_{Image via iStock.com/sturti}We are all guilty of some of these. I know I’m guilty.

By Diana Bocco. PetMD

Has some extra weight snuck up on your dog or cat recently? If your pup is looking a little on the plump side, it’s possible that you are the culprit.

Here are seven common pet parent mistakes that could pile the pounds on your furry one.

YOU’RE “GUESTIMATING” HOW MUCH TO FEED

If you’re not measuring your dog’s food and instead just filling the dog bowl, there’s simply no way to know if you’re overfeeding or not.

“When I ask owners how much they feed, most have no idea,” says holistic veterinarian Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM, who regularly lectures and writes on pet nutrition topics. “When I use a measuring cup and actually show them what 1 cup of food looks like, they are amazed.”

If you’re using a cup, fistful or bowl to scoop out the food, Dr. Morgan suggests switching right now to a measuring cup, before you make any other changes. Read the bag to find out how much you should be feeding your dog or cat based on his ideal weight, or ask your vet if you’re not sure. Then use a proper measuring cup so you can feed the correct amount every time.

For both dogs and cats, leaving food out all day can also lead to overeating. If you’re gone for long periods of time during the day, consider using a portion control programmable feeder, like the Aspen Pet LeBistro pet feeder, so your pet still has access to food, but only in the right amounts.

YOU’RE ADDING AN EXTRA TREAT HERE OR THERE

Dogs need approximately 20-30 calories per pound of body weight per day, according to Dr. Morgan. “If you consider a 20-pound dog, for example, the average caloric daily requirement will only be around 500 calories; maybe only 400 if pretty sedentary,” says Dr. Morgan. “Some store-bought treats can be very high in calories, and many are filled with sugar.”

Unfortunately, the calorie content of some treats is out of control, according to Dr. Justin Shmalberg, DVM, one of less than 100 board-certified veterinary nutritionists in the country. “I routinely see treats, especially dog biscuits, make up more than one third of a dog’s overall daily caloric needs,” says Dr. Shmalberg. 

A good example of this is a 50-pound dog, who, according to Dr. Shmalberg, should eat an average of about 1000 calories per day, but gets much more than that because of dog treats. “A medium-sized dog biscuit can contain about 40 calories, and it’s not uncommon for some people to give five of those biscuits to their dog per day,” Dr. Shmalberg says. “That’s a 20 percent higher intake than what’s needed; over the course of a year, this could easily add pounds of fat to a dog’s body.”

If you’re using dog treats as a way to keep your dog entertained between meals, consider switching to something like the Outward Hound Fun Feeder Interactive Dog Bowl, which challenges your dog to work for his food and slows down eating, keeping him busy for longer.

YOU’RE FORGETTING TO ACCOUNT FOR TRAINING TREATS

In general, you don’t want more than 10 percent of a pet’s daily calories coming from treats, and you want those treat calories accounted for in your daily targets, says Dr. Shmalberg. “You can use a bigger treat so long as you break it up, and you are aware of the overall number of calories in each treat, so that you can keep track of what you’re feeding,” Dr. Shmalberg adds.

When choosing treats for training, Dr. Morgan points out you should be reading labels to find a treat that’s low in calories, as you’ll probably be giving many of them throughout a training session. “PureBites is a treat that is very low-calorie, contains dried meats and organs, and is easy to break into small bits,” Dr. Morgan says.

YOU’RE SUDDENLY WALKING YOUR DOG LESS

Switching to walking your dog once around the block instead of twice might not seem like a big deal, but it might leave you with a chubbier pup. “We know that the amount of calories used during walking is proportional to the distance traveled, so it’s better to look at distance rather than time,” says Dr. Shmalberg. “If you cut the distance in half, you’re also cutting the calories burned in half.”

The bad news for pet parents everywhere is that exercise can’t substitute for portion control or caloric restriction in overweight animals, according to Dr. Shmalberg. So while cutting exercise sessions short can result in weight gain, increasing activity probably won’t make much of a difference if your dog is already chubby.

