Overweight and obesity affect more than 30% of dogs. With, as a result, a significant decrease in their life expectancy. As a dog trainer, I can only confirm that many dogs that train are overweight. This touches me, because I know that the dog often suffers, even if the owners do not see him. This point bothers me even more since the day a lady came to the center with her dog. After 5 minutes of "basic training" the dog did not want to move. The lady immediately told me “he pretends to be my dog". What she did not understand was that her dog was so big that the slightest effort made him suffer.
When is a dog overweight?
Officially, this is when his weight is 10-15% higher than his ideal weight. But that doesn't mean much. In fact, weight is not always the best indicator of your dog's health. Muscle weighs more than fat and therefore athletic dogs can sometimes weigh more than a similar non-athletic dog. Obesity is best determined by palpation.
If you can't feel them when you move your hands over your dog's ribs, there is a problem. For further details, it is necessary to easily feel the ribs, the contours of the pelvis, the processes in dogs (the rounded point along the backline) of some vertebrae. There must be a small amount of belly fat.
If your dog is overweight or obese, it is more likely to suffer physically and even mentally. Your dog will:
- Significantly reduced life expectancy
- Respiratory Concerns
- Heart problems
- Diabetes
- Arthritis and osteoarthritis problems
- Concerns about immunity
- Various pains in the body
- Lethargy, even when it comes to popular games or activities
- And many others
I don't understand that some people prefer to see their big dog and sometimes even feel proud of it, under the pretext that "it's the breed". No, no breed is obese. Obesity is not normal.
The most obese races
Very often, some breeds are considered "naturally" obese. This is wrong. There are many dogs that have strong bones or even full skin folds. But again, obesity is not normal. Whether it's a sharpie or a Bulldog, your wrinkles should not contain excess fat. It's just skin. A big dog should not be "stronger" than he is already by his bones.
How to avoid obesity in dogs?
Obesity in dogs is managed by two important things outside of another health context (drugs, etc.).
1-Food: the first thing to do is give your dog a proper diet. It must be healthy, balanced, and biologically appropriate. If you have more than one dog, check that each dog eats its share. Each dog should have its own diet. Often we buy the same croquette for all dogs in the family. This is a big mistake because every diet must be adapted for every dog. Even if it is sometimes suitable for some. Avoid giving leftovers to your dog. In fact, our kitchen is often unsuitable for our dog (Butter, salt, sugar, etc.). Also, in the diet of the dog, if you want to avoid obesity, you need to avoid ingredients such as grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc.). If you use treats to educate your dog,
2-Activities: the dog must also be able to be active regularly throughout his life. This must be adapted to his age, skills, and health. Even if you have a garden, your dog needs to get out of it. 30 minutes a day is a good average. If your dog is overweight, you need to be careful to choose the activities so that he does not have any locomotion problems or other health problems. Do not hesitate to hire a dog fitness trainer.
Health problems related to obesity in dogs
Obviously, obesity itself is a serious health problem. But, some dogs become obese as a result of their health problems. This means that before you train a dog, we need to check if he will be able to do this.
Some diseases can be responsible for polyphagia, i.e. the dog has little or no feeling of satiety. Unfortunately, a dog that thinks that being hungry all the time risks becoming obese. This feeling can also come from medication when your dog is being treated. This problem can only be solved by a veterinarian.
The word of the end
Do not underestimate obesity in dogs. No, your good fat grandfather is not a healthy dog! Obesity is not an aesthetic problem. It is a real disease that threatens the health of your dog.