Obesity is a serious welfare issue in pets because it can cause suffering and can be extremely disabling. It’s also likely to affect your pet’s ability to perform natural behaviours (e.g. exercise normally).
Pet obesity can also cause serious health problems and make existing problems worse, which can reduce the length and quality of your pet’s life. Conditions such as:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Respiratory diseases & distress
- High blood pressure
- Cancers
- Arthritis
- Mobility issues
Several factors make obesity more likely in pets - e.g. for dogs:
- Breed – certain breeds have a higher risk.
- Age – the risk increases with age.
- Neuter status – neutered dogs are more at risk.
- Sex – apart from older dogs, obesity is reported to be more common in females.
- Owner – obese owners may be more likely to have obese dogs, perhaps because they are less likely to exercise their dog, or less able to recognise obesity.
Obesity can affect all types of pets, and the main cause is from eating too much, nutritional content of food not good enough or not exercising enough. However, some diseases can cause obesity so its important to talk to your vet.
Contact us now if you think your pet might be at risk and our team will refer your pet to the weight management clinic - call us on 02893 322223