The Dangers of Canine Obesity

Dogs can suffer from the same things as their owners, this great guest post will help you if your dog loves their food a little too much!

A Guest Post by VetDepot

As a loving and responsible dog owner, it’s hard not to spoil that sweet pup of yours.  However, it’s important to not let those extra treats and table scraps lead to too many extra pounds. Unfortunately, canine obesity is all too common and contributes to numerous health risks including heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Prevention is your best bet when it comes to avoiding the health complications associated with obesity, but steps can be taken  to achieve a healthy weight if your pooch does manage to pack on a few extra pounds.

Causes of Canine Obesity:

Just like people, dogs become overweight when their energy intake exceeds their energy expenditure. The excess energy, or calories, is stored as fat. Sometimes, a medical condition may be to blame for your dog's weight gain. Consult your veterinarian if your dog eats well, is physically active, and is still putting on weight. The underlying cause of your dog's obesity might be hypothyroidism, insulinoma, hyperadrenocorticism, or another condition. Treating these diseases with the correct pet medications as prescribed by your veterinarian may help your dog get back to an ideal weight.

Treating Canine Obesity:

If you have concerns about your dog’s weight, visit your veterinarian for a full physical examination and weight assessment. Your veterinarian can determine whether your dog is overweight by feeling for his backbone and ribs. In overweight dogs, the waist is not defined and a layer fat covers the backbone and ribs.

If your dog is overweight or obese, your veterinarian will work with you to develop a diet and exercise plan to improve your pet's health. Dietary changes may involve increasing the amount of fiber in your dog's diet, cutting down on portion sizes, and eliminating or reducing treats. If your dog suffers from diabetes or another health condition, more intensive dietary modifications may be necessary. Regular exercise is essential to burn calories. If your dog isn’t used to too much exercise, a gradual increase in activity is important to prevent injury. Dogs with arthritis may need some assistance in becoming more active.

In addition to changes in diet and activity level, any successful weight management program for dogs involves changes in the owner’s behavior too. Your dog did not become obese on his own, and you will need to modify your own behavior to ensure your pet's weight loss efforts are successful. Begin by removing your pet from the dining room when your family eats dinner, and resist the urge to offer frequent snacks and treats to your dog. Acknowledge your dog’s good behavior with non-edible rewards, such as playing or petting. It’s also important to keep all of your dog's veterinary appointments and work closely with your vet to ensure weight loss success for your canine companion!

Second Day of 2011

Well on the second day of this brand new year, things are looking pretty much the same as the first day of the new year. The weather is warm, but not too warm and there's a gentler breeze than we had yesterday.

Yesterday the wind was quite strong. I prefer days like today where the few clouds in the sky drift past overhead, and the branches are waving slowly with the wind. Yesterday I was feeling a little sneezy too, but not today. I'm grateful for that.

I'm lucky that I don't suffer much from hay fever, unlike some other people in my family, including my mother and my husband. I've seen their suffering, and I remember times when I've been a sufferer too, and I hope I can keep that affliction at bay.

All right, so today is a lovely day. I've done my exercise for the day, nearly up to the half and hour one of my medical advisers said I should be doing. Not, they didn't use the word 'should' - that's a nasty word - they recommended I aim for thirty minutes a day, for the best results.

'Should' is a blaming kind of word and is not at all useful to a person, it just makes them feel worse about not doing things. 'It would be good if...' is a much more empowering way of saying something, whether to yourself or to others. It's these kind of things that can break us or make us.

Now, a little about the day happeneing where I am right now - our male pharaoh hound, Lah De is finally quiet - he's been whingeing  near our schnauzer Nena for days now - Nena is in season and from the way she's been acting and he's been reacting, she's very close to or just past ovulation. She been acting like a tart  and he's been acting like a wannabee stud.

Of course, as responsible dog owners, we're keeping her locked up where he can only sit near and whine. It can be annoying when Nature intrudes on a quiet home life, but that's the thing about having dogs - they are sooo close to Nature, they can't help but show what they're feeling!

I think the whole thing is silly, but hubby has got a little annoyed with the poor dog. I figure poor Lah De can't help himself and we, as the superior species, should remain calm and loving to the dogs. Of course, Lah De has been a little confused and looked with intent at his sister Missy, who isn't in season. She showed her brother her teeth and yelled at him. He's leaving her alone now.

That's it for now. If you have any thoughts about my crazy dogs, please, leave a comment. I love to connect with others!

Multiple Sclerosis and Wii Fit

It’s well past time for a new post here. It won’t be so dog focussed, although a dog will be mentioned in passing. It will be mostly about me, Hey, it’s my blog!

I’ve just begun a new exercise program. I’ve exercised in the past, every now and then, but with no real compelling for it other than maybe losing a bit of weight and toning up a bit. But in February a health scare and subsequent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, had focussed me on exercising to maintain what I have and helping me to stay mobile.

I now go to exercise classes once a week, put on by the MS Society, where I’ve met other people who also have MS and are dealing with it by keeping moving as much as they can.

It is inspiring and encouraging to meet up with people who completely know what I am going through, because they are already dealing with the same thing. Nothing beats finding others who are completely understanding. If I go and sit down during class, everyone knows it’s because I have to, not because I’m too unfit or too lazy.

So, with the combination of once a week classes, and Wii Fit at least twice a week, preferably more often, I will get fitter, and keep going. I need the strength to wrestle with Missy, our youngest pharaoh hound.

Missy has had gunky eyes for a while, and we took her to the vet on Friday last week. We now have a medication to put in Missy’s eyes twice a day. This involves Jake and I wrestling with her – one person tries to hold her down, the other administers a drop in each eye.

This can be simple, if the dog lets you do it. It can be quite challenging if they don’t! It’s all good fun, and it’s a tiny bit of a workout for the three of us. Missy gets a treat and lots of pats, and her eyes are looking much healthier!

Keeping on track of your health and the health of those you love is such an important thing.

All is calm in our household

Yesterday Jake stayed home from school - he had a big weekend away and needed a rest. The dogs didn't catch and eat the mouse that was mucking around near the TV or in the kitchen.

I spent my time shifting dogs and hanging out and bringing in the washing. Nobody dragged any washing off the line, so it all is now clean, waiting for me to put it away in the wardrobe/drawers.

Today, no washing, just putting away. I need to decide what's for tea, and remember to get it out of the freezer.

Kharis at the moment is on the sofa, and he looks like he might stay there for quite some time. If the mice are still in the kitchen or near the TV I don't think Kharis cares.

What other dog news do I have? Nothing much really. One of the people up the street was walking some of her dogs yesterday. That reminds me that I should walk our dogs. It would be good for my health, good for the dogs and so on. I know that it just isn't going to happen.

The only jobs I absolutely have to do today apart from sorting tea out, are to get writing things underway, if not finished. I have to guard against the internet, the biggest time stealer in my life at the moment. You know you're spending too much time on the internet when your cup of coffee goes cold before you finish it!

I've got to put La De and Nena outside next, check they have water out there, water some plants if they need it. The weather has turned cool, which is a pleasant change after the summer weather we've had. I don't know if it will rain today, but we had 3mm yesterday. I love it when it rains, as long as I don't have to go out in it!