Dogs are greedy beggars who sometimes eat whatever they can get their paws on. Many owners live with the impression that overfeeding a dog makes it happy.
This can be true, up to a certain point. Most dogs are prone to obesity and gain weight in a rapid rhythm. This not only isn’t good for their well-being but is very bad for their health.
Obesity is one of the most common nutritional disorders found in veterinary practices. It usually accompanies diabetes, pancreatitis, and joint and heart disease.
So, not only overfeeding a dog is not good for their bodies, but it actually shortens their lifespan.
The Negative Effects of Obesity
Gaining weight, up to the point of obesity, means fat tissue is accumulating in your dog’s body and around its internal organs.
Adipose tissue, by its other name, cushions and protects the internal organs. It stores unused calories from food until the body needs it for energy.
It also produces and releases leptin, a hormone that prevents the dog from feeling hungry until its body needs to get more energy from food.
Fat has multiple negative effects on the body: first, are the mechanical effects. Fatty tissue accumulates on the body surface and impairs movement up to the point where the dog moves with difficulty.
Many obese dogs suffer from consecutive arthritis and other joint problems caused by weight and inability to move.
Fat tends to accumulate around the internal organs: the heart cannot work properly if covered by fat. Fat deposits also impair blood vessels. This condition is known as atherosclerosis and dogs suffer from it just like humans do.
The negative effects of fat continue in the blood as well: the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol increase, thus leading to consecutive heart disease. All hematological markers are modified by obesity: changes can be seen in complete blood count, serum insulin, and inflammatory markers.
In obese dogs, cardiac remodeling was observed, with the thickening of the left ventricular wall, next to hypertension and diastolic dysfunction. Weight loss improves all these conditions, along with the improvement of blood markers.
Obesity is cancer-related, as well. Excess adipose tissue secretes adipokines; these cause damage and maintain an inflammatory status, by increasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Furthermore, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation occur, promoting tumor development, from which most are malignant.
Assessing The Perfect Body Condition
Depending on size and breed, it’s pretty easy to tell if your dog is overweight.
The most used tool is the BCS or the Body Condition Scoring. This is similar to the human BMI or Body Mass Index.
Although subjective, the BCS uses two scales: one ranging from 1-5 and another from 1-9. The last one identifies subtler changes in the animal’s weight and body condition and is used by most veterinarians.
Regardless of which one of the two scales is used, it’s best to reference the highest number on the scale. A dog with a BCS of 5 is obese on the 1-5 scale and has the ideal weight on the 1-9 scale.
The 1-5 BCS scale:
| 1-5 BCS Score | 1-5 BCS Status |
|---|---|
| 1/5 | Very thin |
| 2/5 | Underweight |
| 3/5 | Ideal weight |
| 4/5 | Overweight |
| 5/5 | Obese |
The 1-9 BCS scale:
| 1-9 BCS Score | 1-9 BCS Status |
|---|---|
| 1/9 | Emaciated |
| 2/9 | Very thin |
| 3/9 | Thin |
| 4-5/9 | Ideal weight |
| 6/9 | Overweight |
| 7/9 | Heavy |
| 8/9 | Obese |
| 9/9 | Severely obese |
The BCS score is used by two methods: visual inspection and palpation. This means the dog must be carefully viewed and palpated. A dog’s ribs with an ideal or almost ideal body score can be easily palpated and felt through the thoracal wall and its waistline is contoured.
Another way to assess your dog’s body condition is by simply weighing it and cross-referencing the result with the breed’s standards. Is your dog closer to the lower weight value or the highest?
Routine vet check-ups are another way to assess it’s weight gain. In some dogs, gaining a few pounds isn’t very visible to an owner who sees its animal daily. But your trusted veterinarian will be able to tell you immediately if your dog is getting fatter.
Signs Of Your Dog Being Overweight
In small dogs, weight gain is more obvious in their abdominal area, especially on the sides. The waistline disappears and many dogs look like toads, because of the abdomen enlargement. The abdomen is saggy, and in small dogs, it can almost reach the ground.
In very obese dogs, the chest and neck area are covered with fat rolls, which don’t allow normal breathing, if you didn’t know by now. That’s the reason the dog is excessively panting and heavy breathing. Rib palpation is almost impossible in these dogs.
Weight gain isn’t so obvious in the first months in medium and large-size dogs. They tend to accumulate fat more slowly, starting from inside the abdomen and continuing to the torso and neck.
If your dog looks like a barrel viewed from the side and above, it means it’s time to search for professional help.
Mind The Food Amount
Obesity is more common in dogs that receive too many treats and don’t exercise enough. Neutered dogs are always prone to weight gain.
As a responsible owner, the first question you’ll need to ask yourself is how much food your dog needs daily. The daily food intake is always written on the package, calculated per size and weight. Obese dogs always need a lower (than standard) daily food intake.
Add the number of treats your dog eats, which don’t have to exceed 10% of the total daily calories necessary.
Note: Recognizing your guilt in the process of the dog weight gain may not seem easy, but you need to understand you and the rest of the family members are the main pawns. When you adopt a new family member, you take responsibility for your dog and its health and it’s up to you to help it through this difficult moment.
