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Canine Nutrition
Is your Cavalier King
Charles Spaniel Overweight?
Some
studies have suggested that 60% of pets in the United States are
overweight, leading to a variety of health problems for our four-legged
friends.
 Being overweight results in greater stress on the joints
as well as the heart, makes our pets more prone to injury and surgery,
and shortens their lives. Rolly-poly Cavalier puppies are cute, but
being too chubby early in life can lead to obesity in an adult Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel.
Weigh your pet
regularly. The easiest technique for weighing your dog at home is to
step on your scale alone first. Then, holding your dog in your arms,
step on the scale for a second time. The difference in the two
measurements is the weight of your dog.
Adult Cavalier
Spaniels generally weigh 13 to 20 lbs, but keep in mind every dog is
different. How can you judge whether your Cavalier Spaniel is at
a healthy weight? Take a good look at your dog (from above, i.e. an
"aerial view") and follow these guidelines:
Thin
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If your dog’s ribs are noticeable to the eye
and too easily felt, and if his waist below the ribs is pronounced,
then your pet is too thin. |
Ideal
Weight
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You won’t generally see your dog’s ribs if he
is at his ideal weight, although you should easily feel them through
only a slight layer of fat over your dog’s ribs. Your dog should have
only minimal abdominal fat and his waist should be noticeable. When
looking at your pet from above, he’ll have a pleasing hour glass shape. |
Overweight
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If your pet is overweight, you won’t be able
to see your pet’s ribs or easily feel them because of the moderate
layer of fat over his ribs. His waist will not be particularly
noticeable due to more than necessary abdominal fat. |
Obese
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In an obese dog, you won’t be able to see or
feel his ribs at all. Abdominal fat will be heavy and your dog won’t
appear to have a waist as his abdomen will be distended. |
The best medicine is
always prevention. Your goal should be to keep your dog from becoming
overweight in the first place.
Whenever you notice
your pet starting to look a little “chunky”, it’s time to adjust his
eating routine.
- Take
your dog for a few extra walks everyday.
- Cut
back on the number of treats you give him or substitute lower-calorie
alternatives.
- Switch
your Cavalier to a dog food especially formulated for overweight dogs.
- Take him to see your
Vet to rule out the chance that a medical condition may be responsible
for your dog’s obesity.
While
you can use the food guidelines provided by the pet food manufacturer
as a starting point, you need to customize the amount of food to your
dog's situation. Remember, the pet food manufacturer doesn’t have any
idea how active your dog is, or how many treats you give him during the
day.
Be
patient. Finding the right quantity of pet food and treats for your dog
requires a little trial and error on your part to find the right
combination for your favorite Cavalier Spaniel.
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