Being healthy is the first thing that every living organism wishes. To lead a good and prosperous life it is a basic need to maintain your body fit and strong. Just like a human body, our lovely pets also require a lot of attention from its owner’s side to keep a regular check on their diet and health so that it is strong enough to combat any kind of illness. According to Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), an estimated 52.5 percent of dogs are overweight or obese. Excess of fat on your pet may have severe adverse health effects on its body which can lead to reducing the lifespan, even if the pet is a little obese.
Being obese can attract dreadful diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis in dogs. Obesity is most common in pet dogs these days; therefore it is really important for a dog owner to know the symptoms of being obese and what reasons can probably make your pet obese? There are some simple symptoms that can let you know if the pet is suffering from obesity. If your dog is not willing or unable to exercise then there are high risks that it may be tormenting from overweight issues which is making him unenthusiastic in any outdoor session. In case you identify excessive fat on your pet’s body which is bulging out then for sure your dog has stepped onto the ladder of being obese. Obesity in dogs not only makes them extremely lethargic, but also snatches their natural aggression or the dog trait of being protective or active from them. The owner should know the consequences of an obese dog! Have a look at the symptoms that can help you identify if your dog if overweight or not
1. Weight Gain
The biggest symptom is weight gain! Everything starts with gaining even the slightest weight. Added weight is not only a problem to many human beings, but it is a problem for animals too if not taken care or looked after! Weight gain will always result out to be critical if it is not controlled at the right time. High intake of calories or not the getting the activity to burn the fats in the food will only result on weight gain.
2. Excess Body Fat
Excessive amount of fat clotted up in the areas where usually the fat is not much felt or seen. Bulgy skin or lumps of skin at places can be the excessive fat grown out. Simplest way of finding out whether the dog has gained because of the fat is by getting regular weight check-ups done timely. Keeping a check with your vet will even help you control the gain in weight!
3. Inability or Unwillingness to Exercise
The decrease in the play time or walk time is a big signal of being overweight mostly in many dogs. Sleeping too much or getting tired soon or not running is the main symptoms of obesity. Many dogs develop wounds down under their footpads due to a heavy body. As the body starts getting pumped up, the legs tend to get weaker enough to bare the increasing weight of the body. This mostly happens with dachshunds. Their limbs are very fragile & they are made to pick a certain amount of weight on them. Being short in height, a dachshund’s legs cannot bare a large amount of weight on them.
I’ve seen lots of time many owners being clueless about the weight rising much even after giving less food! Many times we do not come to know about how many fattening elements the food that is being fed usually has! This results in the illness that is caused due to a lot of weight!
Let’s have a look at what causes obesity in a dog:
1. Excessive Food
Leaving a bowl full of food in front of your dog every time it comes towards the kitchen will absolutely make your dog gain a lot of weight & get fat. You need to make your dog understand that there is a routine for everything that it needs to be followed. Excessive food without any routine will do nothing but increase your dog’s weight rapidly! The routine has to be then followed daily by the dog & its owner.
2. Low Activity Level
The level of activity you are providing your dog matters the most & is responsible for the weight of your dog. If you feed your dog a lot of fat full diet, then you should make sure that your dog gets double the level of activity than the amount of food was fed. Low activity level not only makes your dog gain weight, but also makes it all ill or stay low with the mood very often. Low activity in human beings & dog hit the same! The more you stay inactive, more are the chances that you & your dog will fall into depression or stress soon!
3. Illness
Excessive eating or low activity level are not the only causes of obesity. Illness too can at times be the cause for being overweight. For example, illnesses like hypothyrodism, Cushings Disease, Pancreatic Cancer and pituitary problems are mostly found to be the reason of obesity in many dogs.
Getting hold of obesity or weight gain problem at the right time is very important. It can cause a lot of problems in future if not taken care of! Therefore looking out for cure of this problem is essential, after all who does not want a happy, playful, friendly & protective dog as pet! In order to find out simple ways to keep your dog far away from obesity, stay tuned for the cure of obesity in dogs till the next article!
