How to detect overweight and obesity in dogs and cats: possible solutions

They are serious because they can trigger heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and joint problems.

Both overweight and obesity -excess body fat sufficient to cause disease and therefore very worrying- can affect dogs and cats . Therefore, it is important to detect them as soon as possible and find the reasons that produced them and their possible solutions.ADVERTISING

How to know if our pet is overweight or obese? First of all, it is essential to know what each thing is. Dogs are overweight if they exceed the normal weight of their breed between 15 and 29 percent, and obese if they exceed it by 30 percent.

And cats are overweight if they exceed the usual weight of their breed by 10 percent and obese if they exceed it by 20 percent. The people feeding them might not be responsible for the weight gain, and instead, there could be illnesses or allergies causing it.

One of the easiest ways to notice these problems is by carefully observing the animal. On the one hand, although it is difficult to notice the changes on a day-to-day basis, it will be possible to observe with the naked eye if the face and neck are fatter or if you have a large belly as the weeks go by.

On the other hand, both dogs and cats that are overweight or obese can lie down for a long time and not feel like walking or exercising. In addition, they may have shortness of breath or shortness of breath.

Overweight in dogs and cats: rule out diseases or allergies

If one or several of these symptoms are detected, it is necessary to visit the veterinarian to determine if there is a disease that was not previously detected or if it is feeding problems. If there were no pathologies, it could also be discovered that there is some type of allergy that can cause the pet not to lose weight, despite having a healthy diet.

Once both allergies and pre-existing diseases have been ruled out, the vet will indicate a weight-loss program. It will consist, most certainly, of a diet, the restriction of sweets that could be causing weight gain and the exercises and walks that must be carried out.

Weight loss, as in humans, is a slow path and one that must be followed with patience. The dog or cat should not be expected to reach the appropriate weight in a few weeks. On the contrary, an optimal result would be that they were losing between one and two percent of the weight every seven days.

It is important that pets are not overweight or obese , as these are two serious problems that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, malformations, arthritis, and joint problems.

Overweight or obesity: balanced diet

Also as in the case of people, pets must have a diet appropriate to their breed, their age and the type of home in which they live. Because, for example , dogs that have a garden where they can run or cats that go for a walk at night will be more difficult for them to have problems of being overweight or obese.

On the other hand, pets that live in small spaces and do not have space to carry out physical activities such as walking, climbing or jumping, will need a balanced diet to take care of their silhouette and their health.

It will also be the veterinarian who indicates the appropriate type of food for the pet in the home. You can indicate only dry balanced food or combination with authorized wet balanced food or foods such as rice, meat, vegetables and fruits. Also, both dogs and cats should drink plenty of fresh water .

The advantages of balanced meals are many . First, they contain all the nutrients and vitamins that both cats and dogs need to be healthy and maintain the appropriate weight for their breed and age. Second, they make your stools more consistent and less odorous. And thirdly, they also protect your dental health and counteract bad breath.

Offering the healthiest food to the dogs and cats that we care for as pets at home is not only taking care of them from being overweight and obese , but also a way of showing them how much we love them.