Sea Sabres Scuba Diving club, Southern
California, Fullerton
Sea
Sabres
Dogs are
getting Fat Too!
LONDON, England (Reuters) --
Obesity is the No. 1 health problem for dogs in Britain, according to a study
released Thursday.
The
second-biggest health danger was traffic, with disc problems third.
Almost
three-quarters of physiotherapists questioned cited obesity in the survey by
the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy -- which deals with animals as well as
humans.
Like
humans, dogs became obese because they were overfed and did not exercise
enough, the study observed.
"As
a nation, we overfeed at mealtimes and tend to give 'tidbits' through the day
as treats for our furry friends," said animal physiotherapist Charlotte
Baldwyn. "Good health and fitness for the domestic pet is vital to a happy
and long life."
Statistics
show that being overweight is one of the worst things you can do to your
health. Not surprisingly, obesity isn't good for your dog either. With your dog
however, you need to remember that every excess pound he gains is a greater
percentage of his overall weight. If a 170 pound man gains 5 pounds it's a much
smaller percentage of his weight than if a 35 pound dog gains 5 pounds. In
other words, it doesn't take very many extra pounds to start causing health
problems for your dog.
As
in humans, dogs that are overweight have a shorter life span and experience
more medical problems than dogs that are normal weight. So, how fat is too fat
for your dog? If your dog is starting to look rotund, you may want to call your
vet. Most veterinarians have weight charts that show the weight ranges for the
various breeds of dogs.
If
Fido is packing extra pounds, realize that dogs haven't figured out how to open
the refrigerator (yet) so the reason he's too fat is because you fed him too
much or didn't give him enough exercise. Or both. The only way to reverse the
trend is to feed him less and exercise him more. You also might want to pay
attention to where Fido's food is coming from. If he's scoring extra calories
from treats, doggie biscuits, the cat's food bowl, and the tidbits the kids
give him under the dinner table, you'll need to nix these food sources.
To
help your dog lose weight, you also must increase his activity level. Even if
your dog spends all day outside, he may not be doing anything more than sleeping,
so he needs you to take him for a walk or inspire him to participate in a game
of "fetch."
However, if your dog is seriously overweight,
be sure to have your dog checked by your favorite veterinarian before embarking
on any weight loss program.
Reinforcing, perhaps, the old saying that
owners tend to look like their dogs, official figures have showed the
proportion of obese men and women in Britain hit a record high in 2001.
Posted September 2, 2003
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