I have seen and still see many cats and dogs that suffer from osteoarthritis to the knees, elbows and hips, a condition that is severely worsened by excess weight and lead to hepatitis, pancreatitis and diabetes because their liver and pancreas stop functioning properly after years of excess weight. I have seen and still see fat female dogs and cats that have developed very severe urinary infections because they can’t clean their hindquarters properly. I have seen and still see obese cats that are constipated because they are not active enough (a lack of activity slows the bowel function). Since they are less active, fat cats tend to use the litter box less often, which increase the risk of blocking the urinary flow, a very severe condition that must be urgently treated! I’ve seen many, unfortunately. Also, overweight pets are more at risk of suffering from hypertension and even some forms of cancers.
I am a veterinarian. I can treat diseases and heal animals, but I prefer by far to do some prevention. So, if your dog or your cat is a bit overweight, overweight or really fat, don’t be insulted if I mention the “fatty” side of your puppy or kitty. We must act now! We want to prevent potential painful and chronic diseases, and expensive treatments. The first (essential) step is to admit that your pet is fat. Then you must want to help your pet lose weight. We will examine together what food diet is required. To do so, we have to assess and calculate absolutely everything that your pet is eating. We’ll discuss this aspect in another blog article.
Mrs. and Mr. arrive in the exam room with Fluffy. At first, I don’t see anything wrong with Fluffy, except for the fact that he’s overweight, if not obese. Before, like the majority of veterinarians, I would trivialize the overweight problem. I didn’t even mention it for fear of insulting or hurting the pet’s owner. My many years of experience and all the studies published on the topic have made me do an 180-degree turn on the issue of overweight pets. Now, I don’t hesitate to point it out. When I see a pet that has an excess of weight, one that is overweight or really obese, I just say it: your pet is too big! He has love handles, but this kind of love is not healthy!
Why is my pet overweight? It’s simple. Overweight occurs when the quantity of energy consumed (calories) during the day is larger than the quantity of energy spent, and the consequences are widely underestimated. Excess weight causes stress on joints and increases greatly the risk of developing osteoarthritis. For a small breed dog or a cute plump cat, one or two pounds in excess weight are enough to damage joints and cause important chronic pain. I regularly examine the knees of cats with three, five and even 10 pounds of excess weight. These cats are in pain, move less and less, and often have severe health problems (I will mention some later on). In humans and animals, fat has long been considered as being inert, a simple accumulation of fat tissues and an energy reserve. The reality is quite different. Fat cells are very active and produce “adipocytokines” that are inflammatory proteins which contribute to damaging other joints and internal organs, and can even cause skin sensitization!
P.S.: Did you know that during a study carried out over 14 years about dogs’ life expectancy, dogs that consumed 25% fewer calories than the normal intake and were maintained a bit skinny lived two more years on average than dogs with a small excess weight?
If your pet’s collar keeps getting tighter, they could be overweight.
Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, chief veterinarian at Kleinburg Veterinary Hospital and veterinary medical advisor for Rover, told Insider that a too-tight collar can be one of the first signs of a weight problem.
“In the winter months, when we all get a little lazy and start packing on pounds, you may notice that your pets collar or body harness is getting a little snug. Instead of just sizing up, this should lead pet parents to make weight loss a priority,” said Greenstein.
One sneaky sign of obesity in pets is a matted or messy coat.
Shelly Zacharias, clinical veterinarian and vice president of medical affairs at Gallant, told Insider that a chubby pet may not be flexible enough to properly groom themselves.
“If your pet is overweight, they may not be able to reach all the areas they need in order to groom themselves. Even dogs do this. You will notice a hair coat that appears more oily than usual, and has flakes or mats,” said Zacharias.
Overweight pets often have most trouble grooming the areas around the tail and lower back area. If your pet is looking unusually mangy, it might be time to check their weight.
Why Does My DOG Expose Their BELLY? 5 Reasons!
