Obesity is a hyperlipidemia nutritional disorder that is prone to occur in dogs and cats. At present, the incidence of this pet disease is increasing. If it is not controlled as soon as possible, it is likely to become the number one killer of pets' health in a few years.
According to international standards, dogs and cats are generally considered obese when they exceed 10% to 15% of their normal body weight. It is manifested as thickening of the subcutaneous fat layer, especially under the abdomen and on both sides of the body, plump and round body, swaying walking, unresponsiveness, and reluctance to move. Due to the differences in breeds, age, gender, nutrition and management conditions, it is often difficult for owners to identify whether their pets are overweight or obese. Therefore, in order to detect the symptoms in time, experts have summarized some simple and intuitive Judgment method: For example, you can touch the ribs of dogs and cats with your hands. If there is no distinct layering, or you can't touch them at all, it is an obvious manifestation of obesity; you can also stand behind the dog and press your thumbs on it. Put the other fingers on the ribs, slide your hands back and forth, if you feel the fat layer on the edge of the ribs, and there is obvious fat accumulation in the groove, it means that your pet has suffered from obesity.
Obesity can be harmful to pets. Such as excessive or decreased appetite, heat intolerance, easy fatigue, reduced flexibility, sluggishness or sleepiness, and easy to lose affinity with the owner; obese dogs and cats are prone to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, intervertebral disc herniation, fractures And other diseases of respiratory system, urinary system and endocrine system.
The causes of pet obesity are varied, but generally nothing more than the following aspects:
1. Obesity is related to breed, age and gender. Generally speaking, the probability of obesity in dogs and elderly cats over 10 years is about 60%, and there are more female dogs and cats than male dogs and cats; pugDogs, Beagles, Dachshunds, Labradors Retreat and Shorthair cats are all breeds that are prone to obesity.
2. Genetic factors. Dogs and cats with obese parents tend to have obese children.
3. Castration of male dogs and cats, castration of female dogs and cats, and certain diseases such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, pituitary tumors, hypothalamus damage, etc. may also cause appetite in dogs and cats Hyperactivity and lethargy, leading to gradual weight gain and obesity.
4. Obesity caused by lifestyle, which is also the main reason for pet obesity. Such as spoiling pets too much in terms of appetite, giving foods with extremely high calories such as cream cakes and too fine foods, and uncontrolled time and food intake; very little daily activity, not developing good dog walking and cat teasing Habits make pets in a state of gluttony and sleepiness for a long time, addicted to heat and afraid of cold.
To prevent and treat pet obesity, it is necessary to take comprehensive measures to achieve the dual purpose of weight loss and health care. First of all, it is necessary to strengthen feeding management and correct unreasonable lifestyles. In terms of appetite, you need to change your diet and feed more foods that are low in fat and high in fiber. At the same time, it should be fed regularly and quantitatively. The daily food intake is divided into 3-4 times, and no other snacks are usually fed. For obese dogs and cats, the food intake should be reduced, and the dogs should only be fed 60% of their normal food intake. Only feed 65% of your normal food intake. Second, increase the amount of exercise, accelerate calorie consumption, and reduce fat synthesis. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the prevention and treatment of endocrine system diseases that may cause pet obesity. Especially to prevent hypothyroidism, hyperadrenalism, diabetes, pancreatitis and other diseases.
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