Not all modern dogs are used for work, most of the four-legged friends are measured, calm lifestyle, without the need for intense loads. Many favorites sleep, eat plentifully, move a little, which, of course, adversely affects their weight. No wonder too often obesity is detected in dogs that threaten their health. how to understand that the pet has problems and needs help?
Content
- 1. The danger of obesity
- 2. Causes of Overweight in Dogs
- 3. Feeding an Obese Pet
- 4. Physical activity
Danger of obesity
Contents
Excess weight visually changes the pet, and if it is participant of exhibitions – he will have to forget about such events before losing weight and returning to the usual form. But this is the lesser of evils obesity can significantly affect the health of a pet:
- First of all, the load falls on the musculoskeletal system, the first to feel it are joints that begin to collapse;
- overweight dogs suffer from diseases more often than others cardiovascular system, as a result they cannot tolerate full physical activity;
- metabolic processes in the body are disrupted, which leads to inevitable decline in immunity, the development of diabetes, oncological diseases;
- in males there is a decrease in sexual desire, in bitches – estrus become irregular or completely disappear.
If the weight of the dog exceeds the norm by 20% or more, we are talking about obesity. When the owner cannot find out the reason on his own, he should consult a veterinarian.
Causes of Overweight in Dogs
Most often, obesity in pets is associated with a violation nutrition, which is more dependent on the owners themselves. Dog will inevitably gain weight in the following cases:
- If she constantly overeats – this happens when the owner Does not adhere to the feeding regimen and does not dose food.
- Feeding cheap diets that contain large quantities of poorly digestible components, harmful additives and few animal protein can disrupt the digestive tract and lead to a set of excess mass.
- When a pet constantly receives food from the master table – how snacks and waste. To the most harmful to the animal’s body products include: sweets, fatty, spicy dishes, etc. The situation exacerbated by “compassionate” guests who can not resist and do not treat the master dog.
In addition, there are a number of breeds, representatives of which are more often the rest are obese. This includes basset hounds, beagles, dachshunds, golden retrievers, labradors, cocker spaniels. Owners of such dogs should pay more attention to the issue. feeding their four-legged friends. 
Low activity is another common reason for which the dog begins to “increase in size”, increasing fat. This is especially true of working breeds, representatives of which need intensive physical exercises, but do not get them in due volume.
Also, the dog can gain weight against the background of any pathological process occurring in the body: due to metabolic disorders processes, malfunction of the thyroid gland, tumor development, etc. If the cause of obesity is related to disease, then obligatory diagnostic examination and competent treatment. IN In other cases, the owner should review the pet’s diet and adjust it.
Feeding an Obese Pet
To normalize the weight of the pet, you need to follow the following recommendations:
- the dog must not be allowed to starve;
- reduce a single serving of food;
- feed the dog often, but in small portions;
- make sure that the pet does not take treats from strangers, do not picking up food on the street;
- meal should be in accordance with the established mode;
- no additional nutrition, even encouraging goodies can be temporarily replaced with more wholesome food or in general affection.
The dog’s diet should be balanced and nutritious, contain nutrients and low fat. The best thing consult with a nutritionist, and if this is not possible, then you can heed the advice of experienced dog breeders:
- all harmful foods must be completely removed from the diet, especially those containing a lot of fat, spices, smoked and salted products
- include more vegetables in the animal’s menu – important sources vitamins, fiber, cleansing the intestines. In addition, they contain few calories
- You can give cereal porridge to your pet, but it’s best suited oat and buckwheat, cooked on water, without additives, including salts;
- potato is included in the list of harmful products for obesity rice – they have a lot of carbohydrates;
- meat is an important component of the nutrition of animals related to predators, and even with a diet, exclude it from the dog’s diet. It is undesirable to feed the dog pork, lamb, ducklings. Dietary considered turkey, rabbit, chicken, feed the pet also can beef.
If the dog eats industrial feed, then he will have to replace with a more suitable product. Choose from brands premium and super-premium, focusing on special diets intended for animals suffering obese or prone to gain weight.
Grain-free feeds are ideal, they are distinguished by high balance, but they cost an order of magnitude more than the rest of the dry rations. With proper nutrition, the pet will stop get fat, and gradually his weight will begin to decline.
Watch the video how to lose weight with a dog:
Physical activity
Another important aspect of healthy weight loss – increase load. But you should definitely take into account the general condition of the pet. When the dog is too fat, you can’t make him run, because, in addition to fatigue, this will increase the load on the heart and musculoskeletal system. In general, it’s important to comply with the measure, especially when it comes to an elderly animal.
You can increase the duration of the walk, first on 15-20 minutes. Make it a rule to do more on weekends long walks – in a park or forest belt. You should play more often, using different objects, provoking the dog to extra activity.
If possible, it is recommended to walk with your pet to the pool, and in the warm season – give him a swim in suitable for this pond. Water treatments will let the dog reduce weight without much effort.
The life expectancy of friends of our four-legged, to unfortunately, it’s very small, and obesity can reduce by an order of magnitude her. Therefore, so that the pet was near as long as possible, pleased your positive, it is important to monitor his weight, physical fitness and health.
