Obesity in pets is a much more frequent problem than is believed. It is estimated that one-third of dogs and cats that live in developed countries suffer from obesity. Despite this, there are very few owners who recognize that their pet is overweight.
It is very important to recognize if our pet is obese to remedy it immediately. As in people, in animals obesity greatly reduces the quality of life.
Pets with this problem are more likely to suffer from diseases. Among them are osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, those related to the urinary tract or cardiovascular. In addition, there are certain problems in dogs, such as both hip and elbow dysplasia for which it is convenient that they are at their ideal weight. For any problem of your pets here you can get the best solution from Veterinarian Delray Beach FL.
Causes of obesity:
The main cause is usually excessive calorie consumption. This causes an increase in fat that accumulates in adipose tissue.
Fat deposits are increased if there is low energy consumption. This usually happens when animals lead a sedentary life and do not exercise enough.
Sometimes for compassion, we give them leftovers from our food, or we supercharge them with prizes or goodies. Even sometimes we can laziness, and we postpone the walk until the next day.
But the mixture of these two factors produces nutritional problems that range from overweight to overt obesity. These problems cause many adverse effects on our pets.
- Breed: especially in dogs, there are breeds that have a tendency to gain weight. As an example, we can highlight the Labradors and Beagle. In cats, purebred dogs have less tendency to gain weight than common ones.
- Age: puppies, approximately until one year of age do not usually gain weight. Everything they consume they invest in their growth. In addition, they usually have a high level of activity, so they spend all the calories they consume. As age progresses, the tendency to gain weight is greater.
- Lifestyle: a sedentary lifestyle favors weight gain. Animals that live in flats or houses and do not go out to exercise have a higher weight.
- Castration: some castrated animals increase their appetite and decrease their physical activity. There are specific feedstuffs for neutered animals, they come with a lower fat index, and they help them stay at their ideal weight.
To prevent obesity, the main thing is the correct diet. A correct diet includes a good quality feed and an amount appropriate to its weight and age. Some useful tips regarding food are:
- Ration the recommended daily amount two or three times a day to your pet. This will cause you not to be so anxious when mealtime approaches.
- Try to give the food always at the same time to establish a routine.
- Put clean and fresh water always available to our pets. This can also calm your anxiety.
- Do not offer excess treats. Sometimes we sin to reward our pets too much. Candies usually have a high-fat index that can harm them if they are administered in excess.
- Do not give food leftovers. If they are fed properly with a good diet they do not need that we also give them leftovers, since all the other caloric contributions will be transformed into fat.
In addition to food, exercise is very important. The exercise should be moderate, and according to the age and health of our pet. As damaging is the lack of exercise as the excess.
If our pet is already obese, we must eradicate the problem. The weight loss should be gradual so that neither our pet nor its organism suffers.
If we give a proper diet to our partners and go for a walk with them frequently, we will gain in quality of life on both sides.