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How to Help Your Pet Lose Their Winter Weight

Post by: Kenzie on Mar 24th 2019

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How to Help Your Pet Lose Their Winter Weight -

Winter weight gain is as prevalent for our pets as it is for us. They do, after all, depend heavily on us to lead them in a healthy lifestyle. So if we've given in to lazy days and indulging in comfort food during the holidays, we're also prone to dwindling with our pet's activity and nutrition. No judgment here; it's easy to do! But now that the days are lengthening and the weather is warming you're likely making goals to lose some weight before summer fully arrives, and your pet may benefit from having the same goal. Here are some simple and effective ways you can help your pet lose some of their winter weight, brought to you by our pet door installation experts .

Get Some Exercise

Sliding Glass Door

The most direct approach to helping your pet lose some of their winter weight is, unsurprisingly, getting them back into the routine of daily exercise. Every pet needs some kind of physical activity each day to help work off excess calories, get their heart pumping, and keep them happy and agile. Dogs make excellent workout partners, so the two of you can get in better shape together as a team. You can take your pick of outdoor activities as the weather gets warmer, such as walking, running, cycling, hiking, swimming, etc. If the weather is still a bit too cold for you and your pup, you can get creative with modified indoor exercises. Prompt your pup to run up and down the stairs, play fetch, take a walk around the house, play tug of war with a sturdy toy, teach them a new trick, or you could introduce them to a doggy treadmill for a more fulfilling indoor walk. Cat owners, on the other hand, may have a harder time finding an activity their cat will enjoy doing. Experiment with different toys and activities to find something that they enjoy and helps them burn a few calories. If you have a younger cat, you can even train them to leash-walk outside with a harness or to walk on a pet treadmill.

Cut Back on Treats

Dog Door for Sliding Glass Door

If your pet has spent the winter season being spoiled with a lot of treats, it's time to cut back on them now that the holidays have come and gone. Regularly feeding your pet unhealthy treats and table scraps in addition to their normal meals will skyrocket their daily calorie intake, meaning quick weight gain the longer the habit continues. Cutting back on or eliminating these junky treats altogether from your pet's diet is an easy way to help them get back to a healthier weight. Or, you could simply replace these high-calorie treats with healthier, low-calorie, no-sugar versions with a lot of health benefits, and be sure to keep track of the additional calories they provide throughout the day.

Switch to Portion-Controlled Meals

Dog Door for Sliding Glass

In the midst of the busy holidays and dreary cold days, it's easy to switch to autopilot when it comes to your pet's meal plan, such as keeping the bowl full all day long to avoid frequent refills. But while it's certainly the easier option, this method will quickly end up being detrimental to your pet's health and weight. It's the same idea as feeding them frequent treats: more calories and less exercise means more weight gain. Cats and dogs, like us, can only begin to lose weight once their diet reflects that of an active lifestyle. If you've gotten into the tendency to turn your pet's bowl into an "all-day buffet", start reducing their daily calorie intake by switching to portion-controlled meals. Instead of guesstimating how much your pet will need to eat throughout the day, calculate how many calories they should be intaking and how much food that means should be available to them for each meal and use a measuring cup to get that exact amount when it comes time to feed them.

Adjust Their Food

doggy dog door for glass door

It's equally important to note that your pet's diet should change with the seasons according to how much their activity increases or decreases. The more exercise they're getting, the more calories they should be consuming, and vice versa. As your pet begins to get more active with better weather conditions, adjust their food accordingly to keep them at a healthy balance. You could also consider personalizing their blend of food to their specific breed, or switching to a weight management formula that provides them with a higher amount of nutrients/fiber and a lower amount of calories.

Schedule a Veterinary Appointment

pet door for sliding glass door

As a general rule, you should consider consulting your vet before making a major change to your pet's diet or exercise routine, but you should also pay them a visit if you have concerns about exactly why your pet has gained weight and/or isn't losing weight. Not all winter weight-related issues are caused by excess calories or a lack of exercise. Your pet could be gaining an unusual amount of weight due to medical conditions. This could include a chronic illness (ex. Cushing's disease, underactive thyroid), heart disease, pregnancy, liver failure, or internal parasites. While many of these cannot be detected by you at home, a trip to the veterinarian will tell you if your pet has any hidden points of concern that could be causing their weight gain/retention before it becomes a more dangerous health issue.

As anyone who struggles with weight loss can attest to, it's a difficult journey. It takes a lot of hard work, determination, and commitment to keep to your goals. The same will be true in your efforts to manage your pet's weight. It will require some time and a change of mindset from both of you, but don't let the challenging moments dissuade either of you. Helping your pet to live a healthier life will add precious years to their life, and it will allow them to live those years to the fullest of their potential. Do you have any questions? Contact Glass Pet Doors today to discuss installing the perfect pet door for sliding glass door for your pet , giving them access to more exercise and an easy way to lose more weight.

