Man could really take a sleep lesson from his best friend. The National Sleep Foundation surveys adults in the United States using the Sleep in America poll. In the 2008 survey, the average amount of sleep people reported needing to feel well was 7 hours and 18 minutes each night. Unfortunately, the average American reported sleeping 6 hours and 40 minutes on average during weekdays and 7 hours and 25 minutes on the weekends. This means that most people aren’t getting enough sleep.

Why is sleep important?

Adults typically need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night for good health. Good sleep is important to help us feel focused, alert, and energized. Sleep is also essential for good general wellbeing. A survey of students ages 17 to 30 years old showed that those sleeping only 6 to 7 hours nightly were 50 percent more likely to report having poor health compared with people getting a full night’s sleep. Those sleeping less than 6 hours nightly were twice as likely to have poor health.

Poor sleep has been consistently linked to a wide range of health disorders:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Infections
• Migraines
• Obesity

If you’re a woman, take special note of your sleep deficit

In an interesting study just released by the medical journal Brain Behavior and Immunity, the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation were shown to be greater in women. Sleep disturbance results in an increase in chemicals in the body called cytokines. Cytokines result in increased inflammation; inflammation results in increased risks for arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. This latest research proves that sleep deprivation increases your body’s harmful inflammatory response, especially if you’re a woman. So getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone – but especially important for women for whom sleep dysfunction may be an even stronger factor for increasing the risk of disease.

Can dogs really teach people about good sleep?

One look at Fido will convince you that dogs are excellent role models for sleep. Scientists are also learning about human sleep physiology by studying sleep in dogs! Did you know that researchers have found similar changes in brain chemicals with sleep in both dogs and man? A recent report from the Graduate School of Medical Science at Kanazawa University described the importance of orexin neurons for regulating sleep in humans and their canine counterparts. Orexins (also called hypocretins) excite brain regions important for being awake and alert; helping to regulate whether you should be snoozing or active.

Naturally-occurring dysfunction in orexin can result in a sleep disorder called narcolepsy in both humans and some breeds of dogs, like Dobermans, Labrador retrievers, and miniature poodles. Narcolepsy causes excessive daytime sleepiness, with a tendency to quickly fall asleep at inappropriate times. Studies testing the physiology of narcolepsy in Fido may offer insights into better understanding human sleep patterns. Once again – dogs are great teachers for man!
Fill in sleep gaps with a nap

If you’re not getting enough sleep each night, consider filling in your sleep gaps with a nap. Short naps have been shown to improve energy level and reduce the risk for getting heart attacks! Researchers from the University of Athens Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health evaluated napping habits and the occurrence of heart disease in almost 24,000 healthy adults over an average almost 6½ years. After taking into consideration other risk factors for heart disease (like age, smoking, and obesity), people who regularly napped at least three days per week for at least 30 minutes per nap had a 37 percent decreased risk of dying from heart disease. Taking several naps a day or spending a long time napping, however, has  been shown to be bad for your health.

The recipe for healthy napping is:

• No more than one nap per day
• Nap for about 30 minutes
• Take your nap midafternoon, ideally around 3:00 PM
• If you typically want to nap more than 45 minutes or several times a day, you may be having sleep problems at night and should talk to your doctor.
• So take a lesson from Fido, and start scheduling health-restoring sleep into your daily schedule. Sleep’s not a luxury – it’s one of life’s necessities! You can learn more about sleep by visiting these websites: www.sleepfoundation.org, www.worldsleepfoundation.com, www.sleepnet.com

Article contributed by regular guest blogger, Dawn A. Marcus.

About the author: Dawn A. Marcus, MD is a medical doctor and professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She also serves as medical expert to Del Monte’s Power of Paws program, which promotes better human health through pet companionship. She is an internationally-recognized speaker, educator, and author, receiving the National Headache Foundation Media Excellence Award. Dr. Marcus has written nine medical books, including her latest book, Fit As Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health. Visit her websites www.dawnmarcusmd.com and www.fitasfido.com.

• 2 of every 3 adults are overweight
• And one in every 3 dogs is now overweight

While this has always been bad news, the news has just gotten worse – we’ve moved from just being a bit overweight to being obese.

New reports on obesity

This summer, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released frightening statistics and a stern warning about obesity in the United States. Over the last year, the number of adults in the United States who are obese jumped by another half a percent. While that may not sound too bad, this means more than ONE in every FOUR adults is now obese.

