Is my dog fat or overweight? It's a question that comes into every owner's mind. This is because one out of three dogs is over weighted. Since the stamina for doing the exercise is decreased due to overweight, the risk of obesity increases, which may result into joint pains, inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, reduced immune strength, breathing problems, high blood pressure and etc. All these problems make the life of the dog painful. Obesity may also results in many types of diseases such as hypothyroidism. Hypopituitarism and Cushing disease may reduce the lifespan.
To decide whether the dog is overweight or not is a very difficult task. It can be known only by comparing to other dogs. In spite of the fact that many are dogs are fat, still a dog may look normal but actually he is fat from his size. Some puppies are thick but the coat hides their real shape. Puppies can also be over weighted. Only the veterinarian can help us to know whether the dog is overweight or not by not only by weighing but also measuring him from different areas of the body. The condition of their body matters because only the weight of the body cannot give the correct impression. It may also give false impression than what actually it is.
Losing some kilograms of weight does not mean he has reached to his ideal body weight. Precaution must be taken to control the overweight of the dog only by providing him meal on time in spite of filling his bowl every time it is empty. Many puppies and dogs tend to eat more than they require. We can take some help from the veterinarian for the amount of diet to be provided to the dog per day. Giving smaller meals at regular intervals would be better than one large meal. As dogs grow day by day their requirements change accordingly. The veterinarian may help by suggesting the amount of diet to be provided and the type of food to be given. It is better to take precaution against obesity rather than loosing weight.
There are various ways to help the dog lose weight and make him reach ideal weight. Exercise and proper nutrients are equally essential and necessary. This does not mean that we should decrease the amount of food because this may lead to lack of the key nutrients. Special diet chart must be suggested by the veterinarian for the dog so that his hunger is controlled and get all the key ingredients which generally contain the diet which have low calorie and high fiber content.
Dog treats that are given on regular basis are highly fatty that only prevents them from loosing the unwanted weights. The veterinarian can advise a low calorie treats. Dogs do not care much about the amount of treats they are getting, they are happy because they are getting something to eat. This not only improves the condition of the dog but also the obesity level.
