Instructions
Take a trip to your veterinarian for a complete physical and a feeding plan. This will help determine how much and how often your pet needs to eat and what type of food is best.(If you don't already have a vet, ask for recommendations from other pet owners you trust.)
Stop feeding your dog "people food" and begin feeding them premium dog food. Many store brand dog foods are made from processed foods that lack adequate nutrition--they'lll have to eat more to meet daily nutritional requirements. Peteducation.com suggests reading the label for ingredients like fish, chicken or other meats in the first two ingredients. Denying table food when your pet is begging at the table may be difficult, but it's an unbalanced way of eating that should be avoided.
Purchase an automatic pet feeder. According to PetMD and other experts, feeding your dog smaller, more frequent meals reduces gas and bloating, and is a healthier way to eat. Through behavior modification, an automatic pet feeder helps dogs learn to eat only when they're hungry. This puts an end to overfilled dog food bowls.
Consider an elevated feeder for medium to large dogs, older dogs, or dogs with back problems or digestive problems. Elevated feeders are another way to reduce painful gas and digestive problems and is a more comfortable way of eating for most dogs.
Fill your dog's water bowl continuously. Like humans, dogs need water--and lots of it. It is a nutritional requirement a dog cannot go without.
Wash water bowls and feeders regularly. Although this does not directly affect the diet, cleanliness does impact overall health. Bacteria grows easily in this environment so keeping food and water bowls clean is imperative for a healthy pet.
How to change your dog's eating habits
Similar to humans, a dog's longevity and quality of life is directly related to the dog's diet and eating habits. Regardless of the breed, whether young or old, big or small, it's necessary to turn unhealthy habits into healthy habits. While it may be true that old habits die hard, with a strategy and persistence, your dog can become healthy and vibrant.