Better Living

Tip 42:  Using Treats As Rewards

Your pet has done an amazing job today at getting his exercise in.  You are proud and happy for your pet.  You may be tempted to hand them a treat as a reward for their hard work but that could be a mistake.

It is often the case that pets will need to be given treats as rewards.  When this is the case, look for healthy treats, not treats that are going to put more weight on for them.  As mentioned earlier, be sure that they are no more than 10 percent of the pet's diet and that they are used sparingly.

But, why not try to reward the pet in a different way?  Did you know that pets crave the attention of their owners?  In that case, then you can provide them a reward of a job well done by working with them through praise and petting.  A pet that is going be rubbed down after a workout is going to love their owner that much more.  They will even look forward to the next time they get to do the same with the same reward!

Use rewards that are healthy for your pet for their motivation.  They will love it and you'll feel good amount giving it to them.

Tip 43 and 44: Rest and Watering

As part of the process of helping you to slim your pet's waistline, be sure that you are providing them with the right amount of rest and watering that they need.  Not doing so can actually cause them to keep weight on as well as cause a variety of health conditions that can keep them from exercising into the future.

Instead of doing this, work on improving your pet's health by allowing them a full nights rest as well as rest after they have played hard or worked out.  This gives you the best results!

Water should never be denied to the pet.  It will not cause them to gain weight and should never be restricted.  Pets should have a source of cool water after a workout.  They should also be able to drink any time that they need to.

Providing effective watering and rest for your pet will encourage their weight loss and their health in general. Do not overlook this simple yet extremely important element of health and wellness for your pet.

Tip 45 and 46:  Safety And Health With Exercising

It will be incredibly important for you to keep your pet safe and healthy while exercising.  To do this, you must pay close attention to the animal while it is being exercised.  You need to be sure that the pet is able to exercise and continue to do so at the highest level without risk.

For health safety, be sure that the pet is not showing any signs of fatigue or injury.  Also, monitor them for breathing too hard.  Let them stop when they want to.  Be sure that they get a warm up period before exercising.  Tendons, ligaments and other areas of the body need to be stretched before hard exercise is put on them.



For safety, keep the pet in your sight at all times during exercise.  Be sure that there is nothing that can hurt them if they fall or otherwise come into contact with it.  When taking your pet out of the yard, be sure that they are on a leash protected by you.  Reflectors can also help to keep the pet safe.

Tip 47:  Monitor The Weather

When exercising your pet for weight loss, be sure to monitor the weather conditions that the pet is exercising in.  Remember that you do not want to do anything that will cause the pet to become injured. It is important that you consider what the pet's needs are mostly.

In extreme weather conditions, the pet may become tired sooner or they may become injured easier.  Tailor the activities that they will exercise with indoors whenever possible.  Otherwise, be sure that the pet is protected from the elements in any way that is possible.

In extreme heat, be sure that enough water is provided.  It is important to minimize physical activities during the hottest part of the day because this puts extra stress on the pet and for most overweight pets this can be worrisome for their health.

Find both indoor and outdoor activities for your pet to help them to stay fit.  This gives you more options!!

Tip 48:  Get Them Friends

No matter what type of animal you have, a great way to keep them healthy is to have friends for them to play with and to enjoy being around.  This gives them the best encouragement to exercise.

Taking your pet places that other pets like them are helps them to socialize as well.  Pets are social animals and enjoy this type of interaction with other pets.  It will encourage them to be active as well as responsive to the activities that you provide for them. 

To socialize your pet find other pets in your area or join a pet based group.  You can often find fitness clubs for pets, too.  Many groups are available that have the same goal as your own:  get your pet healthy through weight loss.

Finding the right group is important.  If you pet has not been socialized, be sure to get the pet around other animals like it one on one before you do anything with a group like situation.  Be sure your pet is not afraid or feels intimidated in these groups!

Tip 49:  Hire A Professional

Although you plan to help your pet to lose weight, you may not have enough time to make it happen.  If you are busy during the day and the pet is inactive while you are gone, this could be helping to cause their weight problems.  If they are not getting healthy foods during the day this too can be the cause their weight loss.

There are professionals such as dog sitters and dog walkers that can help you.  Whether you take your pet to them or they come to the pet, the results are the same.  The pet gets the workout that they need and a healthy amount of food, water and attention when you can not provide it.

While life is very busy, providing this level of attention to your pet is a must.  Larger areas will have several services to consider.  Find out what they provide as well as their experience and then use them.  The investment in money and time here will pay off with a healthier, happier pet in the long run.

Find services that work for your pet specifically.

Tip 50:  Prevent Obesity

Doing any of the things here will help your pet to reduce their weight.  But, preventing further problems is just as important.  You need to take into consideration their health and wellness always, in everything that you do for the pet.

Prevention starts with careful monitoring and always paying close attention to the pet's overall health.  From the time that they are puppies to the time that they are older, your pet is counting on your to protect them from bad situations. 

As your pet begins to lose weight, monitor them weekly.  Notice when their weight begins to increase again and make adjustments as necessary.

This means making their weight loss a goal that is every day for you.  It has to be something that you prevent from getting worse by monitoring.  By preventing them from being overweight it means preventing them from being ill, too.

Prevention does not have to be difficult as most often people can improve their pet's health through simple maintenance.  Yet, being mindful of their tendency to be overweight is important work for the owner.

Conclusion

Your pet is overweight and it seems like this huge problem is going to cause them untold problems throughout their life.  Although this is true, there is something that you can do about it to protect your pet and ultimately save their life.

Pet's are going to be healthy if you help them to be.  While many of them do not need to have constant attention to them, they do need you to monitor their health in what they eat and what they are doing for exercise.

The combination of a healthy diet and good exercise is virtually all that is needed to help your pet to slim down.  Dogs, cats, even birds, fish and ferrets all can be helped in this way.  Most importantly, it does not have to cost you a small fortune to help your pet.



For people to lose weight, most doctors say to go back to eating a whole diet of foods that are created by earth and not be man.  They say to increase your level of exercise daily.  This combination is what your pet needs to be healthy, too.  It does not cost more to provide the same overall benefits.

Your first step is to meet with your pet's veterinarian to determine why your pet is overweight and how badly they are overweight.

Next, work out a diet plan that is successful for that pet's nutritional and caloric intake.  Be sure that the diet is specific to the animal's needs.

Incorporate a healthy amount of exercise into their daily lives with the goal of helping them to increase their stamina over the long haul.

Finally, monitor their health and prevent future weight problems.

By doing these things you will help your pet to become healthy, well established and to help them live a longer life.  You will be surprised at what your pet's can accomplish in terms of health gain when you do this!