Is Your Retriever Too Fat? Has Your Labrador Turned Into A Flabrador?

All retriever owners know that their dogs especially love to eat. This is great when it comes to training, obedience and rewards. However, just like us, there is too much of a good thing. Overweight retrievers can die up to 4-5 years sooner than their slimmer counterparts. Don't kill your best friend with kindness. Is your retriever too fat?

There are several easy ways to determine whether your retriever needs to go onto a weight loss program. The simplest way is just by looking and feeling. If your retriever has a longish coat, wet him first. Visibly, your dog should have a waist. When you rub your hands over your dog you should be able to feel his ribs. If you can't feel his ribs and you cannot see a waist, then your dog is overweight.

If you are unsure whether or not your dog is too overweight get your vet to weigh him. Your vet will easily be able to tell you what sort of weight range your dog is in.

The fat retriever is not only going to have a shorter life with you, but those excess pounds will also be placing an unnecessary strain on their hips. Since some breeds of retrievers have dysplastic hip problems, being overweight is not a good thing.

Elderly dogs who have slowed down, and dogs who have just finished growing are the 2 age groups most prone to wight gain. Once your dog has finished growing, he no longer needs the food he did when he was a fast growing puppy.

How to slim down your plump pooch:

Weight reduction for dogs is much the same as for humans. Eat less, and exercise more.

* Retrievers love to fetch and play in the water. Playing fetch is a great way to burn some calories from your dog if you are not inclined to walk or jog too far yourself. Throwing a stick or ball in any sort of water can be really effective for the obese retriever as the water will take the weight off their joints while they are exercising. (Much the same as aqua aerobics for humans.)

* Exercising your retriever first thing in the morning can be great for the worker as your dog will be snoozing all day while you are at work and not looking to get into mischief.

* The seriously overweight retriever may have to take 2 smaller walks a day until they regain a little fitness and can mange one longer walk.

* Limit the dog's food intake. Ignore the big pleading eyes when you are eating and do not be tempted to feed your dog fattening between meal snacks. Find low calorie and healthy treats for your obedience rewards.

* With the help of your vet, determine just how much your retriever should be eating. If you feed your dog morning and night, then this should be split into two portions. Dogs who are only fed at night will obviously have their ration in the one meal.

Diet Meals.

* If your dog needs to lose more than a few pounds, they may need a diet as well. Cutting out the fattening snacks is a great start. However, if you are planning on severely reducing their meal portions, you may want to consider special dog diet foods or additional supplements. This is because when you cut back on their normal food you are also reducing the vitamins, minerals and proteins that your dog is consuming. Your dog needs less fat and calories, not less nutrition.

* High fiber, low fat diets are best for the fat retriever. Fats contain a lot of calories. The high fiber will fill your dog up and take longer to digest. Brown rice can be a great additive to your dog's meal if you are not planning on buying a commercial diet product. Please note that even a fat dog needs a little fat to receive their essential vitamins and minerals.

Fat retrievers will get sore hips and will not live as long. Be kind to your best friend and get rid of those excess pounds. The seriously obese retriever could well benefit from a commercial grade diet food as they will then still be receiving their required nutrition without the excess calories and fat.