The Benefits of Using a Dog Food Calculator for Your Pet's Diet
Do you want your dog to stay healthy and active throughout their life? Well, using a dog food calculator can help you do just that. The two most important benefits of using a dog food calculator are increasing the length of your dog’s life and improving their quality of life. It might not be fun to limit your doggo’s food intake, but here are the reasons why you should.
Help You to Maintain Your Dog’s Ideal Weight
Your dog will be healthier and happier if they are at their ideal weight. While it is difficult to calculate an exact weight for your dog’s best health, it isn’t as difficult to determine the range that their weight should fall into. Feeding them the proper amount of food, along with regular exercise, will help you to keep them at their ideal weight.
Just make sure that they are eating a quality dog food that is supplying them with all the nutrients that their body requires.
You Will Know Exactly How Many Calories Your Dog Needs
If you want to keep your doggo at a healthy weight, it is important to know how many calories to feed them each day. Many dog foods, on the bag or can, will show the amount to feed your dog, but that is only a rough estimate. You are probably better off using a food calculator. There are a number on the internet. Petguide.com [1] and petMD.com [2] both have calculators that take into account a variety of factors and are easy to use.
Food calculators are not exact, so you might want to talk to your vet to help fine tune your dog’s diet.
Improve Your Dog’s Overall Health
A significant number of dogs are overweight, and packing those extra pounds can cause a variety of health problems, things such as:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Joint pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Thyroid problems
- Urinary tract stones
According to the AVMA, “Keeping your pet at a healthy weight lowers their risk of certain health problems like arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, back problems, kidney disease, and some forms of cancer. It also can reduce your pet’s risk of joint injuries associated with excess weight.” [3] So it is easy to see that your dog will live a longer, better life if they are kept at their ideal weight.
Change in Weight Can Signal Health Problems
Track your dog's weight so that you will know if there are significant changes. If you notice that they are gaining or losing weight, you will need to work with your vet to see if your dog has developed a health problem that needs to be treated.
A Long and Happy Life
Tracking your dog’s weight and counting calories might not be fun, but it is a big step you can take to giving your forever friend their best and longest life. You can look forward to enjoying their companionship for many years to come!
[1] How to Use a Dog Food Calculator