These numbers fall on the heels of a report in the journal Obesity, which published staggering projections for weight in United States. Using current trends in obesity, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health predict that 70 percent of adults in the United States will be overweight or obese by 2010 and 37 percent will be obese. By 2020, three in every four adults will be overweight or obese. And by 2030, four in every five adults will be overweight or obese and half will be obese! By 2048, it is estimated that every single adult around 40 years old will be overweight or obese – EVERY adult!

Think you’re safe if you’re not in the US? The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health published projections for obesity in the United Kingdom, estimating that in 2012, 32 percent of English adults will be obese. And the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health predicts 28 percent of those living in South Australia will be obese by 2013. Researchers at Tulane University used worldwide obesity data to project that there will be over one BILLION obese individuals worldwide by 2030, with an additional two billion overweight.

So what? Being obese is becoming the norm.

Obesity has become so common, that we may not recognize how important it is. A recent newspaper headline announced the Winner of the Fattest State. Mississippi tipped the scales with the highest percentage of citizens obese, followed closely by Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee. One in every three adults in each of these states is obese. The state with the lowest rate of obesity was the trim Colorado, where about one in five adults is obese. As we see more and more people tipping the scales, it’s important not to become complacent, thinking, “Everybody’s obese – so what’s the big deal?”

Obesity is a serious public health problem. Obesity is linked to increased risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, fertility problems, and even cancer! That’s not enough to get your attention? Well how about this – someone 40 percent overweight has TWICE the risk of dying a premature death!

What exactly IS obesity?

Having a few extra pounds here and there is NOT obesity. Extra weight puts added stress on your heart and joints, but we’re not talking about a few love handles. Obesity is generally considered to be having a weight that’s more than 20 percent above your ideal weight.

To determine if your weight is right on track, if you’re overweight, or if you’re obese, you’ll need to calculate your body mass index or BMI. The BMI measures body fat based on your height and weight. You can determine your BMI by entering your height and weight into a simple online BMI calculator (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/).

What can I do to avoid becoming a statistic? And where does Fido fit in?

These numbers are staggering – so what can you do? Start walking your dog – seriously! Researchers in California showed that obesity occurred 65 percent more in dog owners who didn’t walk their dogs compared to those who did. And researchers at the University of Pittsburgh showed that people doing short exercise segments of about 10 minutes at least twice a day did better than people instructed to exercise for one 20-40 minute session daily. Those doing short exercise segments exercised more consistently and lost about 40 percent more weight!

So start a dog walking program with Bailey:

• Take 2-3 short dog walks a day
• Log your walking time with each walk
• Make sure you’re walking a total of 30-45 minutes a day
• As you get more fit, increase your walking pace for added calorie burning
• Track your walking progress with a free walking calendar you can download at www.FitAsFido.com

Do don’t delay! Make a commitment to keep your weight in check and avoid being added to a CDC statistic. Grab a leash, whistle for Fido, and start walking those pounds away!

Article contributed by regular guest blogger, Dawn A. Marcus.

About the author: Dawn A. Marcus, MD is a medical doctor and professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She also serves as medical expert to Del Monte’s Power of Paws program, which promotes better human health through pet companionship. She is an internationally-recognized speaker, educator, and author, receiving the National Headache Foundation Media Excellence Award. Dr. Marcus has written nine medical books, including her latest book, Fit As Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health. Visit her websites www.dawnmarcusmd.com and www.fitasfido.com.

To be honest, losing weight is the easiest part as compare to maintaining that ideal weight. When we decided to lose weight, we set a goal and implement the steps needed. And in a matter of months we accomplished what we had planned. But we know that our journey doesn’t end here if we want to stay trim and fit for good. Like us, to help our dogs to maintain their ideal weight is all about lifestyle—choices we make for ourselves and our dog each and every day. One example, if we don’t introduce or encourage bad habits, our dogs will never know what they are “missing”—i.e. giving table scraps whenever you eat.

The methods used in preventing canine obesity and maintaining program are very similar and interchangeable. You’ll also notice a couple of rules similar in the dog weight lose program. So I’ll list what is needed in no particular order. Take whatever you see fit and apply.

