Fighting Obesity

If your pet dog or cat has been looking a little rounder than usual, chances are it did not become that way on its own.

Obesity is caused by a variety of reasons, most of them preventable in nature, If not treated, obesity can lead to a whole host of other problems such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. As with humans, the two main cause of obesity in dogs and cats are a lack of exercise and unhealthy diet.

Many owners over-indulge their pets with treats, not knowing where to draw the line. When dealing with the issue of how much to feed pets, owners must judge their pet individually, looking at factors such as lifestyle and activity level, tweaking the food intake as required.

As mentioned earlier, lack of exercise and activity also contribute to this problem. As animals grow older, their metabolic rates slow down, producing fewer results for the same amount of exercise they did when they were younger. Owners should encourage their pets by bringing them on walks or engaging them in physical activities, the level of activity, of course, consistent with the kind of breed and age of the animal.

Although neutering or spaying dogs and cats does not directly cause them to become obese, such animals do have higher susceptibility to obesity as sterilization removes a food inhibitory hormone (a hormone that prevents them from overeating from their system. As such owners of such pets should take extra care in monitoring their pets' food intake.

A common mistake many owners make when judging whether their pets is overweight is by weighing them. Although weight (based on what is typical of that breed) can be an indicator, a visual check of the pet's body would be a more reliable measurement. If your dog or cat has a sagging stomach, no waist and you are unable to feel its ribs easily, it might very possibly be overweight. From a side or aerial view, a dog or cat of a healthy weight should have a streamlined body shape.

Veterinarians use a body condition score known as BCS to determine if the animal is an ideal weight. A trip to the vet can help confirm the condition of your pet and he/she can help you come up with a plan to combat this disease.