New Year's Resolution for your Pet to Lose Weight

Has your Pet Gone Chubby?

Who doesn’t gain a little weight over the holidays? Keep in mind that your PETS are no exception! With all the extra table scraps and leftovers passed around, you can bet that your furry friend has gained a little girth to his/her waistline. And though some pets may or may not care about their reflection when they pass a mirror, controlling your pet's weight is a critical part of maintaining their health.

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), it was estimated that approximately 45% of dogs and 58% of cats in the US are overweight or obese. The American Kennel Club warns that excess weight endangers the heart, lungs and joints and makes a dog more susceptible to other ailments such as diabetes and arthritis. Pets that stay at a healthy weight live longer and with less disease than overweight pets. As with any health issue for you or your pet, awareness and early detection is crucial. By recognizing if your pet has a weight problem, you could save his/her life! Ask your veterinarian to determine the best weight and diet plan for them!

It's a New Year and there's no better time than now to help your Pet Lose Weight!

Here are some tips to tell if your pet tips the scale and what to do about it:

*How do I create a healthy diet plan for my pet this year?
As with people, proper diet and exercise are essential to your pets staying healthy in 2011! Working with your vet to rule out any other medical problems is the first step. While some drugs and some disease conditions (i.e. hypothyroidism) may cause a pet to be overweight, more often obesity is caused by overfeeding and high calorie foods. Your vet should help you devise a diet for your pet with a daily calorie recommendation to safely help him/her shed those unwanted pounds over a specific monthly period. In addition to a healthy diet, an exercise plan should also be recommended for your pet to get on the right track to health and fitness.

It is imperative to stick to a weight-loss plan and for many pet owners this involves changing what, how much and how often we feed them. Though weight loss can be achieved by simply feeding less, your pet may seem unsatisfied by the amount of food they are getting. If this is the case, then a "diet" food created with less fat and calories in a larger volume may be the better choice. It is important to not allow your pet access to food all day long.

Stay on track with the diet plan your vet has made for your pet. Keep in mind that feeding your dog at different times each day can affect your dog’s digestive system and may result in digestive disorders later on in life. And if your dog has walked away from the bowl, he/she has probably had enough to eat. So take away the bowl before they go back for more just out of curiosity, habit, etc!

*What about the Treat Factor?
We love our pets and want them to be happy! That’s why we throw food and treats their way anytime they ‘ask’ for it! Though our faithful companions tend to mope around when the ‘special’ food is around, it is up to us our as their pet owners to make sure they stay healthy. If they are healthy, chances are they will also be happy!

Studies show that many overweight pets got that way from too many treats (too many vitamins also may also have a negative effect). As hard as it may be even when those puppy eyes are begging, don’t give between meal snacks. Keep treats to a minimum and go the homemade low-calorie route (even try ice cubes, fresh veggies and lean meats!). This will help you avoid the "hidden" calories in many store-bought goodies.

*Is exercise really important for my pet and if so, what type of exercise is best?
YES!! Just as with people, pets also need a daily exercise routine! Every pet will enjoy a different type of exercise. It doesn't matter if you walk briskly, run, play fetch or swim, pets (especially dogs) must get at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day to help facilitate weight loss. Please check with your vet to get the best exercise plan specifically for your pet!

To see the idea weight for your pet, check out what APOP has to say on specific pet weight ranges!

Enter the Hills's 2011 PetFit Challenge and let's make this year a healthy one for your faithful companion!

Read more on Pet's Gone Chubby with our Swanky Paw-nouncements!

Slither into Safety this Halloween at Swanky Pooch Pawtique

It is getting pretty SPOOKY out there so Swanky Pooch Pawtique has a few Halloween ideas and Halloween pet safety tips to keep your little witches and wizards safe!