How to Prevent Canine Obesity and Keeping the Weight Off

Start Young: Start monitoring your dog’s weight using the Body Condition Scoring method (weighing and observing figure) when he turns one year old until his adult weight. Large and giant breed dogs, will reach their adult weights at about 2 years old.

Sterilized Dogs: Once sterilized, we’ll need to control the calorie intake by feeding the right amount in multiple small meals as advised by your veterinarian. “Lite” or reduced calories diets may also be used. These are also special prescription diets available, which can only be prescribed by a vet (usually very pricey and some are awful tasting, be warned!). Also, you might want to check out Royal Canin’s Neutered series diet specifically for neutered dogs. It’s important that you check with your vet before feeding it to your dog.

Quality Dog Food: Investing in a high quality diet will ensure your dog will live a long and healthy life and still enjoy the benefit of top quality diet. Some recommendations which many of my clients and myself use to feed our dogs are Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild, Newman, Sigma, and Wysong—raw or dry. These are some of the highest quality dog food in the market. Some of these brands come in many varieties—raw, organic, senior, grain-free, vegetarian, weight and allergy control to name a few.

Meals: Ideally, two meals a day. If your schedule doesn’t permit, then feed your dog in the morning so that he can burn those calories during the day when he is active. Avoid feeding him late at night.

Ban Free-feeding: No dog should be free-fed! I know this may sound “cruel” for those who spend long hours at work and on commute; and the thought of your precious companion with empty stomach for 12 hours may make you feel guilty or irresponsible. Trust me, your dog will still have the energy to jump on you at the front door and probably begging you to take him for a walk.

Treats: One or two tiny commercial treats a day won’t do any harm. If you want to give more, choose healthier alternatives like vegetables and fruits (do not overfeed those fruits with high level of sugar content). This goes to table scrap, but this can only be given in certain occasions like Christmas and Halloween.

Daily Exercise: If our dogs have no outlet to burn those calories, overtime those calories will turn to fats. Depend on the breed of your dog, mini and small dogs can get enough exercise just romping around the house. To know what suitable activity and exercise your dog needs is all explained here. The important key here is daily or at least alternate days exercise routine. Weekend exercise warriorlike regime will only put too much stress on your dog’s physique in turn doing more damages than be of any benefit at all.

Regular Vet Visit: I will leave this option open as it may not be feasible for some with very tight budget. However, I came across a few veterinary clinics in some suburban areas that offer free weight management program for pets—service includes weighing, body assessment, graphing the result on a computer but no consultation. It would be great if you can find one veterinary clinic that offers these free services and make it a regular visit.

To give you an ideal of how to track your dog’s progress in maintaining his ideal weight especially after the weight loss program, here is a sample of a daily weight management/maintenance log.

Once you begin to record his daily lifestyle on the log for about a month and managed to keep the weight off for good, you need not do so every month. Because the lifestyle (i.e. eating, exercise) has become a choice decision and in very rare case, you will fall back to old unhealthy habits. The only thing is just keep doing the Body Condition Scoring (BCS) once every month/quarter/semi-annually.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs

Probably it’s not wise to rain on your parade before you embark on your dog’s weight management journey but let’s face it, it’s never an easy task to lose weight. To be more specific, implementing the steps needed to lose weight is never easy. Just look at our yearly weight lose resolutions!

Similarly to canine weight management, there will be times you failed one or more of these suggested steps. The idea is not to give up no matter how many setbacks. Having said, the success rate of your dog’s weight lose program will dramatically increase if you set realistic goals and make it a team effort by engaging family members and friends into helping your dog to lose weight. Also, there are many veterinary clinics that run weight management program for pets which I highly recommend as a great way to start. But if you prefer to work alone here are some tips:

Dog Weight Loss Program

Vet Visit: Your overweight dog should have a veterinary examination and tests performed to rule out endocrine or metabolic disorders first before commencing treatment or a weight loss program that should involve the whole family.

Set Goals: Not only on the weight needed to come off but factor in your dog’s exercise/activity routine, choice of diet, the number of feedings given, weight lose supplements, if any. These things need to be planned out before the program starts not plan as you go along. The latter usually fails. To succeed in your quest, it is best to have a log to keep track on the weight. Download a sample of weight management log here.

Diet: Decide on a dietary regime that your dog will be on. Regular dry, homemade meals, weight loss or prescribed diets. One of the reasons why dogs couldn’t lose weight is that owners keep switching diet back and forth when they don’t see any significant result. Be patient as it can take months for your dog to lose all those pounds gained over the years. See below on how much weight should come off per week.

