Fortunately for us and our dogs; the equation is associative and works the same in the opposite direction.  Just as a healthy diet and plenty of good cardiovascular exercise can trim down a chubby man; it can also take the extra weight off of a dog.

Dog Diets

To reduce the overweight or obese dog’s body weight, a course of diet and working out should be introduced.  It is vital to visit a veterinarian as the doctor can decide whether the dog’s size is simply due to high caloric intake or some other medical concern like diabetes.  The vet can also give you the best suggestions about diet and exercise.  There are many brands of dog food on the market that are specifically balanced to help a dog lose weight.

Despite what food or dietary supplements you’re using, there is no substitute for the support and commitment of the family.  Each member must agree to help control the dog’s caloric intake, feeding exact amounts at exact times and limiting the intake of snacks.  Feeding the dog additional treats or table scraps on the sly will not be doing the pooch any favours.

Dog Exercise Programs

Exercise is essential for any dog.  A dog that doesn’t get enough exercise rapidly gains weight and could become exceptionally keyed up or very lethargic.  Fortunately, nearly all dogs love to exercise by nature.  They enjoy running and playing with their owners.  The overweight dog my be reluctant to exercise at first, but if you persist in taking him for walks or to play games like “fetch” (most dogs love to run after a thrown tennis ball or other object), the pup will soon come around and start exercising more regularly and for longer periods of time.

It Takes Time

People don’t get to their ideal weight overnight when dieting and neither will a dog.  Remember that Rover didn’t put on those extra pounds all at once and they won’t come off that way either.  Most dogs take between ten and twelve months to reach their ideal weight goal, depending upon how much extra weight must be lost.

A Shiny Coat with Dog Grooming
As mentioned above, it all starts with good dog grooming. If you want your dog to have a healthy coat of fur, you should groom him everyday. You do not have to bathe him everyday. Just once a week will do, or once every two days if your dog is the type that has long or thick fur.

Bathing a dog can be a tedious dog grooming process that will get you ending up wet along with your dog, but it can be quite fun once you get the hang of it. If your dog belongs to a small breed type, you can safely give him his bath in your kitchen sink. However, if your dog is the big type, you would have to use your tub or set up a place out of doors where you can bathe him properly.

How to Bathe Your Dog
When you bathe your dog, use a hose or a detachable shower head and wet him thoroughly. Afterwards, apply dog shampoo and work up a lather, starting from his chest to the top of his head, down his back and tail and then to his legs. Be careful not to get any of that shampoo in his eyes or ears.

Also, use a dog shampoo for your dog rather than your own shampoo. Shampoo for human hair only works on human hair; it is actually harsh and irritating to doggie skin. Dog shampoo, on the other hand, is specifically formulated for dog grooming, designed to suit the sensitivity of the skin and fur of dogs. For an added sheen and softness to your dog’s fur, a dog conditioner also works wonders.

Rinse your dog thoroughly after shampooing and conditioning his fur. Make sure that there are no leftover soap suds on your dog’s skin, or else the soap may cause some irritations. He might also end up licking at the leftover soap on his skin, and that is always a cause of concern that merits a vet’s attention if it does happen.

After the Bath
Once you are done bathing your dog, dry him thoroughly by patting all the excess water out of his fur using a towel. If your dog has short hair, you can leave him to air-dry his fur out completely. But if your dog is the type that has thick or long fur, you may need to dry his fur out with the use of a hair dryer. He may not find the hair dryer comfortable, but it is better than letting your dog stink up again because his fur was not dried out completely.

Dog grooming does not end with bathing, however. To give your pooch the full dog grooming home-style treatment, you need to make a ritual out of combing or brushing his fur once it is completely dry. Brushing your dog’s fur will remove the snags and tangles in it if your dog has long hair. Not only that, it will get rid of whatever burs, ticks and fleas are making their home in your dog’s fur. Do this every day, even on days when you are not giving your dog a bath.

If you can afford it and if you do not think you are capable of doing this dog grooming by yourself, go ahead and give your dog some delicious pampering at a dog grooming salon.

A Shiny Coat beyond Dog Grooming
Remember that a shiny coat is not just for the sake of aesthetics on a dog. A shiny coat for a dog is a strong indicator of a good dog health. As much as good dog grooming can do the job, it is not enough.

Good nutrition also plays a large role towards promoting good dog health. If a dog gets all the nutrients that his body needs, then definitely he will get a shiny coat. If you love your dog, you will not skimp on the cost of dog food. True enough, there are some cheap dog food brands out there, but they are made up of cheap and low-quality ingredients. So you can be sure that your dog is eating good food, do not skimp on quality dog food. Or, you can cook up your own dog food to feed your pooch.

If after regular dog grooming and regular feeding of high-quality food and your dog still does not display a shiny coat, it means that there is something else that is wrong with his system. Your dog may not be as in high a level of good health than you may have guessed. In this case, it is time to go to the vet.

If you have only one cat, your task is relatively simple. Choose a dewormer that
your cat will find acceptable if not palatable. Many liquid dewormers claim to be very tasty to cats. Unfortunately, many cats would vigorously disagree with that assessment. In such a case, if you have access to a pill form of dewormer that your cat is willing to swallow, you’re in luck. If your cat won’t swallow pills without major mayhem breaking out and turns his nose up at every liquid dewormer you try, then you have a problem. If you have more than one cat, it can become even more of an issue. If your cats will happily take whatever you offer, then the only thing you have to worry about is keeping the greedy guts from getting more than they should.  But, If each of them has a different idea as to what is acceptable (or not) for deworming medicine, then you have a major headache.

Rather than cater to each cats whims and maintain a veterinary pharmacy worth of
dewormers in your house or routinely running your finicky feline into the veterinarian every to he needs deworming, you might try a different route. You will need a liquid deworming medicine and a syringe. Syringes are readily available in the livestock medication section of farm supply stores. You only need the section with the barrel and plunger. No needles are needed or should even be used. Syringes in farm supply stores usually offer the two sections separately. Select one of smaller size. Your cat won’t need large amounts of medicine at any one time.

Measure out the proper amount of dewormer for your cat into a measuring cup. A
measuring cup usually comes in the package with a liquid dewormer. Take one of your
syringes and place the open end (where the needle would normally attach) into the
measuring cup and draw the medicine up into the barrel by pulling upward on the
plunger. Try to get it all at one time. You could do this task by increments but trying to manage a squirming cat while refilling a syringe really is more difficult than it is worth. Now restrain your cat gently and situate yourself so that you can hold the cat and use the syringe easily. It could require some experimentation to work out a suitable position for the both of you…if you keep one hand underneath the cats head and cradle his chin it will make this part of the task go more smoothly. Slide the end of the syringe a little bit into your cat’s mouth and slowly depress the plunger This will empty the medicine into your cat’s mouth slowly enough that he can readily swallow it without choking. Repeat for each cat.

Naturally, your cat will not be particularly pleased with this method. He may object rather strenuously. With repetition, however, you will become much smoother with the task. You don’t need to rush during this task. Take your time to discover what will work best for you and your cats. Your cats will become more accustomed to it despite themselves. This method will ensure that each cat, even your most finicky, gets the proper amount of medicine he needs.  And that, of course, is the whole reason for the entire exercise.