An Obese Dog Is A Person Too
Obesity is a concern not only for people living in affluent countries, but for their pet dogs as well. It is now incumbent for serious pet bloggers to ask, “Is your dog obese?" and to offer advice on what needs to be known about the matter if you have an obese dog. There is no need to worry, but action should be taken.
Signs of obesity:
- It is not interested in playing or walking
- Lacks energy and sleeps excessively
- Shows no distinct waist
- Inability to feel the dog’s ribs
- Has a dull coat
If you cannot tell by these obvious signs, then there is always the weight scale. The scale never lies, but always ask your vet what a healthy weight should be for your dog’s breed, sex and age. You can also get a fair idea if your dog is overweight by using an online weight chart or calculator.
Be In The Know
Talk to your vet before making any dietary or exercise changes. It is better to have a professional's opinion. Generally speaking, if your dog weighs 10 to 12% over its ideal weight, then it is overweight. With the dog being 12 to 20% over its ideal weight, it is then considered obese. If your dog is 20% over the ideal weight for its breed, it is considered morbidly obese and immediate action should be taken.
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First and foremost get your vet’s expert opinion about your dog and follow the professional advice you are given. If you feel a second opinion is needed, then get one from another veterinarian. Do not rely on the anecdotal information found in internet forums or pop-up chat rooms. Those folks may have good intentions, but they are not professionally invested in or personally familiar with your dog.
Things to follow for your fury friend
Follow your vet’s expert opinion about your dog. If you feel a second opinion is needed, then get one from another veterinarian. Do not rely on the anecdotal information found in internet forums or pop-up chat rooms. The people behind it are not professionally invested in your dog.
Daily exercise will be recommended if it is not already put into play. Walks, runs, fetching and swimming all burn fat and they all count. The vet will suggest to go slowly at first. Over doing it with an obese dog is never good. If you are not physically up to exercising your dog, hire a professional dog walker to help.
When asking about your dog’s diet, the vet will want to know the type of food, feeding times, the amount of food being eaten and the brand of food. Instead of feeding your dog a full ration once per day, the vet may tell you to split it into two or three feedings per day. If you are buying food that is wrong in terms of fat content and fat types, the vet will urge you to use another brand.
There are a lot of quality, low fat, high protein dog foods available today, but you do not necessarily have to buy the most expensive one. Buy the best one that you can afford. It is also important that you do not stockpile dry dog food just because it is on sale. There is a good chance the fats will become rancid, the nutrition will degrade, or it may become bug infested before you can use it. Properly stored canned and frozen dog foods will last much longer than dry kibbles.
The Bare Bones
For your dog’s sake, determine if your best friend is overweight or obese, then act on it by following your vet’s advice on diet and exercise. If that means a change in dog food, feeding times, more exercise, or anything else your vet suggests, then do it. This is all about your dog's mental and physical well being.
As always, your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.