Obesity as commonly perceived is not just a problem with human beings. It is prevalent in animals, both wild and pet.. In case of animals it is mostly found in pets. According to a recent research it has been found that about 25% of the pets are obese or overweight. The study and percentages indicate that the problem has reached proportions where it cannot be ignored.
Causes
You pet is overweight because of the simple reason that it has more to eat and not enough exercise. The over feeding trend arises from the owners special way of showing love and care to their pets It is very important to keep tabs on the feeding habits of your pet. It is the owner who has to decide how much feed the pet since a lot of other factors like life style, exercise, activities, age etc.
Adversities
Obesity decreases the life span of your pet, and an overweight pet is generally not healthy. Obesity may lead to diabetes, arthritis, heart complications, endocrinal diseases and bad joints. The medication for these conditions is also seriously compromised due to underlying obesity factors and age.
Some tips to keep obesity at bay
- Simply exercising your dog can help to control excess weight gain if your dog is prone to this.
- Put your dog on a low density calorie dog food.
- Under no circumstances should a dog be fed table scraps. Not only will this develop into a habit on your part, but your dog will never leave you or your family alone while you are all at the table.
- Do not feed overweight pets with other pets
- At least once a week weigh your pet and record its weight
- Reward your pet with praise and attention not treats.
