OBESITY IN DOGS



Chapter 42: Obesity In Dogs

Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat. Between 25 and 40% of dogs are considered obese or likely to become obese. It is the most common nutrition related health condition in dogs in our society. The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of exercise.

As in people, dogs carrying extra pounds of weight place extra demands on virtually all the organs of their bodies. When we overload these organs, disease and sometimes death are the consequences. The health risk to overweight dogs is serious and every dog owner should be aware of it. According to food manufacturer Ralston Purina Company, the health factors associated with obesity include skeletal stress, complications to diabetes, difficulty in regulating body temperature, and potential inflammation of the pancreas. Surgery takes longer if the veterinarian has to work his way through layers of fat, and obesity complicates drug therapy, anthesthesia, and recovery from injury.

The Veterinary Services Department of Drs. Fosters & Smith, Inc., a large pet service corporation, goes into even more detail.

Approximately 25% of overweight dogs develop serious joint complications such as arthritis or torn ligaments.

As in people, overweight dogs tend to have increased blood pressure which can lead to congestive heart failure. In overweight animals, the lungs can not function properly.

Dogs that are overweight have less endurance and stamina.

Fat is an excellent insulator. The heat of summer can take its toll as an overweight dog is much less capable of regulating its body temperature.

The liver stores fat and overweight dogs can develop decreased liver function.

The effects of obesity on the heart and lungs have serious ramifications during anesthesia. Cardiac arrest and poor circulation of oxygenated blood to the tissues can occur.

An overweight dog has an increased risk of developing constipation and may also have more problems with internal gas and flatulence.

Obesity in the dog is associated with decreased resistance to viral and bacterial infections. It is also associated with an increased risk of skin and coat diseases.

The exact link between obesity and developing certain cancers is unknown. However, there have been studies which suggest that obese dogs tend to have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers.

The highest indicator of obesity being a health risk: Overweight dogs die at a younger age than those maintained at an optimum weight.

Ideally, you should be able to feel your dog’s ribs and waist. These areas should be discernible without being prominent. The ribs should have a thin layer of fat over them. Overweight dogs have increasing amounts of fat over the ribs, along the spine, and around the tail. Obese dogs have heavy fat over the ribs, along the spine, and around the tail.

It’s possible that a dog could slowly gain weight and before you know it, when you go in for your veterinary check up, Juno is several pounds overweight. What do you do? Talk to your veterinarian about an immediate weight loss program and contact the school. We will work with you and your veterinarian. Consider GEB a guide dog weight watcher support group. This is also a good reason to get those vet check ups. If you need to loosen your dog’s harness belly strap a notch or two that is a red flag your dog may be putting on some pounds. If you haven’t had a vet check up in awhile, schedule one. Remember that your dog is an athlete and like an athlete, needs to stay in top condition. Most veterinarians out there are used to seeing pet dogs, many of which are overweight. This is a good reason to schedule an appointment not long after you go home. Introduce your dog to the people at your vet office. Tell them what your dog’s ideal weight is; which is your dog’s going home or target weight. This target weight is written on the health certificate that you bring home with you and you can give your vet office a copy of it. Explain to your veterinarian that your dog needs to stay at this weight or very close to it. That way, if Juno does put on a few pounds, your veterinarian already knows what an athletic working guide dog looks like and is prepared to help you work back to that weight.

Also remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or pound of fat in our case. Feed your dogs a good quality dog food and an appropriate amount. We will go over this with each of you before you go home. No snacks except that which is acceptable to the Guiding Eyes Veterinarian Office and your Instructors. Types of appropriate snacks are covered in the vet lecture you receive on the day of class physicals. If you are using training treats throughout the day, cut back on some of Juno’s evening meal so that what you take out & what Juno had during the day equal out. Sometimes your situation can change; surgery, illness or other circumstances may prevent you from doing the routes you normally do which gives your dog exercise. If this will be over a long period of time, contact GEB. We’ll help you figure out what to do.

Above all remember, Guiding Eyes is here to help your team succeed. Every year we ask you to send in your work & health report. If we see a problem or potential risk, we’ll contact you & together we’ll work on it. On occasion, we have an extreme case of a dog so overweight that immediate action must be taken. We have had dogs returned from the field because they were so overweight that their health was at risk. The weight loss program at that point must be handled by professionals. We of course hope that this does not happen at all, as many of these dogs develop medical problems that prevent their being able to work anymore. In fact they usually have stopped guiding effectively before they return here. It can be so easily prevented! You must be your dog’s watchdog where their weight is concerned! A healthy dog will be in the field much longer than an overweight one.

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