Fat dog
Having a fat dog at home is usually an indicator that this dog’s feeding regime has not been kept properly. Dog obesity is a growing dog health issue. Let’s discuss what causes dog obesity, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.
Fat Dogs and what Should be their Ideal Weight
Just like in people, obesity in dogs can cause some serious health issues such as dog diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and many other dog diseases. All these have a negative impact on the dog’s life and reduce the life expectancy.
In order for you to know what the ideal weight for your dog should be, use the Body Condition Score (BCS). Most commonly, this BCS system assigns a score of 4/9 to 5/9 as normal, 6/9 to 7/9 as overweight, and 8/9 to 9/9 is obese.
To get an idea of your dog’s BCS, you usually touch his ribs and check his waist or the absence of it. When a dog is at his ideal weight, you can feel the ribs along with his chest and you can see that a waist forms after the ribs. You cannot feel the ribs of a fat dog.
Preventing Dog Obesity
Reducing the calorie intake of an obese dog is not easy. It involves some trial and error. Increasing physical exercise and reducing caloric intake goes a long way in improving the dog’s CBS.
Another way of preventing obesity is by controlling the calorie intake to the dog. You need to know what is the daily energy requirement of your dog to provide the exact amount of food he needs.
Treating Dog Obesity
Think of all the things that might make your dog busy and keep him active. Maybe it’s fetching, swimming, or a brisk walk around the block. So, get that dog moving! All of these activities will help the dog become more active and social.
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