ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Its No Laughing Matter When Dogs Are Overweight

Updated on March 2, 2013

Overweight and Obese Dogs

Dogs that are overweight are no laughing matter. There is a serious problem of overweight and obese dogs in the United States. The problems with overweight dogs are getting worse as time goes by. Overweight dogs have many health issues that are very similar to overweight humans. Why do dogs so much weight? A dog may be eating an improper diet. The dog eats too much, and he or she cannot get enough exercise to burn off the excess calories that the dog didn't need in the first place. The dog might be eating too many high calorie treats. Dogs shouldn't eat people food or at least shouldn't eat too much people food. Some people food can upset a dog's stomach, can make the dog sick, and the dog will throw up leaving a mess to clean up.

An obese dog weighs way too much, and a dog could reach a point where he or she isn't able to walk, or even move anymore. An overweight dog needs an appointment, and should be seen by a veterinarian, who can test the dog to determine if there are any underlying physical causes of the dog being so overweight. The vet would be able to treat the dog once he or she knows the cause or causes of the problem. If there are no underlying physical causes of the dog's weight problem, then the vet could put the overweight dog on a safe and reasonable diet.

An Overweight Dog

Source

Health Issues with Overweight Dogs

Dogs that are overweight or obese face serious health issues that can be dangerous to a dog's health. Overweight and obese dogs can have serious health problems, which include: diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart problems, respiratory disorders, other conditions, diseases and disorders. Obesity in dogs can complicate other health issues that dogs already have and makes it hard on the dogs. Dogs should not be fed table scraps, hot dogs, or dog treats that are high in calories, especially overweight and obese dogs. Dogs should eat high quality dog food that is formulated, provides all the nutrients and vitamins that dogs need to stay healthy. Feeding an overweight dog food that is high in calories will just add to the problems the dog already has, and could make the dog sick. Overweight dogs shouldn't eat junk food that people eat (people shouldn't eat junk food), because junk food is unhealthy and can make dogs sick. Dogs should always have fresh water to drink and a diet that is 100% nutritionally complete. The dog food shouldn't be corn based. Dogs need protein that comes from meat. Dogs are carnivores and need meat. Good dog food should list protein (meat protein) as the first ingredient. Corn shouldn't be listed as the first ingredient. A veterinarian should be consulted about the best kind of dog foods and supplements that are the best for the age and health of dogs. A veterinarian should be consulted about supplements for dogs. Too many supplements can be bad for the health of dogs.

Obesity Epidemic

Dogs' Lives Can Be Shortened By Obesity

Obesity can shorten the lives of dogs that are overweight or obese by as much as two to two and a half years. Never put a dog, or any other pet on a diet on your own. Obesity in dogs are medical conditions that can only be treated by veterinarians. Veterinarians should always be consulted for dogs that are overweight. A veterinarian can do tests to find the cause of the weight problems in a dog, and then, the dog can be properly treated. Overweight and obese dogs need to lose weight gradually. Dogs need exercise and need to keep moving, so that dogs can stay healthy and alive. Dogs should live long, lean, and happy lives. No dog's life should ever be cut short, because of obesity.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)