Until the end of time, humans will have issues with their weight. The dog— man’s best friend has weight issues, too! As silly as it sounds, weight problems are not rare in dogs. As a national initiative, veterinarians across America are trying to fix weight problems occurring in dogs. This plan started in February 2008, and veterinarians everywhere in America participated in the National Canine Weight Check. These vets wanted to teach dog owners what an ideal weight for their dog is, and if their dog is obese what steps they can take to decrease their dog’s total amount of fat.
Not enough exercise, eating patterns and lifestyles, are not the only reasons why your dog can be gaining weight. A slow metabolism is also a key factor. Middle aged dogs mostly have slow metabolisms, and it is harder for them to burn off calories. Also, we all know that neutering is always a great thing— but it may add some weight onto your pup. Neutering makes, dogs gain weight due to the lowering of their metabolic rate.
Health risks are commonly associated with overweight dogs, but canine obesity is a sickness in itself. Not only can your dog have serious heart troubles, breathing issues and even arthritis, but they can develop various skin conditions due to obesity, too!
By treating your dog with love and respect it shows them that you are offering them the right tools for them to lose weight, as well. If you don’t want to see your dog get obese and have other body issues, you should feed them and have them exercise accordingly. There are many diet dog foods, and medications that your vet can prescribe, if obesity is a problem. Also, please have your dog’s veterinarian check your dog’s weight, and explain to you what you can do as the owner to help any weight problems that are occurring.
Take the hog out of your dog, and let’s fight obesity in dogs together!
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