How Can You Help Your Doxie Lose Weight?

Dachshunds can be so cute with their low-lying flappy ears and long bodies. They can even become more adorable when they become fat. They look more comical, cuddly, and huggable.

However, there’s nothing cute about your overweight doxie developing serious health problems. As you know, being overweight and obese poses great health risks. It may lead to heart diseases, metabolic disorders, and maladies related to the respiratory and musculoskeletal systems.

So, if your doxie is overweight, you need to intervene as soon as you can. To get you started, here are some of the best tips you can use to help your Dachshund lose those unwanted pounds.

Diet

Obviously, you can’t lose weight without talking about diet. Here are some dietary tips to start off your dog’s weight loss journey.

• More protein, fewer carbohydrates – dogs thrive in a high-protein diet. This helps them build lean muscles and quickly use up excess energy, which may be stored as fats.
• Avoid high-fiber food – contrary to popular beliefs, high-fiber food does not help in weight loss. Your doxie won’t feel satisfied and will eat more as a result. Not only that but high-fiber food may interfere with nutrient absorption.
• Don’t give food scrap – while it is tempting to give your adorable doxie leftovers or crumbs from the table, you need to control yourself. It doesn’t just encourage bad behavior, but it can contribute to weight gain.
• Feed smaller portions of food – instead of giving three large meals, your dog will lose weight faster if you give him frequently, but smaller portions of food. For example, you can divide three big meals into six small meals. Don’t give in to the temptation to offer your dog a bowl full of food whenever you leave your home.

• Reduce your dog’s food portion – sometimes, the easiest way to lose weight is simply reducing the amount of food you feed your buddy. Now, remember not to drastically lessen your dog’s food. As a general rule, reduce your dog’s food by five percent for a week or two. After that, if he still doesn’t lose weight, then subtract another five percent.
• Schedule your dog’s eating habits – don’t feed your wiener dog at any time of the day. Having a scheduled mealtime will help you monitor your dog’s diet. Not only that, but it reinforces discipline too.
• Track everything your dog eats – while this may take more work, you will see that it produces results. Write down what you feed your dachshund as well as the amount. Weigh your dog’s food and check if it conforms to your weight loss plan.

Exercise

When it comes to losing weight, diet is best coupled with exercise. It doesn’t simply help your dog achieve an ideal weight, but it can help your dog become healthier and happier.

There are a lot of great forms of exercise available for your pooch. Walking your dog every morning, jogging with him, hiking, swimming, fetching, and bringing him in the park would surely burn those extra calories. Just be creative to make exercise fun and interesting. With a doxie as your dog, it’s easier to bring him anywhere since he is relatively small.

Make exercise a habit and schedule it as much as possible. Your dog also thrives in routine. If he routinely gets to exercise at a certain time of the day, it becomes a habit that he can continually do even after achieving his target weight.

Remember that exercise does not have to be done outside. It can be done inside your home. Just keep your pup moving and avoid being inactive. Every calorie burned counts.

Talk To Your Vet

Being overweight, or worse, obese dachshund comes with great health risks. It’s a serious problem that you should not ignore. For example, an overweight doxie may easily develop back problems.

If you have an issue with the weight of your pet, it won’t hurt calling your vet. He can help you create a weight loss plan, give you advice, and improve your dog’s health condition.

Most importantly, read more about weight loss for dogs. The more knowledge and information you gather, the better informed you are in helping your four-legged best friend live a healthier and fuller life.