ArticleBliss Directory
Free Article Directory
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Actions
Print Article
BookMark Article
Author Login 
Important
Existing members will have to use the lost password facility to get new username and new password
Welcome Guest! Please login or create an account.
If you do not have an account yet, you can register ( Here ), or you may retrieve a lost user/pass ( Here ).
Navigation 
- Home
- Privacy Policy
- Terms Of Use
- Submit Guidelines
- Learn More
- Top Articles
- Ebay UK Store
- Ebay US Store
Author Highlights 
Rick Kapsin
Palmdale
Rafael Arriaga
Laval
sandra tiddk
Mexia
Other Websites 
3 Ways To Control Springer Spaniel Weight
Author : Phil Marks
Springer Spaniels are active dogs, and provided there are no health problems and they are regularly wormed then spaniel weight should not be an issue. A normal adult male English Springer Spaniel show dog weighs about 25 kg (50lbs). The bitch is a few pounds lighter.
These are smart animals, loyal and affectionate and people love them - sometimes too much, and therefore they often get more calories than they need. You may not even know about it until you see them getting overweight. Where does it all come from?
Tip #1 - Secret Feeding
If you have a family, then your children may be feeding him extras without you knowing - secret scraps from the table and secret treats. The children need to understand that it is bad for him. And, it's not only the children!
I once had a neighbour who threw scraps over the fence (unknown to me) when our dog was in our large garden. After a while I cottoned on when I was cutting the grass and found odd pieces of bone. He did love those lamb bones! I had a quick word with our neighbor and Sam (our Welsh Springer) lost out on his regular bones.
Tip #2 - Overfeeding
If you feed your dog yourself then you are able to control the quantities of food. If feeding your dog is a shared responsibility (and it is good for children to have chores likes this involving animals) then you need to make sure that the quantities your dog is getting are strictly controlled.
Just a small increase in quantity of, say, cereal for us (say a couple of spoonfuls) is not a lot relative to our weight. However, the same increase for a dog is a lot relative to their body mass and the amount of energy they need on a daily basis. It is easy to control when you have to open one can of dog food for his meal, but the addition of say, biscuit mix is more variable. Our natural tendency is to see that he is fed well and so a bit more gets put in his bowl. Ever so slowly, his weight goes up and you wonder why! So, portion control is essential if you want to avoid spaniel weight gain.
Tip #3 - Balance Age and Diet
Older dogs - that is those moving from middle into old age, say after about eight or nine years of age - are less active and need adjustment to their diet. This is done by cutting down on the protein and the fat content relative to the carbohydrate. This need to be done with care, so that the balance of the diet is correctly maintained. He will also need fewer calories as activity levels fall. Discuss this with your veterinarian who will know your dog and be able to give you detailed advice. To lighten the load on their digestion and make it more efficient, you can divide their quantities of food in two and serve as two meals, morning and evening.
Finally, do remember to weigh your spaniel regularly, and record his weight. Make it part of the monthly groom and trim routine. Then you can see any trend to overweight developing.
Author's Resource Box
There are several aspects to check and monitor in order to control springer spaniel weight. Discover lots more about owning one at => www.springerspanieladvice.com. Written by a long term enthusiast and owner of springer spaniels, both Welsh and English.
Article Source:
Articlebliss
Tags: spaniel weight
Author RSS Feed
Category RSS Feed
Submitted : 2010-07-10 Word Count : 1 Popularity: 144 Times Viewed: 12
