Obesity is a concern that we are battered with day and night by the current media, with the constant warning that our weight could be directly leading towards our own demise.
If you buy the rumors, it's a pandemic on society and is one of the prevailing reasons for all of society's woes and even if that is an exaggeration, no one can deny that there are problems with weight in the current day and age.
One aspect of obesity that is rarely considered is how obesity can affect one's pets, companions that we carry with us through life but are usually given very little thought on their health unless their pet is showing signs of being ill.
Obesity, same as with people, is the number one nutritional concern with pets in this country but only seventeen percent of pet owners believe that their pets are over-weight.
In truth, a poll of vets reveal that they believe forty to forty five percent of their patients are obese going by the standards of the BARC (Body Assessment Rating for Canines).
The simple fact is that most pet owners don't know how to tell if their pets are overweight or simply don't believe that their dog is over-weight despite clear signs of it and, if they do acknowledge it, the methods they take to correct the problem can cause more problems then they solve! As you can imagine, obesity carries many of the same health risks for dogs as it does for humans and is nothing to laugh about.
Among the more serious conditions that obesity can cause in your canine is cardiac and respiratory problems that will be compounded by the exercise needed to work the weight off.
What's worse, obesity can compound other medical problems since the extra weight puts additional strain on all of your dog's organs but especially their heart and lungs which can complicate surgeries and anesthesia since it can further strain an overweight dog's heartbeat and breathing.
There are less serious problems an overweight canine may experience as well, that also act as excellent indicators that your dog has a weight problem.
If your dog seems unusually worn out when it gets hot out or begin to lose fur with no other cause readily available for it, it's a sure sign that your dog's weight has begun to affect his or her health.
So how does your dog get to be overweight? Well there's very few reasons for a dog to become overweight and most of them relate solely to the owner, though hyperthyroidism is occasionally the cause as well, either from giving your dog an over-abundance of table scraps or treats because your dog has behaved well or gives you the titular 'puppy dog eyes'.
If you insist on giving your dog table scraps then it's important that you keep your dog on a exercise regiment to keep the pounds off, which can be difficult if your dog isn't used to such exercise.
Two reasons why your dog may suddenly gain a lot of weight that a lot of people don't consider is because you had your dog neutered or spayed, which can upset it's internal chemistry.
Another reason for a dog to suddenly, and inexplicably for most, gain weight is simply that they've gotten older.
Even if you've kept your dog on the same diet and exercise regime, as the dog gets older their metabolism naturally begins to slow down and thus they begin to gain weight.
Another contributor to your dog's weight gain is if you just leave their food bowl down on the ground for them to eat whenever they want and just fill it back up when it's empty.
On it's own obesity doesn't cause serious problems on it's own, but rather exacerbates problems that already existed or ones that are just occurring now.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't take steps to curb the problem before it gets worse though and the solution is simple in theory.
Talk to your vet about a diet and exercise regime that will suit your pet, and then stick to it rigidly.
You will be, essentially, training your dog to exercise more and to eat less which is obviously something that your dog will be opposed to.
Not deliberately mind, but just because it will be going against the habits that your dog has already learned and become used to.
This can also be difficult to do for the owner as well since you will need to overcome the feeding habits you yourself have become adjusted to and, more importantly, you will have to put up with an unhappy pet until they've adjusted to their new feeding regime.
Obviously this can be difficult for pet owners since you don't want your pet to be unhappy but you have to hold strong and keep to the new schedule for your dog's health! For more information about Dog Obesity and Weight Management, visithttp://www.
avets.
us/.
If you buy the rumors, it's a pandemic on society and is one of the prevailing reasons for all of society's woes and even if that is an exaggeration, no one can deny that there are problems with weight in the current day and age.
One aspect of obesity that is rarely considered is how obesity can affect one's pets, companions that we carry with us through life but are usually given very little thought on their health unless their pet is showing signs of being ill.
Obesity, same as with people, is the number one nutritional concern with pets in this country but only seventeen percent of pet owners believe that their pets are over-weight.
In truth, a poll of vets reveal that they believe forty to forty five percent of their patients are obese going by the standards of the BARC (Body Assessment Rating for Canines).
The simple fact is that most pet owners don't know how to tell if their pets are overweight or simply don't believe that their dog is over-weight despite clear signs of it and, if they do acknowledge it, the methods they take to correct the problem can cause more problems then they solve! As you can imagine, obesity carries many of the same health risks for dogs as it does for humans and is nothing to laugh about.
Among the more serious conditions that obesity can cause in your canine is cardiac and respiratory problems that will be compounded by the exercise needed to work the weight off.
What's worse, obesity can compound other medical problems since the extra weight puts additional strain on all of your dog's organs but especially their heart and lungs which can complicate surgeries and anesthesia since it can further strain an overweight dog's heartbeat and breathing.
There are less serious problems an overweight canine may experience as well, that also act as excellent indicators that your dog has a weight problem.
If your dog seems unusually worn out when it gets hot out or begin to lose fur with no other cause readily available for it, it's a sure sign that your dog's weight has begun to affect his or her health.
So how does your dog get to be overweight? Well there's very few reasons for a dog to become overweight and most of them relate solely to the owner, though hyperthyroidism is occasionally the cause as well, either from giving your dog an over-abundance of table scraps or treats because your dog has behaved well or gives you the titular 'puppy dog eyes'.
If you insist on giving your dog table scraps then it's important that you keep your dog on a exercise regiment to keep the pounds off, which can be difficult if your dog isn't used to such exercise.
Two reasons why your dog may suddenly gain a lot of weight that a lot of people don't consider is because you had your dog neutered or spayed, which can upset it's internal chemistry.
Another reason for a dog to suddenly, and inexplicably for most, gain weight is simply that they've gotten older.
Even if you've kept your dog on the same diet and exercise regime, as the dog gets older their metabolism naturally begins to slow down and thus they begin to gain weight.
Another contributor to your dog's weight gain is if you just leave their food bowl down on the ground for them to eat whenever they want and just fill it back up when it's empty.
On it's own obesity doesn't cause serious problems on it's own, but rather exacerbates problems that already existed or ones that are just occurring now.
That doesn't mean that you shouldn't take steps to curb the problem before it gets worse though and the solution is simple in theory.
Talk to your vet about a diet and exercise regime that will suit your pet, and then stick to it rigidly.
You will be, essentially, training your dog to exercise more and to eat less which is obviously something that your dog will be opposed to.
Not deliberately mind, but just because it will be going against the habits that your dog has already learned and become used to.
This can also be difficult to do for the owner as well since you will need to overcome the feeding habits you yourself have become adjusted to and, more importantly, you will have to put up with an unhappy pet until they've adjusted to their new feeding regime.
Obviously this can be difficult for pet owners since you don't want your pet to be unhappy but you have to hold strong and keep to the new schedule for your dog's health! For more information about Dog Obesity and Weight Management, visithttp://www.
avets.
us/.