Hi! I'm Frankie- the face of Poudre Pet & Feed! Have you seen an adorable little dog on your cart at King Scoopers? Or what about that cute face on the back of the day planner published by Larimer Humane Society? Well....that's me! I am a very lucky dog adopted out of Denver Dumb Friends into the life of stardom! I figure that since I finally have a soapbox to preach from, I am going to do it!! Watch out world.........here I come!!!

Welcome Spring!!! After that long, cold winter, I am happy to see warm sunshine and spring flowers. Which reminds me that I could use to shed a couple pounds that snuck on this winter! Even though I feel like going for a 5 mile run today, I need to remember to keep it slow and steady until I'm back in shape. Here are some fun (and helpful) tips on helping your pet to lose their extra winter weight!

•  Just like people, before starting any diet or exercise program, make sure your pet gets a full check up by your veterinarian. Especially with mature dogs, there can be a medical reason behind your pet's extra pounds! When you are at the vet it is a good time to talk to find out how much weight you dog needs to lose and how much they can safely lose each week. (It's also a good time to have your vet check for heartworm too!)

• Look at your pet's diet - are they getting more than they really need? And don't forget about those treats! Any extra calories in cookies, rawhides or human snacks can add up fast. If your pet is a chewer and loves their rawhide-come on in and get them a raw frozen bone! It's much healthier than rawhide, will shine up their teeth and still satisfy their need to chew!

•  Consider switching to a low-fat or low-calorie food. We have many foods that help dogs shed the pounds, just ask any of our clerks if you would like help finding a great new food!  Wondering which food has more calories-check out Natura Pet's new online tool - Flex Calculator, where you can custom make a diet to the exact calorie count they need for weight loss, maintenance or other metabolic states.

• Get active with your pet! Take longer walks, play in the park or throw the ball around. Remember to start slow to avoid injuries, but if you add a little more each day, soon enough you'll have a nice fit pet!

• If you would like an online tool to help track your pet's weight loss, you can visit Hill's Pet Fit Challenge. You will find lots of helpful tools and advice from pet nutritionists on more healthy ways to help your pet slim down.

I hope this will help get us all back on track after the winter- until next time,

Eat Well,

Frankie