A Note on Dog Food Weight Loss: There are numerous dog food for weight loss in pet stores. Many contain natural ingredients for effective weight loss, the difference is the taste. Some dogs are finicky eaters, slight alternation of the taste will put them off and need to be coaxed into eating. Wellness CORE Reduced Fat Grain-Free Canine Diet, Innova EVO Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food, and California Natural Reduced Calorie Dry Dog Food seem to be more agreeable for my clients’ overweight dogs.

Ban Free-feeding: No dog should be free-fed. Free-feeding, by itself, is not a “deadly” tool as many pet parents can attest that. The problem is when we try to help our dog to lose weight we aren’t helping them to restrain and control over food even if the portion is calculated. Besides there many physiological and behavioral disadvantages when we allow free feeding and I won’t do this post justice if I ramble on the list. Maybe in a dedicated post in future.

No Access to Trash Can: Self explanatory. Hungry, domesticated, obese dogs will turn into scavenger dogs in a matter of hours or maybe minutes. Make sure your dog have no access to any area where foods are kept. Lock your fridge or oven or dishwasher if you must.

No Treats: All treats and table scraps should be eliminated. Instead, substitute these with healthier alternatives like fruits and vegetables.

Reduce Intake: This isn’t rocket science. Obese dogs need to eat less. Having said, you have to make sure that reduced amount of food given meets the requirement for his daily activities and sufficient enough to help to keep the weight off.

More Small Meals: We will need to control the calorie intake by feeding the right amount in multiple small meals. “Lite” or weight loss diets may also be used. These are also special prescription diets available, which can only be prescribed by a vet (usually very pricey and some are awful tasting, be warned!). Giving small and more frequent meals a day make him feels full during the day so that he is least likely to scavenge.

One Meal Policy: Of course it would be better to provide two to three small meals a day, but if this doesn’t fit into your schedule then it’s a good ideal to feed your dog in the morning so that he can burn off the food during the day when he is more active. Feeding one large meal at nighttime makes the dog more sluggish in turn the food is being stored as fat rather than burning up the energy.

More Fiber: If your dog is on commercial dog food like kibbles, be it lite or regular, what you could do is to add more fiber into his meal. Almost all vegetables are low in calories, so by adding more fiber to the reduced portion it’ll easy fill his stomach and at the same time it fools your dog into thinking that he isn’t deprived of food. Furthermore, eating crunchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, semi-cooked carrot or celery forces your dog to chew his food more in turn slow down his eating time.

Exercise: Exercise is by far the most important key ingredient in any weight loss and prevention program in my opinion. It not only helps to burn excess fat but also encourages bonding between you and your dog. This may involve increasing the frequency or duration of walks, going to a dog run or dog park, jogging, or swimming (a good aerobic workout without her having to bear any weight).

Go Slow: Start slow when it comes to exercising as overexertion can place extra strain on your dog’s already stressed cardiac, respiratory, and musculoskeletal system. As your dog adapts better, the amount and intensity of the exercise can be gradually increased. Remember to exercise your dog daily. Don’t become a weekend exercise warriorlike!

Dog Weight Loss Supplements: There are many “diet pills” for obese dogs these days, however, not many scientific studies are done to look into the safety and effectiveness of natural weight loss supplements, so you have to be cautious when purchasing such products. It is best to consult a vet when in doubt. If you decided to go this route once your vet gives you green light, stick with the above regime otherwise the weight will not come off easily. A few safe and effective recommendations are: SlenderPet, Vermont K-9 Slim Down & Slim Down Plus, and Bio Zyme (not exactly diet pills per se).

How Soon Will You See Result?

For very obese dogs, you will notice significant result within a matter of days. Keep in mind, your initial goal is to keep your dog’s weight off on a consistent basic. You won’t want your dog on a yo-yo dieting program. The general rule in weight reduction for dogs is between 2 – 2.5% of his current weight per week. For older dogs, no more than 2%. For example, a small adult dog weighing 15lbs, he should lose about 0.3 – 0.375 pounds for that week. Doesn’t look impressive, but this is the healthiest and safest way for dogs to lose those extra pounds.

How Long Does It Take To Lose All Those Weight?

