gobbles her food it may also be worth trying to slow her down as this will help her realise that she is full sooner. A great tip is making her work for her food – you can get bowls with a raised centre or ridges, so that your dog has to eat around these, or you can raise the dog bowl a little way off the ground or scatter feed the kibble around your house or garden meaning she will have to hunt for her food.
I’m not sure what type of food you are feeding at the moment, but it may be an idea to look at feeding a dry dog food rather than wet as the abrasive texture of the crunchy kibble may help to clean her teeth and gums particularly as she has previously been fed a lot of sweet things!
If you do decide to feed occasional treats ensure that these are included in her daily calorie allowance, only feed dog treats, and ideally make sure they are low fat. You may find it helpful to visit the feeding guide on our website http://www.harringtonspetfood.com/content/UK/dog-feeding-guide This contains a ‘body condition chart’ which provides graphics on a dogs ideal weight.
The main thing is to feed the right amount of food for the energy she is using and stick with it. Sometimes it can be hard to maintain momentum when you have a dog staring you in the face 24/7 begging for more food. If this is the case occupy her with some play time or take her out for a walk and remember you are doing this for Bella’s own good.
Good luck
The Harringtons team
Hi Lynne,
ReplyDeleteInitially it would be worth having a conversation with your Vet to find out the recommended calorific intake for your dog taking into account her breed, age and lifestyle. Your vet will also provide advice on a target weight for Bella. You may also want to look at the calorie content of the food you are feeding and find out how this compares to other brands. There are various ‘light’ formulas on the market which may help.
Remember if you do decide to change food do so gradually over a 5 to 7 day period by mixing the new food with the old.
As a general rule we would recommend reducing Bella’s daily ration by approx. 10% to begin with and increase the amount of exercise she takes providing she is fit and healthy, with no underlying health problems. If viable it may be worth splitting her meal times into three small meals which may leave her feeling more satisfied. If Bella gobbles her food it may also be worth trying to slow her down as this will help her realise that she is full sooner. A great tip is making her work for her food – you can get bowls with a raised centre or ridges, so that your dog has to eat around these, or you can raise the dog bowl a little way off the ground or scatter feed the kibble around your house or garden meaning she will have to hunt for her food.
I’m not sure what type of food you are feeding at the moment, but it may be an idea to look at feeding a dry dog food rather than wet as the abrasive texture of the crunchy kibble may help to clean her teeth and gums particularly as she has previously been fed a lot of sweet things!
If you do decide to feed occasional treats ensure that these are included in her daily calorie allowance, only feed dog treats, and ideally make sure they are low fat. You may find it helpful to visit the feeding guide on our website http://www.harringtonspetfood.com/content/UK/dog-feeding-guide This contains a ‘body condition chart’ which provides graphics on a dogs ideal weight.
The main thing is to feed the right amount of food for the energy she is using and stick with it. Sometimes it can be hard to maintain momentum when you have a dog staring you in the face 24/7 begging for more food. If this is the case occupy her with some play time or take her out for a walk and remember you are doing this for Bella’s own good.
Good luck
The Harringtons team
www.harringtonspetfood.com