OBESITY IN DOGS: How To Find Out And What To Do?
Written by: Anastasia Spevakina
OBESITY IN DOGS About 30% of dogs suffer from obesity, and it’s not just an aesthetic problem. Nowadays obesity is recognized as a serious disease that has many negative consequences.
Rapid fatigue, heart problems, diabetes, poor coat and another billion of troubles can be caused by an additional portion of food, which your dog wanted so much.
Overweight is often a matter of just few small deviations from the norm, but returning to the physical form can take a lot of time and efforts from dogs. Therefore,it is easier to prevent obesity than to treat.
Reasons of OBESITY IN DOGS
Before you radically change the dog’s diet, you need to visit a vet. Of course, banal overfeeding and unbalanced menu are main Helpers of the disease, but it’s important to take into account the age of the dog and the extent of his activity. Dogs might have obesity because of thyroid diseases, hormonal disorders or chronic stress. In such cases the diet can be not just useless, but also harmful.
What is the danger of obesity in dogs?
Overweight is always an extra load on the entire bodies of dogs. Having obesity, dogs start having breathlessness, heaviness in limbs, difficulties with moving. Excessive load on bones and joints leads to limping, hip dysplasia, arthritis, and even a shift of vertebral discs (especially for dogs with a long torso – dachshunds and basset hounds).
Breeds that are prone to obesity
Some breeds of dogs are more prone to occurrence of overweight and obesity than others. These breeds are Beagles, Dachshunds, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels and King Charles Spaniels.
Feeding dogs with obesity
If a dog is sick, a diet for him must be managed by a veterinarian. In cases when extra weight is the result of overfeeding, you can try to help your pet by yourself.
Natural feeding: lean white fish, veal, white meat poultry, fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy products.
!No products from the table like sausages and sweets, fried, flour and salty foods.
A portion should be reduced slowly: remove 10% of the total amount of products and divide into three, four feedings a day. To reduce the amount of meat and fish and not to lose any nutrients, add bone flour and vitamins.
For dogs, who have reached old age, feeding twice a day is preferable – meat/ fish in the evening ( 2 hours before or after walking) and porridge, eggs with cheese, vegetables in the morning.
Good prepared, canned food contains meat (fish) in sufficient quantities, but is prepared in a special way. Proteins and fats are partially recycled, so the body will quickly digest nutrients. Digestible ingredients will simply not have time to be deposited as fat.
Increasing trainings
You can not blindly chase the dog around the house, hoping to return his previous look. First of all, you need to increase the duration of walking. Few months later, when the heart gets used to this pace, you can start exercising, jogging and playing “Bring the ball” with your dog.
