Overweight Dog and Diet
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Sharon
Posted on: April 19, 2006

I have a little but OVERWEIGHT 3-year old Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua. She is fussy but I would like to feed her naturally. What do you suggest? She is presently on a diet of home-made beef jerky mixed with softer food and crumbled dog food from the health food store. I also give her beef soup bones (cooked) a few times a week.

Please start by looking at the following books for recipes as well as information regarding dietary choices: Richard Pitcairn’s "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst. It is important that the switch to homemade food happen gradually over a two week period so your dog’s body is in a better place to digest the new diet and her tastebuds have a chance to get used to the new flavours. It is also important to use unprocessed foods, so something manufactured like beef jerky might not be the most helpful choice. In addition, you will find in the books listed above the concept of feeding only raw bones to animals. Cooked bones are brittle and tend to be the cause of a number of problems. Raw bones on the other hand are not brittle and therefore do not splinter, are terrific exercise for the dog’s jaw, help to keep the teeth clean and are a wonderful source of nutrition. However, do ensure the bone is of such a size that will not become caught in the dog’s mouth or throat, which could result in a trip to the veterinary clinic.

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