Dog Obesity
Is dog obesity as serious as human obesity?
- The issue of human obesity is the focus of many
people thanks to all of the media campaigns and advertisements
that constantly warn of the dangers of being overweight.
Obesity can lead to diabetes, heart attacks and a
myriad of other problems. A healthy diet and regular
exercise will combat the problem and bring a person's
risk of disease down appreciably.
The same principle applies to pets.
It may seem cute to see an overweight cat waddle by
or a pudgy dog breathing hard just when it walks into
a room. Their obesity is just as dangerous to them
as it is to humans. Dogs and cats can both get diabetes
and heart disease so it's important to make sure that
they eat a healthy diet and receive plenty of exercise.
One of the causes for animals to become
overweight is due to them being fed table food along
with their regular pet food. It's hard to say no to
an animal that approaches you with big pleading eyes,
begging for some of your steak or pizza and it may
seem harmless to give them some just so that they
won't look so sad. Another mistake that people make
in this regard is to scoop up the leftovers after
a meal and give them to the animal. This can easily
contribute not only to the pet's obesity but other
health problems as well.
Pet food contains all of the nutrients
that an animal needs but human food does not and can
also cause digestive problems with an animal. Some
people think its ok to give their dogs lots of bones
but these bones can chip off and stick in the intestines
of the dogs, especially hollow bones such as chicken
bones.
Lack of exercise is another problem
for pets especially if they are inside pets. Animals
that have a yard to run around in are able to get
lots of exercise as they explore their territory.
Inside pets don't have this privilege but that can
be remedied by taking them for long walks and allowing
them to run around in a park that allows animals to
be unleashed.
Cats are exceptionally lazy creatures
that prefer a good nap to actually getting exercise.
This is especially true for inside cats. However,
you can provide your cat with exercise by buying one
of the many toys that are designed with cat exercise
in mind.
Many of these toys have a string with
a fake mouse or a feather attached to it. You can
dangle it in front of the cat to get its attention
and they will invariably start to swipe at it with
their paws. Drag it around the floor and they will
give chase as though it were a real animal. Do this
regularly and soon your cat will be the slim and healthy
animal it was meant to be.
For more information on dog obesity
visit http://www.petmedicationandsupplies.com
For more information on dog illnesses
caused by food Click dog
obesity
