Every time you take your dog to the local veterinary clinic for a routine checkup, you can expect that the vet will weigh the dog and compare its weight to past appointments. Ideally, your pet will be of a healthy weight, but if this isn't the case, the vet can help. While some pets need to lose weight, there can be times that a dog is actually underweight. You might feel uncertain about what to do in this situation, but your vet will offer some valuable tips that you can begin to employ. During the dog's next checkup, another weigh-in will occur — and, ideally, reveal that the dog has gained weight. Your vet may suggest these strategies for you to adopt.
Dietary Changes
A dog's diet plays a critical role in its weight, so you'll likely want to start by making some dietary changes. The vet will assess how underweight your dog is and make some specific recommendations. They might advocate switching the animal to a higher-calorie food or perhaps even increasing the serving size of each meal that the dog eats. Some vets may also suggest that you add certain higher-calorie foods to the dog's meals. For example, they might advocate the addition of an egg to a few meals per week.
Exercise Changes
Your vet will want to know how much exercise your dog is getting. Just as a vet may advocate giving an overweight dog more exercise, they may suggest that you exercise your dog less if it needs to gain weight. If your dog is spending too much time being active — which may be the case if you enjoy jogging and often take the dog with you — it may have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Your vet will recommend a specific amount of daily exercise for your dog based on its breed, age, and how much weight it needs to gain.
Stress Reduction
In some cases, a dog can lose weight because of stress. If your vet talks to you a bit about the dog's daily life and suspects that stress could be a factor, they may suggest a few methods that you can use to reduce the animal's stress. A reduction in stress could potentially help the animal to gain weight. For example, if you and your spouse have recently begun working outside the house and the dog is upset about being alone, you might consider dropping it off at a family member's house during the day.
Contact a company like Clovis Veterinary Hospital P A to learn more.
Share16 August 2021
For years, I wanted to fill my home with happy animals. When I got married, my spouse wanted a pet just as much as I did, and it was great to start looking for pets together. We were able to find a rescue animal who worked well with our budget and our lifestyle, and it was neat to give that sweet animal a home. However, after we brought the pet into our home, we realized that he needed some medical care. We turned to a veterinarian for advice on his medical health, and we worked on getting him completely vaccinated. Check out this blog for more information on finding help early.
