The U. S. National Research Council reports that 1 in 4 dogs and cats in the Western World are obese. While animals do a good job, in general, of controlling their weight, obviously, not all are successful. To help your pet be successful and extend its healthy life, you must be observent of what your pet eats, and what it weighs.
PetFood ChekR can estimate, based on known energy levels in food and pet weight, how many calories must be lost to reduce the pet's weight. See below, you can enter the desired weight of the pet, although the program will not consider more than a 10 percent weight loss at a time. The program shows you the current food amount that is recommended, the calorie reduction and amount of your chosen food to give to lose the weight over 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks . The program allows you to choose a number of weeks as well. These suggestions focus on the food amount for an "Inactive" Pet, the amounts to be ruduced are the same for any activity level. That is to say that if you have an active pet with a stable weight that is higher than optimal, you should reduce your current food offering by the amounts shown on the "Units of Food Reduced " lines.
In the case of pets that are overweight, recognition of all sources of calories are important. That is why PetFood ChekR takes into consideration the number and calories that are in treats. Food scraps and other "rewards" should also be considered and controlled to help your pet reach and maintain an optimum weight.
A reminder is shown on the form that these weight loss suggestions are not to replace competent Veterinary help when needed. The health of your pet depends on keen observation and immediate care for your pet when weight gain or weight lose appear uncontrolled.