As a nation of dog lovers, we often wear our hearts on our sleeves—and our treats in our pockets. Who can resist those soulful eyes begging for just one more biscuit? But here’s the hard truth: sometimes, love can come in the form of too many kibbles. Overfeeding our furry friends, whether by accident or out of sheer adoration, can lead to a host of health issues that no pup deserves. From heart disease and diabetes to arthritis and a shortened lifespan, the consequences of overfeeding are far more serious than a little extra fluff around the belly. 10 Warning Signs You’re Overfeeding Your Dog – Stop Before It’s Too Late!
At Dan’s Pet Care, we’ve seen it time and time again—overfed pets are far more common than underfed ones. While it’s tempting to spoil your dog with endless treats and heaping bowls, their health and happiness depend on balance. So, how do you know if your dog is getting too much of a good thing? In this article, we’ll uncover the tell-tale signs of overfeeding and share tips to ensure your pup stays healthy, happy, and full of life—without being overfull.
Here, John Burns, veterinary physician and founder of Burns Pet Nutrition, appears at 10 tell-tale symptoms that you are overfeeding pets:
They look overweight
The best way to inform if your dog is ingesting too much is to check their waist. Body weight alone is not the simplest indicator of whether or not your pet is obese, so it’s essential to have a look at their usual form and take a ‘palms on’ method. A wholesome canine’s waist must be sincerely seen from above (look for an hourglass form), and you ought to be capable of easily feeling their ribs, hips, and backbone. Being capable of seeing the ultimate couple of ribs while a canine is moving is indicative of an appropriate weight.
If you have to press to sense the ribs or the waist is barely seen, which means that there may be a layer of fat overlaying them and your canine is in all likelihood to be obese. While owners often worry more approximately seeing their dogs’ ribs than greater weight, there are extra fitness problems related to puppies being obese than lean.
Bowel problems
We frequently pay attention to puppy owners who say that they can not be overfeeding their pets as they are no longer obese. However, this isn’t always the case. Over-nutrients can cause health issues aside from immoderate weight gain consisting of loose stools, abdominal soreness, and swelling.
Overfeeding places extra demands on the digestive system and decreases its performance, sooner or later resulting in disappointed digestion. A very commonplace symptom of overfeeding is when a canine’s bowel movement is every day in the morning but smooth at night.
Flatulence
While some breeds appear like extra liable to fuel, experiencing frequent fuel this is out of the normal in phrases of odor typically suggests something isn’t pretty proper of their gadget. As feeding too much of even the right foods can lead to troubles in the digestive tract, overfeeding can regularly bring about issues with flatulence.
Skin problems and molting
A commonplace false impression is that steady molting is ordinary and something that canine proprietors should put up with. As the frame’s way of discharging waste and preparing for a new season, molting a few times in 12 months is ordinary, but extra dropping among this is not.
Persistent molting, together with a range of different commonplace skin and coat issues, like obsessive grooming, ft chewing, balding patches and skin eruptions, is indicative of excess waste within the machine that the canine is attempting to eliminate. A build-up of toxic waste inside the body can be due to food intolerances, immoderate consumption of fats or protein, terrible-first-rate meals, and/or overfeeding. Once you hit the proper feeding amount (of the proper food), you’ll realize that molting will stop.
Itchiness
Regular scratching is frequently the first sign that things are going incorrect in a canine’s system, highlighting troubles with vitamins. Common causes are a hypersensitive reaction to certain substances, poor eating regimen, and, you guessed it – overfeeding.
Even with suitable high-quality food, too many meals contribute to the toxic burden of the system, which causes issues like dry pores and skin and itching. If your vet rules out a scientific cause for itching, and you’re sure that you are feeding your puppies the correct amount, your canine may have sensitive digestion, which calls for a particular type of food plan.
Poo ingesting
There are numerous misconceptions about poo consumption. Firstly, that it’s a sign of something lacking in a dog’s food plan, and secondly, that puppies do it because they are hungry, leading to owners mistakenly giving them more food.
In reality, ingesting feces, either their own or that of some other canine or animal, is related to underlying health problems. Most often, it’s far a symptom of a problem with the digestive device. While some puppies display obvious signs of digestive disappointment, including unfastened stools, for plenty, the only indication is poo eating.
Joint problems
Dogs that bring a few more kilos may additionally experience the same health troubles as overweight people, like coronary heart ailment or diabetes. Just like human beings, more weight can also strain your canine’s joints, inflicting pain and potentially main to arthritis. Read more about dog joint problems
Tear staining
Tear staining is commonly seen in small and toy breeds with mild-colored coats and is characterized by means of runny eyes in which the tears stain the hair on the face a pinkish-brown color. While it’s more common in positive dogs, the concept that it’s far a breed-particular problem or merely a beauty issue is a fantasy.
Tear staining is induced by way of a construct-up of toxic waste, regularly brought about through over-feeding, and typically observed by way of other health problems. It may be effectively eliminated with correct nutrients and portion sizes.
Lethargy
Although a frustratingly indistinct symptom that would suggest some fitness worries, a consistently overfed pet won’t have the power it once had before. Greater weight made activities extra tough. As a rule, any important trade on your puppy’s behavior should be checked by using your vet. Even if it’s unrelated to overfeeding, it’s important to reveal modifications like this to your pet’s standard fitness and wellness.
Ear troubles
If your canine has chronic ear problems and you’ve tried everything, but they just didn’t leave, ask your vet about meals, allergic reactions or over-feeding. They might be the offender.
How Can I Avoid Overfeeding My Dog?
Overfeeding is straightforward to do, and it could be difficult to correct your dog’s weight loss plan after they’re used to eating too much. These recommendations permit you to keep away from bad feeding conduct and expand healthful ones!