As to how long or fast you will see the final result, you will have to use the above guideline and count back the time frame needed to attain his ideal weight. Suppose your dog need to lose 6lbs to regain his original weight of 10lbs, the calculation would look like this:

• 1st week: 16 x 2.5% = 0.4
• 2nd week: 15.6 x 2.5% = 0.39
• 3rd week: 15.21 x 2.5% = 0.38
• 4th week: 14.83 x 2.5%= 0.37

Average weight lost per week is about 0.385, so roughly that would take about 13 to 15 weeks to lose that 6lbs. Realistic goal and easily attainable, huh?

The basic of weight reduction involves reducing the calorie intake and exercise. The rest of the steps mentioned above is to make the weight lost program more effective and easier.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs

Assessing slightly overweight dog base on look, however, can be very tricky especially breeds with furry coats like Bichon Frise, Collies, or Pekingese as their luscious coat may conceal their excess fresh underneath it.

Two Methods of Recognizing Canine Obesity

The first step in effectively managing obesity is to recognize and acknowledge the problem. There are two ways of assessing your dog weight. One is by weighing your dog using a bathroom scale. Unlike small breeds that can stand on the bathroom scale, for larger dogs you’ll have to subtract your weight from the combined weight figure to determine your dog’s weigh. If yours is a purebred dog, the breed standards can give a clear indication of what is considered to be the ideal weight. For mixed or designer breeds, you still be able to gain an approximate idea by comparing his weight with that of a purebred dog of similar size and height. The second method is to do a physical examination—the look and feel method.

Look and Feel Obesity Assessment

A healthy dog body should look as if it is in proportion. The normal distribution of fat on a dog’s body includes a thin layer under the skin, other layers between the muscles of abdominal wall, and some deposits in the abdomen.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

Top View

• Does my dog have a visible indention (waist) behind his ribs?
• How easy is it to feel my dog’s ribs and spine?
• Does my dog’s tail look and feel thick?

Side View

• Does my dog have a slight tuck-up-belly between the ribcage and hindquarters?
• Does my dog have a large or wobbly belly?

If your dog does not have a discernible waist, has a large rounded belly, tail looks and feel thick, and you are unable to feel its ribs or spine, your dog is probably obese! Keep in mind that some fit, smooth-coated breeds you probably won’t notice the ribs but nevertheless they should be easily felt; a fat layer of more than 0.5cm over the ribs suggest the start of obesity.

The best way to detect obesity in your dog is to weigh your dog and observe his figure. This method is refer as Body Condition Scoring (BSC).

Preventing obesity is the single most crucial thing you can do to prolong the life of your dog.

If your dog is not overweight but want to know how fit he is, here (coming soon) is the dog fitness assessment chart.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs

Breed/Genetic Susceptibility: Among the smaller breed dogs, Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Pugs, Miniature Schnauzers, and Shetland Sheepdogs are most likely to be obese. The larger breeds are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Collies. Some dogs, regardless of breed, only live to eat which can be difficult to deal with without close supervision.

Sterilization: Let me be clear on this, sterilization does not cause obesity. Weight gain usually occurs after sexual maturity, when spaying is done. Having said, sterilization does increase the chances of obesity because of certain hormonal changes that occur after sterilization as well as a decrease in the metabolic rate by 20 to 25%. Furthermore, the dog’s activity level decreases after sterilization while his food/calorie intake remains the same. Spaying or neutering our dogs, however, is strongly encouraged as the health benefits outweigh the disadvantage. It’s our responsibility to maintain the weight of our sterilized dog through proper diet and exercise.

Hormonal Abnormalities: Endocrine diseases like Hypothyroidism (thyroid gland doesn’t produce sufficient hormones) and Hyperadrenocortism a.k.a Cushing’s Disease (too much adrenal hormone is produced) may result in obesity.

Age: Obesity tends to be a problem of middle-aged and senior dogs as their metabolic system slows down where they can’t convert food into energy as quickly as they were younger. Generally, senior dogs only require about 25 to 30% less calories than young adult dogs. To calculate the calories intake for your dog use the chart here. In addition to slower metabolism, dogs also become less active as they age hence his total daily energy needs to decrease.

Activities: Another possible factor, but not an excuse, is the increase in demands on pet owners’ time from work or family responsibilities which makes it more challenging for them to exercise their dog adequately. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but these factors should be weighed in before you consider getting a dog—part and parcel of being a responsible dog owner.

