Overweight and Obesity
You can compare real dog treats to a hearty hamburger...
How does it happen? - How can you prevent it? - What can you do about it?
More than 30% of our pets are (much) too heavy. Factors that may
contribute to weight gain include:
- gender
- spaying / neutering
- age
- amount of exercise (very important for dogs!)
- eating habits (the most important factor!); in particular, eating a lot of leftovers and candy can lead to being overweight!
Here’s a good example of the latter: Suppose a 5-kg dog (a dachshund) gets a cookie three times a day with coffee. Such a dog consumes 18 grams of excess sugar per day. It converts this into 7.5 grams of fat. After just over 3 months, the dog will already weigh 750 grams more—15% of its body weight! It’s getting really fat! And we’re just talking about cookies here;real dog treats are comparable to a hefty hamburger. Do you eat a hamburger 3 or 4 times a day yourself?
The strange thing is that many owners of overweight animals are very satisfied with their pet’s weight, even though it has been proven that being overweight can lead to:
- Bone and Joint Disorders and Back Pain
- Slowed bowel transit with constipation and digestive problems
- Liver damage
- Strain on the Heart
- Shortness of breath
- In hot weather: rapid overheating
- Diabetes and Pancreatitis
- Infertility
- Increased risk during anesthesia and certain surgeries
- Increased susceptibility to (viral) infections
- A demonstrable reduction in lifespan!
What can we do about your pet's excess weight?
First and foremost, we need to remember that the same rule applies to dogs: every pound goes through the mouth. When someone comments on their dog’s excess weight, many people say that their pet “already gets so little to eat.” What they forget is that this usually involves high-calorie food, combined with the fact that the dogs are getting far too little exercise. It’s particularly difficult to simply give a dog less food, because this often leads to begging and stealing food. That’s why special weight-loss diets have been developed: they contain very little energy that can be converted into fat, while adding a lot of bulk to the intestines. After eating, the dog feels full and won’t beg. These weight-loss diets provide a responsible way to address excess weight. Treats are strictly off-limits!