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If your pooch is looking a bit more pudgy than usual, it’s actually quite common. The battle of the bulge isn’t just something people face — so do pets. In fact, according to a 2018 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 55.8 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. And that extra weight can cause a lot of health issues for your dog, including canine diabetes, heart problems, and painful arthritis.
Wondering how to tell if your dog is fat or overweight and needs to lose a few pounds? Read on to examine the signs you can look for to determine whether or not your dog is fat and how you can get your pup into shape to stay healthy and happy for years to come.
One of the simplest ways to determine if your dog is fat is to look at the body shape. Looking at your dog from above, if you notice that the pup looks rather rotund and oval-shaped, it’s likely that your dog is fat. If, on the other hand, you notice that your dog has a defined waist toward the rear and a straight build down the sides, then they’re probably at a healthy weight.
The feel and prominence of your dog’s ribs are a major indicator of weight issues, says Dr. Sara Ochoa, DVM, a veterinary advisor for DogLab and practitioner at Whitehouse Veterinary Animal Hospital in Whitehouse, Texas. “If your dog’s ribs aren’t extremely prominent and you can easily feel them without having to press hard, then the dog is fit,” she says. For overweight dogs, it’s very difficult to feel their ribs because there is too much fat in the way.
Why does my dog stare at me?
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
What dogs have loose skin under neck?
Bernards, Welsh Corgis and Red Kelpies. Cutaneous asthenia in dogs is also known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It is when the skin on your dog is unusually droopy or stretchy. It is part of a group of hereditary disorders that is caused by a genetic mutation passed from parents to their offspring.