“I was involved in a study that looked at dogs doing relatively intense exercise on an underwater treadmill at a trotting speed,” Dr. Shmalberg says. “We found that 30 minutes of exercise only resulted in a daily increase in how many calories were consumed by about 5 percent—that’s better than nothing, but an overall small impact.”

YOU’RE FEEDING LOW-QUALITY FOOD

Low-quality dog food can absolutely cause weight gain, according to Dr. Morgan.

Unfortunately, Dr. Shmalberg emphasizes that there isn’t a single specific ingredient that experts can malign and identify as the sole culprit of pet weight gain. “It’s really just a mismatch between what a pet needs and the number of calories that pet is given,” says Dr. Shmalberg.

A well-balanced, high-quality pet food is always the best choice. When in doubt, talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s specific nutritional needs.

YOU’RE NOT USING PRESCRIPTION FOODS (WHEN YOU NEED TO)

Prescription dog food, like Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction dog food, and prescription cat food could be a good move if your dog or cat is already overweight.

“Weight management diets often have published research studies showing that they cause pets, specifically dogs, to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only diet that will be effective,” says Dr. Shmalberg. “The need for these diets should be evaluated by a pet’s veterinarian, who can give targeted advice based on an individual pet’s goals.”

Prescription dog food is not the right choice for every pet, however. Dr. Shmalberg points out many of these diets are high in fiber, and this can make some of them less palatable, especially if your pet is used to treats and table scraps.

YOU’RE BEING TOO GENEROUS WITH TABLE SCRAPS

People food is not always a bad thing, as long as you pick the right kind and feed it in moderate amounts—but most pet parents probably don’t. “I’m fine with the dog having an egg, as long as 75-100 calories are deducted from the processed food fed that day,” says Dr. Morgan. “The down side of table scraps is when the fatty trimmings from meat, gravies and high-calorie, unhealthy scraps are fed.”

Dr. Shmalberg is also a big proponent of fresh foods (including steamed vegetables) and even other people foods, but all in moderation. “A 10-pound Chihuahua, for example, should be fed an average of about 280 calories per day,” says Dr. Shmalberg. “If his parent sneaks in half a slice of deli meat or maybe a quarter of a Polish sausage, that’s 50-60 calories—20 percent more than he needs.”

Something else to keep in mind is that in addition to causing weight gain, table scraps can also cause other issues. “High-fat ingredients … will contribute to pancreatitis and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis,” Dr. Morgan says.

Article found in PetMD

Dogs vomit for many reasons. Some of the reasons are serious, while some are nothing to worry about. Learning to tell the difference can be tricky, but it’s essential to ensure you seek veterinary care as soon as it’s needed.

WHAT VOMITING REALLY IS (AND ISN’T)

One important thing to keep in mind is that vomiting and regurgitation are not the same thing.

“Vomiting is generally defined as the forceful ejection of stomach and upper intestinal contents,” explains Dr. Jennifer Hawkins, DVM. Dr. Hawkins is the director of Orange County (OC) Animal Care and of their new facility. She says that vomiting can contain yellow bile or dog food that has been partially digested, and usually smells sour.

Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a mild ejection of undigested food from the esophagus through the mouth.

“Regurgitation does not involve abdominal heaving, whereas vomiting does have an abdominal component,” Hawkins says. “Additionally, regurgitation tends to happen shortly after eating, whereas vomiting may occur hours after eating.”

REASONS WHY DOGS VOMIT

While dogs vomit for many reasons, stomach issues are perhaps one of the most common reasons for vomiting. According to Hawkins, these issues can include gastritis or an upset stomach from eating garbage or spoiled food, ingestion of toxic plants or grass, eating too fast, exercising after eating, inflammatory bowel disease, bloat, or obstruction from a foreign body.

Having an upset stomach in the car can also be a trigger for vomiting. “Motion sickness is not uncommon in dogs,” says Hawkins.

Vomiting can also be a sign that something more serious is going on. For example, vomiting may be a secondary reaction to a physiologic problem, such as kidney, liver, or pancreaticdisease, according to Dr. Jeff Werber, an Emmy Award winning celebrity veterinarian who has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and The Dr. Oz Show.

“Kidney failure causes in increase in ammonia, which can cause gastric irritation,” says Werber. “Inflammation of the organs connected to the stomach can also cause irritation to the stomach.”

