One-third of American dogs and cats are obese

Pet obesity is the same as in people with the same causes as physical inactivity, age, and high calorie intake, even due to genetic factors. Like humans, pets also have many health problems related to obesity such as diabetes.

Nothing is a secret when obesity is a problem for people. Television in fact has spent millions of dollars to document American efforts to abandon overweight. And every day new medical research highlights the serious symptoms of obesity that bring about heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

Today, people are increasingly interested in this issue in pets. According to a new study published in Veterinary Internal Medicine , the rate of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 percent. The cause of the disease and the treatments for this disease are nearly similar to those of other species.

Obese dogs and cats can lead to diabetes development.(Photo: Virginia Tech)

According to Dr. Craig Thatcher, professor of animal science at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, obesity causes include physical inactivity, age and high calorie intake.

Genomes may also increase the risk of obesity in pets, Thatcher said. Labrador retrievers (bitches trained to hunt for returned animals), beagle dogs and cocker spaniel are all breeds of dogs that tend to be overweight. Thatcher said obesity-related diseases must also be considered and removed before pet weight loss.

Similar to humans, there are many health problems related to obesity.Obese dogs and cats can lead to diabetes development . They can tolerate poor heat, increase symptoms of skin diseases, reduce immune function and suffer from musculoskeletal and orthopedic diseases. If the owner suspects that his pet is obese, the first thing to do is contact your veterinarian.

Thatcher said: 'Veterinarians will be the best source of support for customers to come up with a safe and effective weight loss program.'

Veterinarians will work with clients to develop a weight loss program that fits the conditions of each pet. A balanced diet and calorie restriction will be done with careful supervision of the owner and should not allow pets to freely choose food. Besides, it is necessary for pets to exercise. Thatcher explains that this requires employers to be willing to follow and also let pets do it easily.

Because pets must undergo a weight loss chapter, the owner must monitor the progress of the pet by calculating the weight and assessing the body's condition. This should be done first every 2 weeks to make sure the pet has a successful weight loss.

"Avoiding obesity is an important part of a pet's overall health," said Thatcher. " Pets as well as their owners will have a higher quality of life when pets maintain weight." medium.' Virginia-Maryland Regional Veterinary College has established one of the first domestic clinical nutrition training programs more than 20 years ago under the guidance of Thatcher, at present, the school's programs This area has received widespread attention from experts.

Thatcher graduated from Iowa State University with a doctorate in veterinary medicine, master's degree and nutrition physiology. Prior to becoming an assistant professor at Virginia-Maryland Veterinary College, he practiced synthetic veterinary medicine in Pennsylvania. He was one of the first veterinarians to receive a diploma from the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.