Being overweight is becoming ordinary for dogs and even cats. Some people who see a healthy lean canine would often respond or see it as too thin or unhealthy. Our pets would never wish to be obese; should they become one, fur parents must keep their weight in check and back to normal.
If you still think of your chubby dog as cute, we’ll tackle why it’s not and why you must start working on managing their weight immediately.
Why Dog Obesity Should Never Be Ignored
Though dogs never have to bother with other dogs and people body-shaming them at the park, being overweight has been connected to many serious health conditions that can badly affect their well-being. Below are five common diseases related to canine obesity.
1. Shortened life expectancy
Overweight pets can not play enthusiastically like their healthy fellows, breathe normally, and live a healthy lifestyle. In addition, overweight dogs are often irritable to feel pain, hotness, or uncomfortableness. Because of this, they are unlikely to fully live their expected lifespan than those maintained at a healthy weight.
2. Heart and breathing conditions
Excessive weight in pets can cause high blood pressure and heart conditions and is frequently linked to breathing issues. Overweight dogs are vulnerable to laryngeal paralysis and a collapsing trachea. Left unattended, these airway-related disorders might lead to a severe respiratory crisis that can be dangerous.
This is why you should always be consistent with your pet’s vaccinations and preventatives from facilities like Fine Animal Hospital. Throughout each session, the vet can inspect your pet, evaluate its weight, and recommend actions to help prevent the onset of any conditions connected to canine obesity.
You may visit this page to see the importance of pet preventive care.
3. Urinary tract or bladder disease
Uroliths, usually called urinary bladder stones, are stone-like deposits that develop in animals’ bladders, including dogs, mostly overweight ones. These stones can be excruciating and often lead to urinary tract infections. Bladder stones can block urine flow and can be deadly when not addressed by a vet immediately.
So if you’ve read about the common signs linked with bladder stones in dogs, do not delay their treatment. Quickly take them to a nearby veterinary diagnostic lab so the diagnosis and treatment can start immediately. You may browse the web to learn more about vet diagnostics services.
4. Joint degeneration
Weight problems can quickly damage your pet’s joints, partly because of the burden of carrying extra weight. Additionally, the excess weight their joints carry can break down the cartilage’s cushioning inside the joints. When dogs get arthritis, it can be hard to handle as the lack of cushion inside their joints may cause 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 important, especially if you’re slowly seeing your dog gain weight little by little. If you own a pet with arthritis, they may benefit from vet acupuncture as it eases discomfort and relaxes their joints and bones.
5. Cancer
Canine cancer is often associated with obesity. Overweight dogs are prone to several other health problems, but cancer is the most alarming. Today, there have been no accurate treatments to address cancer in canines, as most canines diagnosed with cancer are expected to live shorter than their breed’s supposed lifespan.
