My dog gets walked twice a day. He needs his daily walk to do his business. Apart from doing his business, he also needs his daily exercise so that his weight does not increase. We have to watch his weight more so now as he has been neutered. The dogs weight tends to spiral after neutering or spaying.
It is during these walks that I see some dogs that are overweight. Dogs that do not get their much needed exercise. Why? Because owners don't spend time with their pets. They let their maids take the dogs out not realizing that the maids just atke it down the road, stop and talk with their friends for 20 minutes, then walk back home. The owners think that their dog have gotten their walks, while is is far from the truth. Now not all maids do that. There are some maids that do walk the dog. It is unfortunate that the dog don't get their exercise. Owners should spend time with their dogs and take them out for walks because not only does it provide exercise for the dog and the owner, it is also a bonding experience for the dog and owner. After all, the dog is part of the family.
Dog obesity is not to be taken lightly. I see dogs that are overweight wobble unsteadily on their legs. Problems developed or it emphasizes an existing problems. Dogs that have hip displaysia struggle with weight gain. More weight, more pressure on the hip and causes discomfort in the dog.
Apart from hip displaysia problem, obesity in dogs can bring about diabetes, Hyperadrenocorticism (cushing's disease) where there are excessive production of hormone cortisol produced by the adrenal glands. Affected animals do not usually gain weight, but rather have a fat re-distribution to the abdomen and therefore have a potbellied appearance which mimics weight gain.
So while owners think that dogs that are fat are cute and adorable, let me assure you that it isn't. If we as humans know the effects of obesity for us, why aren't we more concern for the pets? After all, our pets are part of the family.
