Certain breeds are more likely to gain weight. These breeds seem to gain even with small amounts of food. However, treats are often one of the culprits that pet parents don’t think about. We often equate food with love, so it’s easy to overdo treats! Those calories can add up quickly, especially in smaller pets. Also, consider edible chew bones when you start counting calories.
Spaying and neutering our pets is a great idea, however it slows down their metabolism, adding to the problem of too many overweight cats and dogs.
As pets get older, they tend to gain weight as well. Too many of our chubby pets are couch potatoes. Their idea of exercise is to stretch and reposition themselves!
Some cats and dogs become overweight because the pet parent is following the instructions on the bag of pet food. I have found that often, the recommendations are too high. It is just a guideline. Also, studies have also shown that homemade and raw diets are often too high in calories. For these cats and dogs, weight loss must be addressed.