The Joy of Helping Your Pet Maintain a #PerfectWeight

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Perfect Weight 10 Week Turnaround, but 'Pixel Blue Eyes: Her Tails of Adventure' blog only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

"Being a pet parent is one of the greatest joys in the entire world!" Mommy said that to me just this morning when we were having our special morning time before breakfast. There is so much love shared between a pet and their human. I know Mommy wants to spoil me like crazy, but I also know she wants what is best for me, so I can imagine that being a pet parent can also be a challenge, as she balances her need to spoil me with doing what is best for me. Keeping me at a perfect weight is one of the greatest and most loving things she does for me. It's also one of her biggest challenges. Thankfully she, and many other pet parents, don't have to tackle that challenge alone.
Many pet parents may ask, "Is my precious little one overweight?". I've shared with you in the past that I had a bit of a weight issue a few years ago when I was 2.5 pounds over my ideal weight. Now, that may not sound like much, but 5 lbs on a small dog is like 30 lbs on a human, so I was carrying the equivalent of 15 extra pounds on me. Watch this "Is your pet overweight" video by Dr. Ashley Gallagher:

It turns out that over 50% of all pets are overweight. Excess weight can cause many issues for pets, but it's difficult to shed those extra pounds, whether you are human or canine. It is very important to address a weight issue as soon as possible. Talk to your veterinarian and set up a plan to help your pet shed the pounds. There are things you can do, tools you can use, and products that can help overweight pets.
The most important thing to do is to make an appointment to have your pet(s) evaluated by your veterinarian. They can best identify a plan of action for your pet.

If your pet is overweight, your vet might suggest the Hill's® Science Diet® Perfect Weight pet food. Yes, my friends at Hills have done it again! They are always concerned about pets being at a healthy weight, and continually strive to create pet foods that help pets successfully lose weight. Hills strives to work in partnership with pet parents to get their dogs and cats to a healthy weight so their pets live longer, healthier, happier lives. I'm super excited about their breakthrough nutrition formulated to achieve & maintain a healthy weight & improve quality of life in small & toy breed dogs like me: Hill's® Science Diet® Small and Toy Breed Formula. You can read all about it here: http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-adultperfect-weight-small-and-toy-dry.html. 70% of cats and dogs who used Science Diet Perfect Weight lost weight within 10 weeks.

Tips and tools to help you and your pet succeed in achieving and keeping a perfect weight:
1. Always measure out your pet's food each time you feed them. Find out what the total amount of food is they can have for the day, then split it out to the number of meals you want them to have for that day. For example, I have to take medicine 4 times a day, so I get my total amount of food split into 4 meals. I LOVE getting all those mini meals from Mommy throughout the day.
2. Exercise your pet. Even in the dead of winter, your pet can still get exercise. We love to play in the snow, even if we get cold quickly. You could try incorporating several small indoor or outdoor play times, or small exercise/activity times throughout the day. Even 5 minutes of throwing the ball down the hall with your pet is excellent way to keep you both active, happy and a little healthier.
3. Learn a new trick together. It will keep both the mind AND the body active.
4. Check out your pet's weight using the petMD Healthy Weight Tool - Enter in some basic information to get the answer.
5. Discover just how negative an impact "people food" from your plate can be on your pet by visiting the Treat Translator Tool - You only think that "one tiny bite of cheese" isn't much.
Being a pet parent is both rewarding and challenging, but we're all here for each other. A healthy weight for your dog or cat is one of the most loving thing you can do for them. Achieving a perfect weight for your pet is possible. If you'd like to read some success stories of cats and dogs who have achieved their perfect weight with the Hills 10 Week Turnaround, visit the Hillspet website. Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight pet food is available at your licensed veterinarian or at Pet 360.