Is Your Dog Overweight?
Being overweight is a massive issue right now for people and it can affect dogs too. We are now living much more sedentary lives and with less exercise it is increasing likely we will put on more weight.
The best way to combat this issue is to identify it early and ward it off from the start. It is much more difficult to lose weight further down the line. So if you see any of the following signs, it’s time to take some loving action!
- Ribs – You should be able to feel the ribs with a tender touch. It should not be so that you can actually see the rib cage, as that is another issues. But you should with a gentle feel be able to touch the ribs and feel the whole area. If not that is a tell tale sign of putting on too much weight.
- Figure – The dog’s body should have a defined figure and outline. You should be able to see clear definition of the stomach, waist and chest area. If they are looking like a sausage then it is time for a well needed work out!
- Tummy – Just like us, check their tummies, it should be tucked in nicely. If they are carrying a few extra holiday pounds then they will need to walk it off soon.
- Limb movement – They should be able to scratch and groom themselves and if showing difficulty in these basic tasks it may be a sign they are overweight and not able to reach anymore due to the fat.
- Breathing – Keep a check of their breathing, are they out of breath a lot quicker, not able to last as long in their walks and exercise?
- Moving around – If they have put on weight they will have some difficulty in their mobility and getting around. Maybe not as active as before, and preferring to just sit, no longer climbing up the furniture like they used and so on. These are all signs of limited mobility, which can be caused by being over weight.
So keep an eye out for these signs and look to tackle the problem as soon as you can. You do not want to delay taking action till it becomes extremely difficult.
