Obese Dog

Ricky, a smooth-haired, standard Dachshund, is about 15kg overweight. He is just one of the many fat dogs that veterinarian, Dr Rob Zammit, has seen in his clinic lately. Rob has put Ricky on very restricted food rations, with access to water at all times. This is basically a 'crash' diet for dogs.

Rob pointed out that while crash diets can be life threatening for humans, they are safe for dogs. Dogs living in the wild would probably only eat a few times a week, so their metabolism is not affected by periods without food and they don't suffer from hypoglycaemia or get the shakes.

Rob recommends feeding your dog one balanced meal per day. If your dog is too fat, cut back on its food and it will lose weight.

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