What Our Customers Say

  • Lisa Jensen
    Can't say enough good about working with Trevor at Utah Pet Access to have a dog door installed at my mother's home. Very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you!
  • Michael Riggs
    Installed a large pet door at my house. They did a great job, despite the fact that my back door's decoration made it complex. I am very satisfied. Thank you!
  • Amy Romney
    Utah Pet Access was great to work with. They were very responsive. The bid and install guys both showed up on time for their appointments. They both explained everything in detail and were very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!
  • Jake Buxton
    Easily the best in the biz! There's another rag tag outfit running around using inferior product and the finished product from Utah Pet Access is far better looking. Almost as if the door came from the factory this way! Impressed!
  • Brian Long
    UPA replaced a large, fixed arched window that is on the 3rd floor. They did encounter a problem with the thickness of the gap between the panes on the day of the install but caught it before fully removing the original window. They were out the next business day to finish the job. First day it was raining; second day the wind was rather bad. No complaints from them. Also had them replace the fixed glass in french doors with ones that have the built-in blinds. We will use UPA again if the need arises.
  • Nicole Stirling
    Great experience. Fast service, good communication, excellent product.
  • Lance Beech
    Great installer did a gray job fast I have nothing but good to say about the company and the people who work there
  • sandra bithell-hottel
    professional, timely and quality workmanship they’ve done three doors for me and they stand behind their workmanship!
  • Michael St Clair
    They have done 3 pet doors for me over the last 6 years and every time they have done an amazing job. They are very professional and cleanup everything when done. It always looks great and they have amazing solutions for every house I have put a dog door in.
  • Hunter Bigelow
    We love our glass door with the pet door! One of the best purchases we have made for both us and our pets. Utah Pet Access was great to work with and were professional and knowledgeable throughout the process. Would 100% recommend them to anybody.
  • John Skedros
    They are a great company to work with. We had a small problem with the door. It was still under warranty and they came by and fixed it without any hassle to us.
  • Amanda Marriott
    Brad and Utah Pet Access has been absolutely amazing! The door is not only beautiful, but is functional. From the time that we communicated with Brad to the time the door was installed…was seamless and smooth. Great communication. The installation was precise and quick. The installer was kind and professional. Good with my 3 German Shepherds and he did amazing work. I would highly recommend Utah Pet Access for any of your door and pet door needs! Thank you!!
  • Jenny D
    We absolutely love our pet door!! The employees are very kind and pleasant to work with! I highly recommended them.
  • R.D. Parsons
    Life changing as a pet owner after we were able to get a dog door installed. Happy pets and happy owners. Pet Access was fast, professional and friendly when it came to getting the project completed.
  • Darrell Poleviyaoma
    Utah Per Access had a wonderful and great customer service. Great installation and great product will totally recommend them to someone else and family.
  • Cristian Wood
    Trevor and his team are as professional as they come! They are always going above and beyond and providing an outstanding experience. I have and would still highly recommend them.
  • Jennifer Bellows
    Great company to work with! So responsive and reliable! My large Labrador loves his large Endura Flap door. Took less than a month from the initial phone call to install. I highly recommend this company.
  • Heather Bandiola
    We had a great experience with our pet door purchase, the customer service, and installation. We not only got the pet door installed but had the glass on the other side replaced also. We had it installed over a year ago and we're still happy with it. Thank you!
  • dbbedoya
    Did an amazing job and adapted to some last minute changes to make it even more accessible for my doggie! Thank you so much! Great company to work with!
  • Lindsay Flesch
    We just recently ordered and had a beautiful patio door with dog and blind insert installed. Utah Pet Access went above and beyond to ensure that we were happy with our finished product. I would strongly recommend this company for your pet door installation. Their customer service was excellent. Thank you Utah Pet Access!
  • William B
    Great work. The dogs love it and I’ve had zero issues with the door or installation.
  • Michelle Flesher
    I love, love, love my pet door from Utah Pets. I was very worried about getting the measurements right, but with Trevor's help it was a breeze. Thanks so much.
  • candace ashby
    These guys were awesome. Great service, friendly, my dog door looks awesome. I’ve sent them to a few of my neighbors. Highly recommend!
  • Steve Uragami
    Pet door works great!! Installation was fast and clean.
  • Mark Zambrzycki
    Had an excellent experience with Utah Pet Access getting a dog door installed in my glass patio slider. Trevor was extremely responsive and helpful. He worked with my glass company to get the order done right and shipped to them. It was then installed perfectly, with no issues. Please give them a call!!!
  • David Artica
    My wife and I have loved this product. Our dog goes in and out to our backyard at will. It’s nice to not have to worry about her being stuck inside all day. Best of all I never had to buy a sliding door, or drill any holes in ours
  • Chad Anderson
    Easy to work with. Great product.
  • Jenny Yergensen
    Super easy to work with, did a fantastic job and were less than one or two other competitors that I looked at! Would definitely recommend…having a doggie door for our 2 dogs has been a complete game changer!
  • Sarah Willardson
    I looked everywhere online to find a product to install in my home that would work for my dog's needs. They were the PERFECT solution. Could not be happier with the product and service!
  • Melanie Hall
    Worth every penny that I spent on the dog door, as it has made a huge difference for my elderly dog. Great service and workmanship.
  • Jason Rabbitt
    I absolutely recommend this place. Their price was the best I found in the area and they were very kind and helpful. They answered all my questions and went over all my options. I ended up being able to keep the original glass (safely stored in my home) which means if I ever sell my town house, and the buyers don't want a doggie door, Utah Pet Access will come back to my home and install the original glass (for a very reasonable install fee). The installation was quick and they helped me store the original glass safely. I've had my doggie door for over a year now, and it still works great, the magnetic latch still works very well, and my dachshund uses it every day.
  • David K
    They were professional and installed a great looking doggy door for us. 2 years later it still works like new.
  • Andy Nichols
    High quality door and professional guidance through selecting the right door for my house.
  • Tony Washington
    The company provided us with an excellent installation of our pet door at a very reasonable price.
  • Pete Gallegos
    Utah Pet Access did a great job putting a doggie door on my 8' tall French door with the blinds inside the glass. I have recommended them to many friends and family
  • Abby Jenkins
    Utah Pet Access was responsive, friendly, and prompt with their consultation and door installation. I've had my pet door for about a year now and have had zero issues. It is well insulated, quiet, and easy to use. The cat and dog love it!
  • Kevin Edwards
    Great product and very easy to install.