With pet obesity on the rise, a premium pet food brand has launched a campaign to encourage the nation’s dogs to ‘Release the Pounds!’
A survey of 2,000 UK dog owners, conducted by Natural Instinct, has revealed that a staggering 90% admit to feeding their dogs food scraps and leftovers.
The data shows that, on average, dog owners who feed their canine pals’ scraps, typically do this 11 times a month. A lack of understanding is behind the scrap snacking, with over 35% confessing to having a very minimal understanding, or even no understanding at all, when it comes to what their dog can and can’t eat.
Correct portion sizes are also a conundrum among dog owners, as 36% admit they have very little understanding of exactly what size meals to feed their dog.
As a result, more than half said their dog’s diet needed improving, and 42% admitted they would try to adopt a healthier diet for their dog in 2020, as well as themselves.
BEGGING
Kate Bendix, author of ‘The Dog Diet’, offers simple guidelines for keeping a dog fit, both mentally and physically: “Feed them roughly 2-3% of their body weight per day, making sure the food they get is what they need, not what those begging eyes want.
“Giving a 10kg dog one digestive is the equivalent to an 80kg human dunking eight in their cuppa – a sure fire to weight gain. A diet made from whole foods – meat, fish, veg and fruit – is pretty much the perfect diet. Human processed food, sausages, gravy, pasta or bread for example are high in salt, sugar and fat, which can affect their liver and kidneys.
A Natural Instinct spokesman concluded: “A dog’s diet is fundamental to give them the best chance of fighting health battles and a raw diet ensures they are getting all the vital vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need, in its purest form. With a significant 54% of dog owners believing their dog’s health and fitness needs improving, we’re calling on all pet owners to help their pooch ‘release the pounds’ and get fit and healthy this year!”
