13 Things Your Vet Wishes You Knew

1 Your pet eats too much. “Pets being overweight is very common,” says Dr Narendra Gandhi, a veterinarian based in New Delhi. “Excess weight can lead to a host of illnesses,” he adds. Sometimes love means saying no to those pleading eyes.

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2 Your pet’s ideal weight should dictate their calorie intake. “You need to target the lower recommended limit,” says Gandhi. “For instance, if your dog’s weight range is 28 to 35 kg, you should aim to maintain 28 kg.”

3 One way to steer clear of health issues caused by synthetic substances in ready-made food, is to give your pet home-cooked meals. “Carnivore pets need animal protein for energy, so make sure your pet’s meal consists mostly of animal protein with some carbs and fat added to it,” says Dr Archana Bapat, a veterinarian at Bapat’s Pet Animal Hospital in Thane. “You can add beetroot or sweet potato if your dog is constipated,” she adds. But don’t vary the diet too much as that tends to cause digestive issues.