Halloween safety tips for your cat include:

• Owners that own black cats should go the extra mile when it comes to safety at Halloweentime. You need to keep or confine your black cat a day or two before Halloween. We all want to think that there are not horrible people who will hurt a cat, but there are; especially the black cat. Be on the safe side and keep your little on inside for awhile.
• Make sure that your cat has his or hers current tags on just in case he or she slithers out the door.
• Keep the candy and wrappers away from cats too; it's just no good for any pet
• Keep your jumpers away from lit candles and or pumpkins that have the votives or flames inside.

Halloween safety tips for your dog are pretty much the same except a few may differ:

• Dog Halloween Costumes can be fun, but watch that a dog doesn't chew on a dangling part of the costume and choke.
• Keep your dog inside the house or contained in a dog carrier or dog crate during trick or treat time too because dogs are skittish too and these distractions could stress your little goblin out and cause him to try and run.
• No bones about it - no candy at all.
• Keep away from lit candles or open flames
• Keep a dog collar and dog id tag on him just in case they bolt. Pet experts say you have a 75% better chance of getting your dog back if they have a current tag on with your name and address and or the name of your Vet.

Keep your pets safe at Halloween and occupied. Swanky Pooch Pawtique has great dog toys, dog treats and Swanky Pooch Pawtique even has a Cat accessories and cat apparel area for you to keep them all happy and SAFE and of course, looking SWANKY!

No one is saying for you or your pet NOT to enjoy this scary night just take extra precautions and know that strangers coming to your door, loud ghosts or shrill screaming witches and scary masks just might not this your dog or cat's favorite holiday! It's ok though.... there are more holidays just around the corner.

Follow Swanky Pooch Pawtique on Facebook and Twitter and learn about our SWANKY DOG SPECIALS and our PAW-nouncements.

Dog Flu Shots now available!

Dog Flu Season has officially started! Did you know dogs can get a Flu Shot too? Don't forget to have your dog vaccinated this season!

For more information on how to keep your dog healthy this Flu Season, check out our Swanky PAW-nouncements.

To find a clinic close to you that can vaccinate your dog, please visit http://www.doginfluenza.com/locator.asp.

Start Shopping early for Hallween!

We are cooking up some pretty scary things at Swanky Pooch Pawtique! Grab your little Goblin and take a look at our great Halloween Dog Costumes.

Start getting out your scarecrows and your spooky "stuff" and don't forget to shop early for your Halloween Costumes for you, your kiddo and your dog!

Dog costumes are a BIG thing these days. Doesn't matter the size of your dog, Swanky Pooch Pawtique has something for each dog. We don't discriminate! We have Halloween Dog Costumes that will fit all dogs, and possibly a few cats too!

We always know what our kids want to be for Halloween as they start to tell us months early however since our dogs cannot express what they want to be; we must go with their personality.

Maybe your dog is touch and really manly and would like to be a biker - we have the best Biker Halloween Costume for a dog! You won't find this one at your local convenience store!! Do you have a military man? Get the Army Dog Costume here at Swanky Pooch Pawtique - GO USA!

Is your dog a sweet and cuddly little girl? Maybe she has always dreamed of being a fairy princess - how about the Princess Dog Costume- comes with the crown too! Is your girl still waiting for her Prince Charming? The Snow Princess Dog Costume is so precious!

Maybe your dog really doesn't mind being put in a precious little outfit, after all - it's not for that long, just for people to oooohhhh and awwww, so what about making him a Flower? The Flower Dog Costume is one of our biggest hits or you might put your pet in the Chicken Dog Costume or the Pig Dog Costume!

All of Swanky Pooch Pawtique's dog costumes are pet friendly and fit very well. Dog costumes allow mobility and most are very easy to put on. Remember that it is important to remember your dog at this festive time of the year when you can do cute and nice little things to make life just a bit more comical and fun for all - including your dog.

Shop at Swanky Pooch Pawtique and get the best quality dog outfits, competitive prices and great customer service! We have an entire line of new Dog Halloween Costumes that will surely make your dog BARK!

Shop early and sign up for the Swanky Pooch Pawtique Newsletter for great exciting deals. Follow Swanky Pooch Pawtique on Facebook and Twitter too!