Obesity rates in dogs expanding
Obesity rates in dogs are on the rise and seem to be a rapidly growing problem, if you pardon the pun. Just like with their owners, dogs that are obese are more susceptible to health problems and illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes arthritis and breathing difficulties. Once a dog is obese it is difficult to make them lose weight as their exercise will be hindered by their excess weight.
Obesity is caused by your dog over-eating, coupled with a lack of exercise. This is usually caused by feeding the dog too many scraps of food from the dinner table or giving them too many treats. When this happens, and the dog does not get any exercise, it will lead to storage of fat.
If you think that your dog is obese and you believe that it needs treatment, do not resort to any drastic changes in their diet without first consulting a vet. A vet will be able to come up with a manageable diet and plan that, when put into practice effectively, should help your dog to lose weight. There are also a wide number of clinics across the country that hold weight management clinics for dogs and offer advice to dog owners about the best ways to deal with canine obesity.
There are also a few prevention methods that you can take to ensure that your dog does not become obese in the first place.
Again, speaking to your vet about a calorie controlled food diet may help your dog if you are thinking about putting it on a diet. Avoid feeding them left over scraps of food from your plate and, by making sure you increase the amount of exercise your dog gets, you should help to keep your dog fit.