So I just got back from Las Vegas, where I had gone to catch Weezer, one of my favorite rock bands, in concert. (I do things like this to cling to that last remaining shred of my carefree pre-mom self. I’m still fun and hip, darn it).
It was awesome. The show was general admission, so we pushed our way to about 20 feet from the stage. The crowd consisted mostly of college-age locals of the slightly nerdy yet cool variety. I consider myself an older version of that category. Elsewhere in Vegas, the crowd was different. There was a marked overgrowth of young ladies teetering around in high heels and astonishingly short, incredibly tight, little dresses. I’m not sure how these girls were able to breathe, sit, or walk upstairs. Mad props to the plethora of role models in Hollywood that brought us this trend. Lots of leadership material there. And since I don’t get out beyond the suburbs much, I’m not sure if that’s the norm or just a variant — a Vegas thing. Given that I haven’t recovered from that trip yet, you’ll forgive me if I can’t think of a snappy segue into my topic, which is: variants of normal dog anatomy that clients find worrisome. 1. Occipital protuberance/sagittal crest. This is a fin-like projection or knob-like bump on of the top of a dog’s skull. They are more prominent in dogs with long noses, like Dobermans or Collies. Generally they are normal skull bones, not tumors. Occasionally, if they suddenly become really prominent, they can indicate muscle wasting. Oh, and did I mention I had to look occipital protuberance and sagittal crest up in reference books? Apparently I’ve been calling them the wrong thing for years. 2. Perirenal Fat pad. These matching lumps occur generally in overweight dogs just behind the rib cage on either side of the spine. They are basically dog love handles and not cancer. 3. Floating ribs. Some dogs, often Dachshunds, have extra ribs sticking out that feel like tumors under the skin or have weird cartilage at the ends of their ribs that make them “flare” out funny. 4. The “tick.” Often these cases are brought in by the “senior” crowd. The owner thinks their dog has a tick, but despite all their picking, it just won’t come off. The dog, in fact, has a skin tag – usually one that is bleeding. Ticks only bury their mouthparts, not their little legs. So if you think your dog has a tick, get a magnifying lens and look for those legs! 5. Reverse sneeze. This is caused by nasal drainage or anything that tickles the back of a dog’s throat (lots of videos of it on YouTube). Dog stiffens, eyes bulge, starts snorting uncontrollably. It’s not a seizure or asthma attack, and the dog is not choking. (If the dog is panicking, turning blue, pawing at its face, drooling etc., then it could be choking!) If you’re not sure, best to just take it to the vet. If it’s episodic, videotape the episode and bring it in with the dog. 6. “My dog cries when I pick him up by the armpits.” How would you like to be picked up by your armpits? There are huge (I know they’re huge because I did my first front leg amputation last month, and let me tell you … they’re big!) nerves — called the brachial plexus — that run through the armpits. When you grab there to pick up the dog, you stretch those nerves, it probably hurts a little and the dog yelps. The solution to this one is to not pick the dog up by his or her pits. 7. Lenticular sclerosis. You know when old dogs have that bluish cast to their eyes? Usually, it’s not cataracts. It is a normal aging process that results from the thickening and stiffening of the fibers in the lens, making them hazy and pale. Doesn’t seem to affect dog vision. 8. Elbow Callus. If your dog likes to lie on hard floors, he may have thickened, brown, hairless, gnarly patches on the outside of his elbow(s). That’s his body’s way of protecting that bony protuberance; it is not cancer, usually. I like it when dogs come in with a problem and the solution is simple; it’s like I just hit a home run. There are exceptions to each and every rule though, so don’t you go skipping a trip to the vet just because I said this isn’t something to worry about! Sometimes reassurance from a trained professional is worth its weight in gold. But then again, reassurance doesn’t weigh anything … so that doesn’t work. Well, you know what I mean 🙂 Now if I can just do something about those skinny Vegas girls …
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