The Windsor Journal

The Holiday Season is quickly coming to an end and New Years is just around the corner. The New Year is a time for resolutions and new beginnings. We often make resolutions for ourselves such as dieting, joining a gym, and spending more time with our families. However we rarely think about how our pets can benefit from the New Year.

Just like people animals get overweight, out of shape and need exercise and dieting. Studies have been performed which show that dogs with a fit body condition live an average of 1-2 years longer than their obese counterparts.

For our canine friends consider a New Years Resolution of increasing their exercise. This can be achieved by taking a 20 minute walk with your dog once a day (this will also benefit your health), playing fetch, and going to the park, etc.

Cats will also gain from an increase in exercise and environmental enrichment, especially house cats. Boredom can be stressful in cats and may be associated with the development of obesity and other health issues. Their environment can be enlarged safely with outdoor enclosures or supervised outdoor activity such as walking your cat on a leash or harness. You can also consider simply resolve to dedicating 10-20 minutes per day of play time and socialization with your cat. Focus on their hunting skills with feather toys and small fur or plush toys.

One of the leading diseases in dogs and cats is obesity. So this New Years put your pet on a diet and stick to it! Decrease the number of treats and table scrapes you feed your dog or cat. For dogs instead of biscuits or raw hides, give your pooch a carrot or baked sweet potato. Limit the amount of food you are giving you pet. You can achieve this by switching from free feeding where animals can graze on as much food as they like all day to scheduled meals with a measured amount of food.

Small changes can make a big impact on your pet’s health. So in 2012 don’t forget about your furry friends.

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