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INTERACTIVE FEEDERS
Is your pet overweight?
Over half of all pets are! Approximately 58 percent of cats and 54
percent of dogs were overweight or obese in 2015, according to the
Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Our cats and dogs love to
eat, and as owners it is one of the ways we show our pets we love
them and that they’re a good boy (or girl)!
What are some strategies to slim down your chunky cat or husky
Husky? One great way is to think about an interactive feeder. Interactive
feeders, also called puzzle feeders, allow cats and dogs to
work both physically and mentally for their food. Interactive feeders
can help solve not only weight problems, but boredom problems as
well.
Many of you know our resident clinic cat “Kate” that lives at North
Kenny Veterinary Hospital. Despite working endless hours greeting
clients and patients Kate struggles to maintain a healthy body
weight. To help her shed the extra weight we have introduced a
bowl-free system that allows her to hunt for her food indoors. This
provides not only exercise but mental stimulation.
The top 5 reasons we recommend ditching the bowl and switching to
an interactive feeder are:
1. It is a way to engage and exercise your pet while you are
not at home
2. Your pet “scarfs and barfs” at least once a week
4. Your pet wakes you up early looking for food
5. Your pet needs help reaching or maintaining a healthy weight
When selecting an interactive feeder for your pet, avoid ones that
only slow them down. While eating slower can help some issues,
it doesn't provide the mental stimulation of working for their food.
Some feeders we like are:
• Aikiou interactive dog feeder and slow dog feeder
• Catit Design Senses Food Maze
• Complete NoBowl Feeding System
Follow our blog for more tips to provide the healthiest lifestyle for
your four-legged friend!
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The Interactive Feeder Blog
written by Dr. April Bauer
North Kenny Veterinary Hospital
www.northkennyvet.com
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