Dear dog owner,
Obesity or being overweight develops from a combination of too much
energy-rich food and too little exercise. Unfortunately, this time of the
year, these conditions happen for both two-footed and four-footed beings...
While we humans tend to notice a change in weight relatively quickly by
stepping on the scale or looking at our waistline, it is often quite difficult
to estimate the weight of your dog. A number of studies have shown that about
a quarter to a third of the dogs examined at the veterinarian’s office are
overweight. These few tips should make it easy for you to determine whether
your own pet belongs in this group:
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When you are stroking your dog’s chest, can you feel BOTH the ribs and the
edge of the ribcage? In overweight dogs, a fatty layer develops in this
location making it difficult to clearly feel the ribs.
-
When you look at your pet from the side: does your dog have a waist? Just as
in humans, overweight animals have a less well-defined waistline.
-
When you look at your pet from above: is the back the same width from ribs
to rump? A normal weight dog is visibly thinner behind the rib cage.
-
Behavior: Has your dog become more sedentary, does he/she lag behind when
you go for a walk? Dogs get out of shape, too, when they are overweight.
If you aren’t sure, just talk with your veterinarian!
Just like with people, obesity isn’t just a cosmetic problem. Serious health
conditions affect overweight dogs: for example, it is a significant risk
factor for heart failure,
Diabetes,
and arthritis.
All these conditions can shorten your pet’s life expectancy by several years.
While reducing a dog’s diet can work for mildly overweight dogs, a better
option is the proper amount of a balanced, nutritious dog food and appropriate
exercise. How to develop a plan for your overweight dog is one of the things
you will learn in our article about obesity.
We are wishing you a healthy and active dog!
Your enpevet team