Insufficient feeding, resulting in insufficient energy, weight loss and hunger. Overfeeding leads to excess energy, weight gain and obesity. Deficiency disorders, caused by a lack of certain components of the diet. Toxicity, caused by excess of a particular ingredient, such as a certain vitamin or a certain mineral.

Norfolk Terrier

1. Rickets (Rickets) is vitamin D deficiency. Dogs can't use calcium properly, and their bones become weak and curved, and their joints swell. It is seen in dogs that are growing rapidly but do not receive nutritional supplements in their diet.

2. Osteoporosis is caused by a diet low in calcium and high in phosphorus. The bones are normal in appearance, but fragile and breakable.

Hypertrophic skeletal dystrophy (osteoscurvy):

A strange disease, especially in tall dogs. Scurvy can cause pain and swelling around the growth plates of long bones. It is generally believed that this disease is caused by vitamin C deficiency caused by rapid growth and excessive vitamin D supplementation.

How to treat:

A proper diet can prevent these diseases, but if you suspect the above in your dog. The guidance of a veterinarian, who may administer intravenous vitamins or a special diet, should be sought.

Obesity:

The normal distribution of body fat in dogs includes: a thin layer of fat under the skin, a layer of fat between the abdominal wall muscles, and abdominal fat deposits.

Unless diseased, breeds with smooth fur may not have visible ribs, but are easily palpable. A layer of fat over 5 mm above the ribs indicates obesity. Don't let your dog get too fat, because being overweight can easily cause osteoarthritis, make veterinary examinations more difficult, increase the dose of anesthesia and the risk of surgery.

Treatment of obesity:

The only way to treat an overweight dog is to reduce feeding. Increase the amount of exercise, but that doesn't completely solve the problem. In addition, the following principles still need to be followed: do not eat biscuits, do not eat fat, replace whole-meat canned diet with a diet canned diet, use wheat bran as food for hunger, use cooked vegetables as food for hunger, try (diet diet) canned food (from veterinarian), use a therapeutic multivitamin for dogs on a restricted diet.