Obesity has become an alarming medical condition. A study made in
2008 revealed that there are about 500 million people worldwide who are
obese. Another study made in the same year was done by the Association
of Pet Obesity Prevention found that there about 33 million dogs in the
US that are overweight or obese and this number equates to 44% of the
total population. The study shows that the problem of obesity has
actually spilled over to man’s best friend.
With this trend, vets are quite concerned. Some animal health experts believe that some dog owners don’t consider it as a serious health problem. In addition, there are owners that are too busy to care properly for their pets. Thus, these dogs are under-exercised and are overfed.
Nevertheless, these people need to realize that as a medical condition, obesity can reduce the life expectancy and affect the well being of an animal. Moreover, overweight or obese dogs are most likely to develop the following health problems:
1. Arthritis and other Orthopedic Problems. The muscles, bones, and connective tissue of overweight dogs experience more mechanical stress. The same can be said for an overweight dog’s joints. As a result, dog owners should be very careful with the physical activity they undertake with their pets. If it is too strenuous the risk of a broken bone or a torn ligament (especially the cruciate ligament) is quite high. The added mechanical stress also exacerbates the destruction of cartilage tissue. Hence, overweight or obese dogs often develop arthritis at an earlier age.
2. Type 2 Diabetes. A diet high in carbohydrates can lead to an increase in blood glucose. With this increase, the cells in pancreas responsible for producing insulin may become overwhelmed and shutdown.
3. Cardiovascular Disease. A diet high in fat can lead to the build-up of plaque in the blood vessels. In addition fat can also cover the heart, making it less effective in pumping blood.
4. Fatty Liver. The liver stores fat. When there is too much fat, the organ can get inflamed. This will make the liver less effective in its function.
5. Cancer. Several studies have revealed that certain types of cancer is more prevalent among overweight or obese dogs, though veterinary science has yet to fully understand the connection.
6. Other Complications. Overweight or obese dogs have weaker immune systems and often develop gastro-intestinal problems. Pregnant dogs that are overweight are most likely candidates for a C-section.
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