We at the Moab BARKery know how much your pets can mean to you. You control everything in their world so you can enrich and greatly extend the life of your pet with a few simple measures. We wanted to give you the top 4 things we recommend that are easy and most effective to a vital, happy and health pet.
1. Keep your pet at an appropriate weight
This is the most effective way to ensure your pet can live as long as possible with the least amount of preventable disease. This also saves you money and is most kind to the planet (in the form of less waste!). There have been hundreds of studies about longevity in house pets, and the most common result is a slim pet lives an average of 2.2 years longer than an obese pet. Two more healthy years of your pet sounds like a pretty good deal to me! All of our personal pets have been overweight before, and we have to remind ourselves that they are small animals (all under 15lbs). So we cut treats in half, walked 10 minutes longer, cut 10% of their daily meals and helped them slowly (less than a 2% weight loss per week) work towards an ideal weight.
In order to know how much food to feed your pet, you must know their caloric needs. I recommend checking with your veterinarian on the proper weight for your pet and refer to the chart below.
Daily Calorie Requirements for Dogs |
Body weight in lbs |
Puppy up to 4 months |
Puppy over 4 months |
Neutered adult |
Intact adult |
Obese |
Weight loss |
4 |
330 |
220 |
176 |
198 |
154 |
110 |
5 |
390 |
260 |
208 |
234 |
182 |
130 |
6 |
447 |
298 |
238 |
268 |
209 |
149 |
7 |
501 |
334 |
267 |
301 |
234 |
167 |
8 |
552 |
368 |
294 |
331 |
258 |
184 |
9 |
603 |
402 |
322 |
362 |
281 |
201 |
10 |
654 |
436 |
349 |
392 |
305 |
218 |
11 |
702 |
468 |
374 |
421 |
328 |
234 |
12 |
750 |
500 |
400 |
450 |
350 |
250 |
13 |
795 |
530 |
424 |
477 |
371 |
265 |
14 |
840 |
560 |
448 |
504 |
392 |
280 |
15 |
885 |
590 |
472 |
531 |
413 |
295 |
16 |
930 |
620 |
496 |
558 |
434 |
310 |
17 |
972 |
648 |
518 |
583 |
454 |
324 |
18 |
1017 |
678 |
542 |
610 |
475 |
339 |
19 |
1059 |
706 |
565 |
635 |
494 |
353 |
20 |
1098 |
732 |
586 |
659 |
512 |
366 |
25 |
1299 |
866 |
693 |
779 |
606 |
433 |
30 |
1491 |
994 |
795 |
895 |
696 |
497 |
35 |
1674 |
1116 |
893 |
1004 |
781 |
558 |
40 |
1848 |
1232 |
986 |
1109 |
862 |
616 |
45 |
2019 |
1346 |
1077 |
1211 |
942 |
673 |
50 |
|
1458 |
1166 |
1312 |
1021 |
729 |
55 |
|
1566 |
1253 |
1409 |
1096 |
783 |
60 |
|
1670 |
1336 |
1503 |
1169 |
835 |
65 |
|
1774 |
1419 |
1597 |
1242 |
887 |
70 |
|
1876 |
1501 |
1688 |
1313 |
938 |
75 |
|
1976 |
1581 |
1778 |
1383 |
988 |
80 |
|
2074 |
1659 |
1867 |
1452 |
1037 |
85 |
|
2170 |
1736 |
1953 |
1519 |
1085 |
90 |
|
2264 |
1811 |
2038 |
1585 |
1132 |
95 |
|
2358 |
1886 |
2122 |
1651 |
1179 |
100 |
|
2450 |
1960 |
2205 |
1715 |
1225 |
This graph provided by: http://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com |
2. Feed a species appropriate diet
Both cats and dogs benefit far more from a fresh, living diet that is moisture rich. This means offering something more than just a bowl of kibble. We recommend adding fresh meats and a small amount of vegetable to their daily diet. Fresh food is essential to happy healthy pets. We recommend things like pumpkin, lean meats like turkey or salmon, small amounts of omega rich oils (coconut or fish is good), green beans, flax seed, eggs, sweet potatoes, yogurt, apples, carrots and even oatmeal. Cats do better with mainly lean meats, omega rich oils and fresh foods that contain soluable fiber. All these ingredients offer something dry food just can’t, dietary enzymes and probiotics in their original state.
We also recommend that if you add these items into your pet’s diet, you introduce them slowly! First these items should be considered as a snack or treat and gradually working towards a larger part of their diet. The longer a pet has been without fresh food, the longer in can take to transition to it so be patient and go slow.
3. Exercise one extra hour each week
This means that if you do not exercise your pet at all you will be making a major change for the better. It is well known that things like metabolic problems improve greatly with exercise but it is also good for sore old stiff pets to gets those joints moving. Just make sure you consider the intensity of the exercise. If your pet is used to a daily walk, then make them a little longer (about 8 extra minutes a day should do). If your pet is used to playing in the yard, a short 15 minute walk 3 or 4 times a week will greatly improve their fitness (and yours too!). If you have an obese pet, senior or injured pet always consult with your vet for guidance about exercise. Some play can be fun and safe for sedentary pets. Just remember to go slow. We have a 16+ year old cat and we find that a little time chasing a wand with feathers a few minutes each night, and a walk around our property before breakfast (he will follow if I have his food in hand) keeps him less stiff and enriches his hunting instincts. His arthritis has improved with a small amount of daily activity. He doesn’t lay around long enough to get stiff anymore.
4. Add something daily for enrichment, bonding and wellness
If you take just one thing from this list each day and do it for your pet, you will have a much healthier and well adjusted pet.
• Brush their teeth with pet toothpaste (no fluoride!!)
• Training (try a new trick, or an old trick in a new environment)
• Drop by the vet, groomers, or pet wash/groomers for a quick visit
• Take your dog for a ride in the car (just a carefree ride, no errands)
• Walk your cat (of course you need a harness, patience and a safe place)
• Brush their fur, it helps distribute natural oils and increase circulation
• Stretch your pets (hip flexors, shoulder flexors, chest and back) – there are some great resources online for pictures. Pet yoga rocks!!
• Supplements (probiotics, omega oils, CoQ10, or glucosamine)
• Wash their feet and face, where all the bacteria and mess accumulates. A simple wipe down with a warm wash cloth can reduce allergens greatly.
• Trim a nail or two. This is often less stressful than the whole set at once.
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