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10 REASONS TO KEEP YOUR PET LEAN TRIM
AND FIT
First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk
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This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of your
veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the
diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.
It has been known for many years that
excessive body weight (or obesity) is not healthy. Here we list 10 good
reasons why you should keep your pet lean, trim and fit. The most
common nutritional disorder in animals and humans living in modern society is
excess body weight or obesity. Various reports have estimated that 24-44% of
dogs, and 25% of cats are obese (defined as 15% or more above their optimum
body weight) . That obesity is so common in pets is a surprise because
for most pets it is simply caused by overfeeding, which is avoidable. If
owners were more aware of the dangers of obesity - perhaps they would be more
diligent about controlling the amount of food that they provide for their
pets. Here are Provet's TOP 10 good reasons to keep your pet lean, trim and
fit :
- Obesity can reduce life-expectancy
- Diabetes is very common - it affects 1 in every 200 dogs and 1 in every
400 cats, and many of these cases are associated with obesity. It has even
been shown that 61% of obese dogs have poor glucose tolerance and high
insulin concentrations in their blood (both signs of a pre-diabetic state)
long before clinical signs of diabetes, such as increased thirst,
occur.
- Orthopaedic problems are made much worse if an animal is
overweight. That isn't surprising because the additional weight puts
unnecessary stress and strain on the biomechanics of limb and joint
function. It has been estimated that 24% of obese animals have some form
of locomotion problem. Veterinarians have many anecdotal reports about
obese animals scheduled to have major surgery for their orthopaedic
conditions which did not require surgery once they lost weight.
- Excess body weight increases workload for the heart and almost doubles
the risk for circulatory disease to develop.
- The risk of developing skin disease is increased in obese individuals
- Overweight animals have difficulty exercising because of the effects on
locomotion,. and also due to the effects of excess body tissue on
respiration - making breathing difficult.
- Reproductive problems in males and females is often associated with
excess body weight
- There is evidence that obese animals have a lower immune resistance to
infectious diseases
- Obese animals have altered metabolic rates and their individual
"set point" for body weight is higher than it should be. This
makes achieving and maintaining weight loss very difficult for owners once
obesity is established..
- Obese animals have a higher anaesthetic risk, and a higher risk for
wound breakdowns following surgery.
So keep your pet lean, trim and fit by :
- Controlling calorie intake to avoid excess
- Maintain a regular DAILY exercise programme
If your pet is gaining to much weight get the advice of your veterinarian
before it progresses to obesity.
Updated October 2013
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