Animal Talk – July 2019

q&a

DOGTA LK

I

t is actually quite possible to unintentionally overfeed your dog.

Here’s how:

• Free-feeding You keep your pet’s food bowl topped up all day. Animals
  don’t always know when enough is enough, so if the food is there your pet will
  probably eat it. Measure the amount of food required for breakfast. Don’t add
  more food to the bowl until you add the measured amount for dinner.


• Food scavenging Your dog may scavenge food that may have fallen from
  trees in the garden, such as nuts or fruit. They may also scavenge for food in
  the neighbourhood dustbins if left to wander around.


• Stealing food If one pet in the family nicks food from another pet’s bowl,
  separate them at feeding time. Some pets even steal food from a human’s plate.
  If your dog is sneaky around food, put him away during family mealtimes.


• Double meals To avoid pets getting fed twice, make sure all family
  members know who is responsible for feeding the pets and on which days.


• After sterilisation Sterilisation slows the metabolism and increases
  appetite. Sterilisation itself does not make animals fat, but overfeeding after
  sterilisation will lead to weight gain. Speak to your vet about decreasing
  kilojoules after sterilisation.
  Small animal veterinarian

Overfeeding pets

How is it possible to overfeed your dog?

M

ake sure that you have

the following:

• Pet carrier


• Leash


• Food


• Treats


• First aid kit for your dog


• Roll of toilet paper


• Some plastic bags


• Your dog’s vet card


• Prescribed medication


• Water and food bowls


• Blankets and a bed


• Toys
  Small animal veterinarian

Holiday essentials

What should I pack when my dog

accompanies us on a road trip?

If dogs are not spayed or

neutered, a female and

her young can, in just six

years, produce as many as

67,000 dogs.