Diet: Nutrition and palatability are important factors that are heavily marketed in commercial dog food and treats. I suppose it’s natural we feel better as pet parents that the food our dog eat is both delicious and provides some inherent health benefits. However, too much of a good thing kills. Feeding a highly palatable and nutritional diet may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity if your dog overeats. Another possibility is feeding impromptu and irregular or constant (free-feeding) meals and too much of the wrong kind of food, such as table scraps or treats and coupled with having too little exercise, idleness, nervousness, and stress can also lead to obesity.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs

Obese Dogs Are Unhappy Dogs

Destructive Behavior: Obesity doesn’t cause destructive behavior instead it will result in an unhappy dog. Unhappy dogs are likely to express their pent-up emotions through destructive behaviors such as chewing our belongings and ransack our garbage for more food.

Toileting Hazards: What goes in must come out. So naturally, obese dogs will produce more waste. Having to make frequent toilet trips can put a lot of strain on their joints. As a way of releasing frustration and anxiety, obese dogs tend to have more accidents around the house.

Compulsive and Aggressive Behaviors: Since eating is their primary source of activity, obese dogs are constantly guarding their food or anyone’s. Sometimes this behavior can turn very aggressive and may in turn hurting other human beings or animals.

Excessive Sleeping: With more food in the digestive tract, evidently it requires more energy to digest the food hence making these overweight dogs more lethargic and sleepy. Having the right amount of sleep helps to release stress and anxiety however too much of it can result in fewer calories burn a day. With less calories burnt more fats are stored therefore an increase probability of greater obesity.

Non-active and Anti-social Behavior: Since most of the time are spent eating and sleeping, there’s little motivation for obese dogs to want to do any other thing else let alone play and socialize. Even if the dog wants to play or just hang around in the dog park, his physical conditions may not allow him to do. Over time, he gradually withdrew himself from all forms of activities and socialization as a result he may become more destructive and antisocial.

Although dogs aren’t obsess of their overweight image like we do, but it does reflect how irresponsible we are as pet owners.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs

What Is Dog Obesity?

Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation amount of fats in the body stored in different places and organs. In addition, obesity in dogs is an increase in weight to an amount considered for that breed to be above normal for his age and height which his normal body function is impaired.

Canine obesity is a problem that develops gradually, many pet owners often do not notice on a daily basis until the dog is utterly overweight. Being overweight is the prelude to obesity.

Obesity in adult dogs is mainly due to overfeeding, eating treats and table scraps between meals, inadequate exercise, failing to reduce calorie intake as adolescent dogs outgrown their puppy hood. For sterilized, hormonal imbalance, and senior dogs, it’s a slightly different scenario as I explain in further details here.

What Are The Health Implications In Dog Obesity?

As in humans, obesity is also associated with many health risks. There are a number of diseases and conditions that have been linked with dog obesity. These include:

• Heart disease and heart failure e.g. respiratory difficulties
• Musculoskeletal problems e.g. osteoarthritis, lameness, cruciate ligament ruptures
• Skin disease/cancer
• Reproductive problems e.g. prolonged or difficult labor
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Poor immunity, susceptibility to other diseases
• Heat and exercise intolerance
• Reduce life expectancy
• Reduce liver function
• Poor digestion e.g. flatulence
• Anesthetic and surgical complications

Overweight dogs are usually in a pre-diabetic state, so it’s best to do a check on urine samples. If evidence shows of glucose leaking from the kidney into the urine, then your dog will be treated as such. For some overweight and spayed bitches may get urine scalding of the vulva and the skin around it.

Aging obese dogs are also prone to develop lipomas—a tumor consisting of fatty tissue laying underneath the skin. Lipoma is usually benign, removing the tumor is not necessarily unless it becomes painful and restricts movements. If surgery is required, your obese aging dog will face another dilemma—anesthetic complication.

Now we know about the health risks in obesity, next I will cover the undesirable dog behaviors of being overweight.

Series Posts on Dog Obesity:

1. Dog Obesity: What Are The Health Risks?
2. Behavioral Consequences Of An Overweight Dog
3. What Causes Obesity In Dogs
4. Dog Obesity Assessment
5. Weight Lose Program For dogs
6. Dog Obesity: Prevention and Maintenance Programs