OBESITY
It is becoming more common to see obese dogs. As in people, animals carrying extra weight put stress on the organs in the body. This can lead to disease and sometimes death. The health risks of overweight dogs are serious, and it is important for pet owners to be aware of them.
Approximately one quarter of overweight dogs develop serous joint problems. When joints carry excessive weight, they can become damaged. This leads to arthritis, which is a very painful condition, and is not reversible. It is, however, treatable. The increased load on joints of obese pets also puts pressure on the ligaments, and can cause them to rupture. A common injury encountered in obese, large breed dogs is a rupture of the ligaments in the knee. This requires surgery to repair it. Small, obese dogs, such as dachshunds, tend to develop back problems.
Similar to people, overweight animals are prone to heart disease and increased blood pressure. This is due to an increase in workload by the heart to pump additional blood to the excess tissues.
In overweight animals, the lungs can not function properly. The additional fat in the chest and abdomen restricts the expansion of the lungs. This results in your dog becoming breathless very easily.
Obesity affects all of the organ systems in the body. Diabetes can develop. This will require a life-time of insulin injections and special diets. The liver function decreases because it gets filled with fat.
Other effects of obesity are a decrease in stamina, heat intolerance, decreased immunity, skin and coat problems, reproductive problems, digestive problems, and an increased risk of cancer.
Some diseases, such as Cushing’s disease (excess cortisol production) and Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) cause dogs to become obese. These are diagnosed with blood tests. Once the underlying illness is treated, the dog will go back to their normal weight.
So how can you tell if your pet is overweight? How can you help your dog to shed those extra pounds?The ideal body condition for a dog is when the ribs have a thin layer of fat over them. They are easily felt, but not seen. The waist and belly are discernable without being prominent. An overweight dog has increased amount of fat over the rib cage so that it is difficult or impossible to feel the ribs. You won’t be able to see the waist. In morbidly obese animals, the belly will be protruding, and there may be at rolls visible around the tail base and neck.
If you feel that your dog is overweight, then you should bring your dog down to your veterinary surgeon for a physical examination, a weight check, and possibly a prescription weight loss diet. You can also monitor weight-loss by measuring the circumference of the dog behind the ribs.
Decrease snacking! As with people, extra snacks during the day can increase weight. Do not give in to begging and the sad eyes! All commercial brands of dog food have a weight chart on the side of the bag, which you should use as a guideline for daily feeding. If you measure out the daily amount, put aside a few nuts and use those as treats. You can also cut back on the amount of food that you are feeding.
Exercise is an important part of any weight-loss regime. Take your dog out for daily walks, not a 2 hour run once a week. Swimming and fetching are also good ways to get your pet to be more active.
Feed lower calorie meat-based, dry dog food. Stay away from tinned food! These contain a lot of sugar and empty calories. The fat content of dry food should range from 12-16 percent. This value may be lower in some of the veterinary prescription diets.
Certain dog breeds, such as
