Pet Obesity
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 53% of adult dogs and 55% of adult cats are overweight or obese. National Pet Wellness Month is October and National Pet Obesity Awareness Day is October 1.
Obese dogs can build fitness and lose weight as a result of exercise in a hydrotherapy pool without putting excessive weight on their joints. Hydrotherapy may be used as part of a general fitness routine for dogs.
Our dogs are quickly following in the footsteps of their human companions in consuming a junk food diet. It is estimated that around 30% of dogs in the United States are obese. There is no strange coincidence that overweight people own obese dogs while healthy fit people own slim healthy dogs. The old adage of you are what you eat holds true for dogs as well.
In Australia, obesity “is their most common nutritional disease.” Obese dogs and cats have a higher incidence of arthritis and heart disease. In fact, fatness to the point of health impairment is enough of a concern that Pfizer developed and got Food and Drug Administration approval for a drug (Slentrol) to treat canine and feline obesity.
Mitratapide is a veterinary drug for the treatment of overweight and obese dogs sold under the brand name Yarvitan. Its mechanism of action involves inhibition of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) which is responsible for the absorption of dietary lipids. Clinical study also suggests that mitratapide may help to reverse insulin resistance in dogs.
One of the small number of studies that addresses causes is “Prevalence of obese dogs taking part in a population of dogs with cancer,” in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. It shows that dogs that had a history of corticosteroid consumption (corticosteroid drugs include prednisone, hydrocortisone, and triamcinolone) had increased rates of cancer, and those dogs were fatter from the steroid use. After the corticosteroid dogs were separated out, the left over dogs with cancer had a reduced incidence of excess weight.
Dog food dispensers can be programmed to dispense a controlled amount of food at certain times of day. Controlled portions eliminate the possibility of the pet accessing too much food. We are becoming increasing aware of the dangers of pet obesity and the attendant health problems associated with obesity. There is no danger of your pet accessing too much food when the machine is programmed to dispense only a controlled amount of pet food at the appropriate time of day, resulting in your pet eating the perfect portion for his weight and size.
Housepets, particularly dogs and cats in industrialized societies, are also highly susceptible to obesity. Overweight pets have been shown to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes, liver problems, joint pain, kidney failure, and cancer. Lack of exercise and high caloric diets are considered to be the primary contributors to pet obesity. Let’s help our dogs get the proper exercise and nutrition, so they can be with us for many more years to come.
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