- Pre-measure your canine’s food quantities, specifically if multiple humans in your household are liable for feeding. It may be hard to as it should be eyeball a selected amount of meals, specially while you’re in a rush.
- Avoid giving too many treats at some stage in the day. Limit your canine to low-calorie treats, and use them sparingly. When the use of prepackaged treats, don’t forget to slice them into smaller portions to stretch them out over a longer term.
- Carefully supervise your pet whilst they’re ingesting, especially if you have a couple of animals in your family. Your dog may be sneaking food from any other canine dish. They may additionally be grazing on cat food or human food that’s neglected in the open.
Some puppies can self-regulate their food consumption to a few diplomas. Unfortunately, many dogs don’t appear to have an “off” transfer in relation to consuming. Keep in mind that while your dog is probably keen to eat more than your vet recommends, you may be compromising their health in case you supply in.
A Pet Care Service That Cares About Your Dog’s Total Well-Being
The specially trained, certified and insured specialists at Dan’s Pet Care are committed to assisting your dog to stay wholesome and satisfied in each way. Whether your canine needs walks, puppy sitting, daycare, grooming, or other puppy care offerings, Dan’s Pet Care can meet your wishes as Long Island’s pleasant-loved puppy care provider! To get started, fill out our consultation form these days!
Over-feeding pets can cause a whole host of health problems and, combined with poor-quality food, can contribute to excess toxic waste in the body, bringing with it its own set of issues.
To keep away from this, you need to feed your dogs an exceptional eating regimen of herbal, healthy foods that might be low in fats and protein, unfastened from additives (apart from crucial vitamins and minerals) and based on complicated carbohydrates like Burns.
Fed sparingly this could prevent build-up of poisonous matter and make sure you have a glad, healthy pooch. Check out our feeding guide for preferred facts on feeding amounts – simply take into account that necessities range and rely on many factors, just as the age and breed of your puppy, their activity stage, whether they are neutered, and different men or women versions.
Steps to Take if Your Dog Gets into an Accident
Your dog can get into all forms of accidents, even though they’re secure at home. Know the steps you need to take in case your fur infant gets hurt.
Even if your pet stays indoors, the chances of accidents are never zero. They can get caught in wires, tip furniture, and even hit by a car if they run out your door. You must know how to handle an injured pet while waiting for emergency services.
Understand Your Pet’s Pain
The gentlest and sweetest animals can chunk and scratch you while distressed. So, be an affected person and calm whilst approaching your injured canine. Keep your face away from their mouth, and don’t try to hug them. Try to pick out the vicinity of the injury or pain and keep away from touching it.
Call the Vet
Before shifting your pet to a vehicle, call their veterinarian or the closest animal clinic. Describe the injury and illness briefly. This way, they could prioritize your emergency case when you get there. Call your canine insurance provider properly to get the requirements for a claim.
Perform First Aid
Depending on the severity of your pet’s damage or contamination, they’ll want the first useful resource before you deliver them to the nearest vet. Here’s what you may do for exclusive conditions:
Open Wounds
- Get a clean towel and apply direct pressure to the wound
- If your pet tries to bite you, have them wear a muzzle
- If the bleeding is severe, add even more layers of towels and transfer your dog to the vehicle to head to the vet
Choking
- Place both arms on the side of your pet’s ribs and apply quick pressure to push air, and hopefully the object, out of their system.
- You can also get a pair of tweezers and try to pry the object from their mouth, putting you at risk of being bitten. So, it’s best to get the vet to do this.
Seizures
- Clear the area of any furniture, sharp objects, and other pets
- Do NOT try to restrain your dog during a seizure. Time the attack instead.
- Take them to the vet once their seizure has stopped and report the length of the attack.
Heatstroke
- Before taking your pet to the vet, get some ice water and submerge a towel in it
- Use the wet towel to cool the areas around your dog’s neck and head
- Wring out the water and repeat the previous process on the way to the clinic
Poisoning
- Call the veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet consumed something poisonous
- Get ahold of what’s left of what your pet ate and place it in a plastic bag
- Take your dog to the vet and present the material to the vet for examination
- Don’t try to make your pet vomit the poisonous material. Let a professional do it for you.
Fracture or Dislocation
- If you hear your pet is limping or unable to face in any respect, they’ll be afflicted by a fracture or dislocation.
- Gently carry your puppy to a blanket and wrap it around them before taking them to the vet. This restricts their motion, reducing the possibility of them making the harm worse.
- Bandaging or splintering a fracture yourself might also do more harm than good. Let the vet handle this procedure.
Seeing your pet stricken by a twist of fate is one of the toughest things you’ll revel in as a furred figure. However, you must remember to stay calm and act speedy to keep your canine secure and comfortable until you get them to the vet. Use the tips above to be the high-quality pet determine you may be whilst the worst comes to worst.
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Conclusion
In a nation where our love for dogs knows no bounds, it’s easy to let those wagging tails and pleading eyes lead us astray. But true love isn’t measured by the number of treats in their bowl—it’s about ensuring their health, happiness, and longevity. Overfeeding, while often well-intentioned, can silently rob our furry companions of their vitality, leading to a cascade of health issues no pup should endure. From joint pain to digestive troubles, the consequences are far more than just a little extra fluff.
At Dan’s Pet Care, we believe that the best way to show your love is through balance and care. By understanding the signs of overfeeding and adopting healthier feeding habits, you can give your dog the gift of a vibrant, active life. Remember, a happy dog isn’t defined by a full belly but by a healthy one. So, let’s pledge to love smarter, not harder—because every wag, bark, and playful leap is worth it. Together, we can ensure our four-legged friends live their best lives, one balanced meal at a time. 🐾
