Health care of dogs
OTHER HEALTH RELATED ARTICLES
DOG OBESITY
Obesity is defined as a condition of excessive energy storage in the form of adipose tissues to the degree that it results in adverse effect on the health and life of the individual (National institute of health consensus, 1985).
Obesity is said to occur when an individual's weight exceed its optimal weight for breed, sex or age by 15 percent (Hompt and Smith, 1981). The prevalence of obesity lies between 15 and 40 percent in dogs and is thought to be approximately nine percent in cats.
DOG OBESITY is seen more frequently in females and neutered animals. It is more common in geriatric pets as there is a tendency for lean muscle mass to fall and adipose tissue to accumulate with age.
Dogs that are fed home cooked meals;
snacks and table scraps have greater tendency to be overweight than those
on an exclusive diet of commercial pet foods.
Assessment of degree of DOG obesity
The assessment of DOG obesity can be difficult and various methods have been adopted in the past. Comparison of the pet's present weight for the breed, age and sex of the pet concerned is an important method.
Assessment of body fat on physical examination has also been used to detect obesity. The loss of "hour glass appearance" when viewed from above, together with increased fat deposits at the tail hard in dogs and inguinal region n in cats are use full parameters. In addition, the ability to see and feel the ribs may also indicate the presence of obesity .
Ultrasound can reliably measure the amount of fat under the skin from which an estimate of the total body fat can be made. The role of genetic factors is more difficult to assess, as it seems to be present in certain family lines.
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OTHER HEALTH RELATED ARTICLES
Blood Values to assess pet's health