My 4-year-old German Shepherd girl called Blacky has become overweight. We give her roti and milk, besides Pedigree (meat flavour). She is very choosy about food and we have to sometimes hand-feed her. Please help.

Dogs are meat-eating hunters by nature although they show considerable flexibility in their diet and in the wild, they may also eat plant materials, such as grass and berries. Although some dogs appear to be largely indiscriminate in their choice of food, others – especially dogs of the smallest breeds – can be fussy eaters. Dogs prefer meat to a cereal-based diet, although they may prefer one type, such as chicken, over another. They enjoy a wide range of tastes and are often partial to sweet foods, as well as foods with a salty or sharp taste. Most dogs will quite happily eat the same type of food every day. This is perfectly reasonable provided that it is a balanced diet and contains all the essential nutrients.

Question by – Preeti Shinde, Indore