Your MUST READ Safety and Success Guide
We hope you are having a wonderful time exploring your members area, discovering your dog’s calorie allowance and potentially tracking your first dog walk with the WAGSTA app.
Now for the serious part. As with any Weight Support program that involves dieting and exercise, there are key safety issues and success factors to mention.
Safety Guide
Our WAGSTA Wellness Exercise Safety Guide is crucial to ensure you get the most out of your activity plan and don’t push your dog too hard during exercise. Please follow this link to read this concise guide before activating your diet plan. Exercise Safety Guide
7 Tips for Program Success
Our Vetsperts want you to get the most out of your WAGSTA Wellness weight loss journey. As such, you must follow their lead when it comes to dieting and exercise.
For a successful weight loss experience, our Vetsperts urge you to follow these 7 Program Tips:
1. Choose a maximum of 2 food types (plus optional treats)
The greater the number of foods fed, the more complex meal portioning becomes. Feeding multiple food types throughout the day increases margin for error when portioning and is a common cause of unsuccessful doggy dieting.
To prevent over complication, WAGSTA portion calculators allow for an input of 1-2 foods only (plus a daily treat allowance).
To cater to every man, woman and their dog, our Vetsperts have curated an index of dog diet foods, plus optional diet food recipes.
2. Control all food sources.
To successfully diet your dog, you must remove all extra food sources. This includes access to bins, scavenged food items and other pet’s meals. If you have multiple pets, please refer to our multi-pet household guidelines.
3. Do not feed what you cannot measure.
Certain food types such as bones and gravies can fluctuate widely in their nutrient composition i.e. fat and protein ratios. This makes it almost impossible to provide accurate calorie counts when feeding these food types. For the course of your dog’s weight loss program, feed foods with readily identifiable calorie counts (e.g. commercial dog foods and foods from our homemade recipe list).
4. Accurate measurement is everything!
You will need a digital kitchen scale to accurately portion your dog’s meals. You also need a measuring tape for your dog’s monthly body measurements and you will need access to dog scales.
Small dogs (<20 kg/ 44 lbs.) may be weighed using household bathroom scales however larger dogs should be weighed on a purpose-built pet scale. These are available for use free of charge in the waiting room of vet clinics and in many pet retail stores.
Alternatively you may consider purchasing your own in-home pet scale. We recommend the W.C Redmon Precision Large Digital Pet Scale.
5. Successful weight management relies on tracking your progress. Make your dog’s fortnightly weigh-in and monthly measure-up a priority.
A fortnightly weigh-in of your dog is essential. In addition to monitoring your dog’s progress, data from this weigh-in allows us to moderate your dog’s daily calorie intake, to maintain a healthy rate of weight loss.
To provide an accurate picture of your dog’s weight loss response, please ensure your dog’s weigh-in occurs as close to their scheduled date as possible.
Need help remembering your dog’s weight check?
Download the WAGSTA app and schedule your dog’s fortnightly weigh check into your WAGSTA reminder system now. Your dog’s first weigh-in is due 2 weeks from your diet activation date.
6. Activity programs automatically update each week.
During your dog’s diet plan we ask you to update your dog’s activity tally each week- providing total time and distance walked for the week. (If you forget to record your dog’s activity throughout the week, please enter an estimated value).
Tip: Download the WAGSTA app to start tracking your dog’s walks today and discover time, distance and dog calories burned!
7. Interact, ask questions and give feedback!
As a WAGSTA Wellness member, you have access to our member-only Facebook coaching group. Here, you can chat, seek feedback, ask for help and join in conversation with other WAGSTA Wellness members.
Asking questions and interacting with other dog owners is an important factor in the success of your weight support program. Remember, you are not in this alone!
Stay tuned for your twice weekly diet plan coaching series! Your first update will be available as soon as you activate your dog’s diet plan and is located under the Diet Plan tab on the left menu.
Woofs and wags,
Your WAGSTA team.