Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for your pet's well-being!

Here’s why it matters:

1. Longer Life: Pets at a healthy weight tend to live longer.
2. Reduced Health Risks: Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent joint problems, heart disease, diabetes, digestive issues, liver disease, and cancer.
3. Improved Mobility and Quality of Life: A healthy weight helps pets move comfortably and stay active. Pets with a healthy weight have more energy, stamina, and engagement.

There is a perception that plant-based pet food can help dogs and cats be slimmer and have a healthier weight. However, in this article, we focus on how calorie intake and expenditure truly affect the weight of pets.

We will discuss these factors in relation to plant-based diets and suggest strategies for managing the different factors.

Tip #1: Increase Volume while 
Keeping Calories the Same

Adding water helps not only with hydration, but it also helps to regulate calorie intake. When you add water to dry kibble, the kibble expands in size, making it more filling for the dogs and cats.

How it works:

• If you normally provide 1 cup of kibble, for example, then you would make the following adjustments to make moist kibble:
• Measure out 2/3 cup of dry kibble and place it in your pet’s bowl.
• Pour 2/3 cup of water over the kibble.
• Allow the mixture to sit for 30 mins, letting the kibble absorb the water and expand.
• Once the kibble has become soft and mushy, serve it to your pet.

So you are giving 1/3 fewer calories, but because of the larger expanded volume, your pet will feel satiated.

Tip #2: Control Portion Size

If you find your dog or cat is getting fat, then reduce their food portion. Conversely, if your pet is losing weight, increase their food intake.

Tip #3: Provide Regular Exercise

Regular exercise not only helps maintain a healthy weight, but also strengthens muscles around joints, prevents boredom, anxiety, and behavioral problems like excessive barking or scratching. In addition, regular movement aids digestion and helps prevent constipation and other digestive issues.

For dogs, this might mean daily walks, fetch games, agility training, swimming, or hiking.

Cats can be encouraged to move with toys, laser pointer play, feather wands, climbing structures, or treadmill training.

Tip #4: Transition Slowly

If switching to a plant-based diet, gradual transition is the key to a successful transition and maintaining a healthy weight.

• Day 1-2: Mix 20% plant-based food with 80% of your pet’s current food.
• Day 3-4: Adjust the mix to 50% plant-based food and 50% of the current food.
• Day 5-6: Increase the plant-based portion to 80%, reducing the current food to 20%.
• Day 7: Serve 100% plant-based food

This helps prevent digestive upset and allows your pet to adjust to the new diet, while maintaining a healthy weight.

Tip #5: Increase Fiber

Some plant-based ingredients are high in fiber, which can promote satiety. High-fiber diets help reducing hunger and preventing overeating that can play a role in preventing and managing obesity.

Ingredients like sweet potatoes, peas, and pumpkin can be beneficial.

Final Thoughts

A plant-based diet alone won’t guarantee optimal weight. Your furry friend’s weight depends on the balance of calorie intake and expenditure. A balanced, nutritionally complete diet, proper portion control, and regular exercise are key to effective weight management.

By combining a nutritionally complete diet with these practices, you can effectively support your pet’s health and weight goals.

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