National Pet Obesity Awareness Day and K9 Kamp

K9 Kamp this session falls in line with an important day-- The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Which happens to be today. Perfect! Every year the organization conducts a survey and shares information on the health of our pets.

--According to last year's survey, more than 50% of our pets are obese or overweight! That's why we're all committed to K9 Kamp as one way of motivating each other to get fit and active with our pets.

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has some cool tools on their site, such as Pet Weight Translator.  I checked out the translator and Kelly is equivalent to a 161 pound female (at 5'4") which is a little difficult to compare, since Kelly is a mixed breed and I just picked "cocker spaniel" for the translation.  Ike wasn't even on the chart, since he is quite a bit underweight right now.  Some other translations:
A 12 lb Yorkie is the same as an average female human weighing 218 lbs
A 14  lb cat is equivalent to a 237  lb man
A 90 pound female Labrador retriever is equal to a 186  lb 5’ 4” female



Join us at K9Kamp, with co-hosts Kol's Notes and You Did What with Your Wiener, where you can join in on fitness challenges and enter to win prizes. Everyone can join along this month, by getting active with your pet about 30 minutes longer per week. The theme for this month is Fun and Games. What games do you like to play with your dogs?

Come back Fridays, as well, for the FitDog Friday Blog Hop with Peggy's Pet Place, Slimdoggy and To Dog with Love. 

And if you need a little inspiration, check out Dieting with my Dog, and The Dieting with my Dog Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance. In celebration of National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, if you email me (peggyfrezon (at) gmail) and order either one or both of these books, I'll give you 50% OFF the list price plus a free bookmark, free refrigerator magnet AND pawtographed picture of Kelly and Ike!  HURRY, sale ends 10/16/13!

How are you celebrating Pet Obesity Awareness Day?
Visit Kol's Notes today for more K9 Kamp fun.

Want more positive pet tips, good news, and special offers? Fetch my free newsletter, Pawsitively Pets. Kelly and Ike hope to see you there!

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10 Tips on Ntl Pet Obesity Awareness Day

Hmmm what looks good?

Today is the sixth annual National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. It's a great day to take a look at your pet and evaluate his weight.  

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that more than half of U.S. dogs and cats are overweight or obese, and thus have a higher risk of conditions such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease and shortened life expectancy. If you find that your dog's getting a bit pudgy, here are some steps you can take:

10 TIPS for HELPING YOUR PET LOSE WEIGHT   

1. Ask your veterinarian the appropriate amount of food for your dog or cat. Don’t go by the recommendation on the pet food bag, which may not be calculated for your pet.
2. Measure your pet’s food. I used to feed Kelly “one scoop.” It turns out that scoop was twice as much as she really needed.
3. Invest in quality food. Check the ingredient list on the side of the package—be sure there’s a healthy lean protein among the first five ingredients.  For dogs, a great reference is The Dog Food Advisor. 
4. Make your dog your diet partner! (Many of you know, in my book, Dieting with my Dog, I share how Kelly and I motivated each other and lost weight together.)
5. Resist offering your dog table scraps. For treats, try baby carrots, green beans, or slices of banana.
6. A few spoons of canned pumpkin (not the pie mix, but pure pumpkin) mixed into your dog’s food is healthy, and helps them feel full.
7. Snacks are great, but only offer small bites. I used to think that giving Kelly lots of treats was a way of showing love. I learned, instead, that the best way to show my dog love is to keep her (and myself!) healthy.
8. Don’t forget exercise. Take your dog out on at least one good, brisk walk a day. Seeing new sights and sniffing new smells is good for their minds, too.
9. Get active together. Kelly and I replaced sedentary habits with more physical ones. While I lean toward activities such as relaxing with a good book, now Kelly and I often go outside and play in the fallen leaves, take a hike in the woods or play with a Frisbee at the park.
10. Join in the Association for PetObesity Prevention’s survey. They’ll send you information, handouts, and a measuring tape to complete the study.  You’ll contribute to accurately assessing the number of obese and overweight pets in the United States

 Perfect for Pet Obesity Awareness Day, Dieting with my Dog! Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or contact me for a signed copy.

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