Help Reduce Pet Obesity (Free Download Healthy Dog Guide)
As a leading provider of veterinary weighing equipment, Marsden want to help you keep your dog in shape and reduce pet obesity in the process.
A survey conducted by Marsden last year found that 58% of dogs and cats are overweight - yet research by the Association of Pet Obesity found that less than 10% of owners recognise their pet is not in shape.
The free guide, Keep Your Dog Fit & Healthy, will tell you more about the health consequences of pet obesity and tips on how to avoid it, and can be downloaded below.
Change to Advice from vets
To help produce an expert guide, we contacted numerous vets for their tips and advice for reducing obesity.
Vets including Elizabeth McLennan-Green from Springfield Veterinary Hospital told us what the process is when they are contacted by an owner with a pet obesity issue.
She told us: “The problem is first discussed with the owner, as some owners are not always aware their pet’s weight is a problem.
“The pet is weighed and body condition score is recorded. A history is taken which focuses on diet, exercise levels and other medical conditions which may be relevant.
“An initial diet plan is formulated, this may involve food reduction in the first instance. However in severe cases a prescription diet may be introduced straight away.
“Follow up weight clinic appointments are booked in, usually at monthly intervals, but can be more frequent.”
What can be done to reduce obesity in pets?
Along with this free guide, Marsden has produced numerous other resources to help reduce obesity in pets.
Tips for a healthy dog poster: This poster provides guidance on healthy appearance, the amount of exercise and weight information.
Marsden is the leading provider of veterinary scales and we have a range of scales for weighing your pets. The Marsden V-150 and V-250 are ideal for weighing larger pets; for medium-sized dogs the V-100, our best-selling veterinary scale, is perfect; and for smaller dog breeds and puppies try the V-22. For weighing pet food, the B-100 or B-450 is recommended.