How to save your pet from Obesity?

VetSupply

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Obesity is a blazing concern for many Australian pet lovers. According to a report, almost 40% of Australian pets were found to be overweight. Another study had revealed that 42% of dogs and 33% of cats are either obese or overweight in Australia. These numbers are alarming.

WHAT IS OBESITY?

Obesity is an abnormal bodyweight condition that occurs due to the excess fat buildup in your pet’s body. This happens when your pet intakes more calories than what it requires for its daily activities. In simple words, when your pet is consistently eating more than what it should be, it results in the accumulation of fat.

HOW CAN I SAY IF MY PET IS OBESE?

Excess body weight and extra fat have a tendency to go together, and it is worth knowing that the most overweight dogs have extra body fat. You can determine your pet’s body condition by assessing their optimal body weight. In general, pets are regarded as overweight when they weigh 10-20% more than their ideal weight, whereas they are categorized as ‘obese’ when they gain 20% more weight to their normal body weight.

CAUSES:

There are various contributing elements towards developing obese condition in your pet which include pet breed, age, neuter status, sex, and owner’s habits. The most common causes of obesity in your pet are,

Overeating
Lack of physical activities
Genetic susceptibility
Medications such as glucocorticoids
Disease like Hypothyroidism or Arthritis

WAYS TO PREVENT OBESITY

It is necessary to understand the causes of your pet’s obese condition before you start implementing preventive measures. Take your pet to a veterinarian for the precise assessment of your pet’s body weight condition because if you suddenly put restrictions on your pet’s daily consumption, it may cause health issues. Therefore, you should cut down your pet’s daily intake gradually under a professional’s observation. Here are the most preferred ways of preventing your pet from obesity.

Feed Wisely

Every pet’s body is built differently, and their activity levels differ from one another. Develop a thorough understanding of your pet’s daily caloric requirement based on their activity levels and feed them accordingly. Always follow a scheduled feed instead of free feeding. Replace processed treats with natural treats such as apples or bananas.

Feed your animal with quality pet food. When buying processed food, always check the product label and go through its calorie content along with nutritional assessment per feed and give it in accordance with your pet’s requirement.

Strictly follow the feeding guidelines provided on the product label. Feed your cat with canned food against dry food as it reduces the chances of obesity and keeps their excretory system up and running. Avoid feeding table scraps. Do not feed them such as chocolate, grapes, onions as they can have poisonous effects on your pet.