DOG FOOD And NUTRITION

People tend to shut down when the veterinarian says their dog is fat or obese. They take it as an affront, often interpreting those words to mean they are being told they are irresponsible pet owners.

As the practice of feeding dogs raw meat diets increases, so does the incidence of pets harboring bacteria in their systems that are not only harmful but also ever more resistant to the drugs that are supposed to be able to destroy them. The latest evidence about potential harm comes from a study conducted in the United Kingdom.

Did you hear the one about the dog whose veterinarian prescribed a special therapeutic diet to slow the progression of kidney disease? Turns out that even with the newly prescribed food the rate of the dog’s decline did not ease up.

More than 50 percent of dogs in the U.S. are estimated to be overweight. Part of the reason may be a psychological problem — yours. In many households, people turn food into currency for love. They fear that withholding as much food or as many treats as their dog wants will fray the bond they have with their pet. It won’t — if you show your pet love in all the other important ways.

You know those television commercials that have a dentist in a lab coat recommending a particular toothpaste? Well, the marketing ploy has drifted over to products meant for our pets, in a manner of speaking. A number of dog food manufacturers have a burst in large letters on the front of their packages that says the product is “Veterinarian Recommended.”

A number of years ago, the American Animal Hospital Association published a chart listing a number of things that stand in the way of weight loss for overweight dogs. Topping the chart: begging. Also way up there: guilt on the part of the pet “parent.”