Although some pet owners end up making several mistakes, the most common error I see pet owners make, again and again, is that they let their pets become overweight.
It may not look that serious at the start. It can happen fast but usually starts out slowly, with the dog or cat just looking a little plump. The serious health problems like cancer and arthritis that happen secondary to obesity will not show up for years.
Obesity in our pets is becoming more of an issue every year. There are still a few places in this world where obesity is not that big of a problem, but in the U.S., over half the dogs are now seriously overweight or clinically obese. The numbers in Europe and Australia are about the same, and in China, about 44% of dogs are overweight.
In developing countries, this is more of an urban problem, but a recent study in an urban area of Brazil (São Paulo) revealed that 40.5% of dogs are overweight.
Health Problems Secondary to Being Obese
Although some of the problems of overweight pets, like a shorter lifespan and diseases like diabetes, have been recognized for many years, the newest research has focused on all of the inflammation caused by the chemicals released from fat cells, the adipokines.
We now know that fat cells are also an endocrine organ. In normal amounts, the hormones released from those cells do not cause any problems. When a pet becomes obese, however, those excessive fat cells release hormones that lead to metabolic diseases and cancer at younger ages.
Not only do obese dogs develop cancer younger, something that has been noticed by veterinarians for years, but obese dogs also develop some types of cancer rarely seen in healthy dogs. If a fat dog does not develop cancer, then they are much more likely to die of a painful disease like arthritis, ruptured ligaments, and internal organ failure.
3 Tips to Keep Your Dog Slim
When puppies are first brought to their new home, they have a relatively fast metabolic rate and are still growing. It is easy to get into the habit of feeding a dog a lot more than necessary, giving plenty of treats, and offering special food from the table.
Many pet owners do not even recognize that their pet is becoming overweight. Unless he is seen by a vet during the annual exam, the excess weight will probably go unnoticed—or shrugged off as “that's just the way he's built.”
If you do not take your dog or cat in for an annual exam or you ignore this health problem and your pet becomes obese, then you will have to work on it every day. Your dog cannot open the refrigerator, however, so any calories he or she consumes have to come from you.
A few ways you can encourage weight loss include:
1. Give Fewer Treats
This is the most common cause of weight gain we see every day. Many owners tend to associate food and treats with love, and their pets begin to believe that every time they see the owner, they are going to be given a treat.
Your pets do not need treats, but if you are going to give them, you need to figure out how many calories each treat contains and subtract that amount from the total amount of food you give each day. The best option is to give a whole-food treat like blueberries, which are high in antioxidants, and figure that amount into the whole-food diet.
2. Feed Whole Food Instead of Processed Kibble
One cause of obesity is the processed food our pets are given each day. Dry dog and cat foods contain a high level of carbohydrates, both to make them cheaper to produce and to hold the kibble together.
Although our pets can make use of some of it, those foods do encourage pets to eat more and lead to obesity. Pets that eat a meat-based, whole-food diet rarely become overweight.
3. Burn More Calories Than Consumed
Unfortunately, we have learned in people that this is not the best way to encourage weight loss, as burning more calories than you consume makes you hungry. Since you control how many calories your pet is given in a day, however, it can be very successful in dogs, but your pet is going to be more hungry.
Although there are a lot of activities that your pets can enjoy to burn calories, the most useful I have found is just going out on long walks.
Of course, it is much easier to avoid the problem of obesity than treat it. You should start your kitten or puppy on a whole-food diet and keep an eye on his or her weight as they age.
Source: Pet Helpful
