Being overweight is becoming normal for dogs and even cats. Some individuals who see a healthy lean canine would often react or see it as too thin or unhealthy. Our pets would never wish to be overweight; should they turn into one, it’s the responsibility of fur parents to keep their weight in check and back to normal.
If you still consider your chubby dog cute, we’ll tackle why it’s not and why you should begin working on controlling their weight immediately.
Why Dog Obesity Should Never Be Ignored
Though dogs never have to worry about other dogs and people mocking them at the park, being overweight has been connected to many major health conditions that can severely affect their well-being. Below are five common health conditions related to dog obesity.
1. Heart and breathing conditions
Excessive weight in pets can cause high blood pressure and heart conditions and is often linked to breathing problems. Obese canines are susceptible to laryngeal paralysis and a collapsing trachea. Left unattended, these airway-related conditions may lead to a severe respiratory crisis that can be deadly.
This is why you must always be consistent with your furry companion’s preventatives and dog vaccinations. Throughout each session, the veterinarian can check your pet, evaluate its weight, and recommend actions to help avoid the onset of any conditions related to canine obesity.
2. Joint degeneration
Weight problems can easily affect your pet’s joints, partly because of the burden of carrying extra weight. Moreover, the excess weight their joints carry can break down the cartilage’s cushioning inside the joints. The moment dogs get arthritis; it can be hard to manage as the lack of cushion inside their joints may lead to additional damage caused by the arthritic changes.
Even if you manage to get your pet’s weight back to normal, the degeneration of their joints can be irreparable. This is why early prevention is always vital, particularly if you’re slowly seeing your pet gain weight little by little. If you own a pet with arthritis, they might benefit from acupuncture for cats as it relieves pain and offers relaxation to their joints and bones.
3. Shortened lifespan
Obese dogs can not play enthusiastically like their healthy fellows, breathe normally, and live a healthy way of life. In addition, obese canines are generally irritable to feel pain, hotness, or uncomfortableness. Because of this, they are unlikely to fully live their anticipated lifespan than those maintained at a healthy weight.
4. Urinary tract or bladder disease
Uroliths, often called urinary bladder stones, are stone-like deposits that develop in animals’ bladders, including dogs, mostly obese ones. These stones can be excruciating and often result in urinary tract infections. Bladder stones can obstruct urine flow and can be life-threatening when not attended to by a vet immediately.
So if you’ve read about the typical signs associated with bladder stones in dogs, do not delay their treatment. Immediately take them to a nearby veterinary diagnostic lab so the diagnosis and treatment can begin immediately. You may browse the web for more info on common vet diagnostic services.
5. Cancer
Dog cancer is always linked to obesity. Obese pets are prone to several other health problems, but cancer is the most detrimental. Today, there have been no precise treatments to address cancer in dogs, as most dogs diagnosed with cancer are expected to live shorter than their breed’s supposed lifespan.
