by Martin Kaine

Created on: November 02, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

A dog is naturally a very active animal, but not every dog lover lives on a farm with big grassy meadows. What if you live in a tiny apartment in town? What if you have a busy job and a hectic schedule? Your dog might be laying around getting fat waiting for you to take him to the park. A chubby dog can be cute and entertaining, especially when they are young, but it is not funny when they start having joint pain and health problems.

If your dog is porking out on you the best thing is to get them moving. If you can find a little extra time to get him outside just running around, playing fetch, or just goofing off with you, that will help. You might end up benefiting from that exercise yourself. If your time is limited you may need to adjust your dogs diet.

Dogs get fat for the same reasons we get fat. If you eat more than you burn, it piles up on your belly. The first things you want to look at are fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. If you are trying to lose fat then you certainly don't want to be eating fat. Sugars and carbohydrates are great if you and your dog are going for a run later, but that high energy food turns to fat if you two just curl up on the sofa with a pint of ice cream.

Look for dog food that is high in protein, low in starches and sugars. Remember that your dog, sweet as he may be, is a carnivore and the primary source of protein in his diet needs to come from meat. Look for a dog food with meat or animal products as the number one ingredient. If you feed your dog from the table, stop. The food we eat has way too much fat, sugar, salt, and other things that dogs don't need too much of. An inconsistent diet can cause them indigestion as well. It is better to keep them eating their own food, except perhaps for the occasional treat.

Only a person who has loved a dog can truly understand the joy we receive from their unconditional loyalty or why we subject ourselves to the inevitable pain we will feel from loving a creature with a lifespan so much shorter than our own. Those of us who have know that it is worth it. We know that we owe it to our dogs to keep them healthy and feeling good every precious moment that we have with them.

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