According to Werber, in some cases, vomiting can also indicate a neurological issue, such as a middle ear problem, a brain tumor, or even meningitis. “There may also be psychological causes, such as extreme fear or anxiety, much like a person,” Werber says.

GRANULAR VS. CHUNKY VOMITING

Both chunky and granular vomit are often (though not always) related to food or something your dog has ingested. Chunky vomit is vomit where you can still identify food parts—an indication that the food brought up has not been in the stomach very long. “The chunks tell us that the food has not had much time to digest,” Werber says. “It could indicate that the dog ate too quickly or ran around too soon after eating.”

Granular vomit, on the other hand, suggests that there has been digestion and the food sat in the stomach for a while before being vomited, explains Werber. “If your pet is retching and heaving, and the food is partially digested and somewhat liquid, there may be granules in the vomit, which is indicative of blood being present,” Hawkins explains. “The granules may look like old coffee grounds or there may be actual blood.”

HOW LIQUID VOMIT IS DIFFERENT

Foamy, slimy, or clear vomit is different from vomit that includes partially digested food. In some cases, liquid vomit that is yellow or clear is a sign of a completely different medical issue that has no connection whatsoever to the food being consumed.

In fact, the main difference between liquid and semi-solid vomit is that liquid vomit can often be a sign of a serious issue lurking underneath, while chunky or granular vomiting is more likely related to something that has been ingested.

“Often, fluid means we are looking at some other reason, such as kidney, liver, pancreas, or severe gastritis, where the cause is not food or an irritant,” Werber says. “It could also indicate esophogeal reflex—[which is] like our heartburn.”

One thing to keep in mind, says Hawkins, is that liquid coming out of your dog’s mouth isn’t always vomit. “Dogs may begin a distressed state with drooling, or experience clear liquid leaving the mouth,” Hawkins explains. “If it is followed by stomach contents, then it’s vomit.” If not, it isn’t.

Dr. Katie Grzyb of One Love Animal Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, describes an example of something that owners often mistake for vomiting: where a dog will cough so hard that they eliminate white foam from the mouth. This can be a symptom of kennel cough, she says.

WHEN SHOULD I WORRY?

Some good news first: Vomiting is a very common occurrence for dogs and is most often caused by gastritis, or irritation of the stomach. “Gastritis is similar to an upset stomach in humans,” Hawkins says. “We may eat something that does not sit well in our stomachs or we may eat too much.”

In the case of dogs, that usually means the ingestion of something irritating, including grass, decomposed or rotten food, paper, and bones, according to Hawkins.

“Overall, gastritis is usually harmless and can be treated at home if there is a single episode,” says Hawkins. “But it’s important to act quickly if your dog is experiencing persistent or chronic vomiting,” she adds, in which case, you need to “get your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible.”

As a general rule, your dog’s behavior is the best indication of whether or not you should worry. If your dog is behaving normally except for the vomiting, you can probably wait a little longer and see what happens. “But if he is lethargic, has a tender abdomen, or refuses food, I’m more concerned and want to see the dog for an examination,” Werber says. At that point, your vet may prescribe pet meds for your dog. 

If there are no other symptoms, Werber recommends holding off on food and water for 12-24 hours. “That’s because after vomiting the stomach lining can be irritated and cause further vomiting of anything ingested, so I hold off to give the stomach and lining a rest,” Werber says.

After a period of this type of controlled fasting, Werber recommends slowly introducing soft, bland foods such as cooked chicken with rice and low fat or non-fat cottage cheese. “If that stays down, I would gradually get the dog back onto its regular diet,” Werber adds.

Hawkins agrees, adding that the rule of thumb is to visit your veterinarian as soon as possible if your dog also has diarrhea or his appearance and demeanor declines.

The biggest danger of not going to the vet right away, says Werber, is dehydration. “As the dog becomes dehydrated, essential functions start to break down. This can prevent normal processes and result in further irritation, gastric ulceration and malnutrition.”

“If your dog is a puppy, geriatric, or has pre-existing medical problems, see your vet immediately when vomiting occurs,” Hawkins adds.