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WHY
DOES NEUTERING INCREASE THE RISK OF OBESITY ? 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 long been
recognised that neutered males and neutered females are more likely to develop
obesity than their entire counterparts- but why should this be the case ? According
to the published surveys a neutered dog can be up to twice as likely as an un-neutered
dog to develop obesity, and neutered cats are also more likely
to be overweight than entire cats. The precise mechanisms are not fully
understood - but there are several likely reasons why this occurs :
- Normal concentrations of circulating sex hormones reduce appetite
- Following neutering sex hormone concentrations fall so appetite increases
- Reduced male or female sex hormone concentrations in the blood causes a decrease
in the body's metabolic rate - ie the rate of tissue activity, and the
rate at which
metabolic processes occur in the body
- The metabolic rate in neutered animals has been found to be up to
25% less than in un-neutered animals - which means that they need up
to 25% less energy intake.
- Reduced sexual behaviour results in reduced overall exercise, and so
neutered animals have a
lower energy requirement
So, the reason why neutered animals gain weight is a combination of :
- decreased resting energy requirement
- relative excess food intake, and
- reduced exercise
Obesity can be prevented by :
- restricting energy (food) intake to maintain optimum body weight.
- in some cases specially formulated obesity-control diets may be needed
- avoid high energy snacks and treats
- maintain a regular exercise regimen
Updated October 2013
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