How to Check if Your Dog Is Overweight

Many pet owners may not know it, but canine obesity is a common health concern in the United States. Roughly thirty percent of adult dogs are considered overweight in the area of North America alone.

Becoming fit by performing exercises and watching food intake are just some of the things people do to make sure that they remain healthy. Some may even spend a lot of money for gyms, exercise equipment, and even organic products. While a lot of individuals are doing it for themselves, it may be easy to neglect their pet or dog’s health. As we spend so much time on ourselves, we might not notice that we are already giving our dog the wrong dog food, we may be overfeeding, or we may even be forgetting to take them on walks.

Just like how excess weight can have detrimental effects on a person’s health, it can also cause harm to our loyal canine friends. Obesity can open up possibilities for various types of health problems such as joint problems, a shorter lifespan, respiratory issues, and diabetes. As your dog slowly becomes overweight, it also increases its chance of developing health problems. Some may not even realize that their pet’s health concern is because of its excess weight.

It is therefore important to make sure that your dog doesn’t become overweight. You have to constantly check if they are putting on excess weight that may potentially become unhealthy. But how can you tell if your dog is overweight? What are some of the signs you should watch out for? Check out the information below:

CHECK THE RIBS

One of the primary things to look at when you want to know if your dog is overweight is by checking or feeling its ribs. Try padding or patting your dog along the area where the ribs should be. If you can’t fell them, then your dog might be overweight. This is because you should be able to feel the ribs of your dog by simply padding the muscle or fat in the area.

DOES YOUR DOG HAVE TROUBLE GETTING UP?

Generally, dogs should be able to get around quickly and easily. They should easily get up and/or down because it comes naturally to them. So if your dog can’t easily get up from the floor, have trouble running around, have issues with jumping, then it is probably because there is too much weight inside his body and he is having trouble carrying it.

LACK OF ENERGY

If you are used to your dog being full of energy and you suddenly notice it becoming lazy. If he prefers to sleep instead of playing outside, then your dog has probably lost his energy because of his excess weight. His weight may be hindering him from running around because carrying the weight has become a burden. This type of behavior is usually common among dogs that are overweight.

FREQUENT PANTING

If your dog also seems to be panting even if the weather isn’t that hot, then it can be because of the excess weight it has. Overweight dogs usually encounter problems with breathing, or they may easily become tired or exhausted even after running or playing for a short amount of time. If your dog easily becomes out of breath, then it might be overweight.

HELPING YOUR DOG LOSE THE EXCESS WEIGHT

If you’ve noticed these problems, then it might be time to bring your dog to the veterinarian. This way, they can advise you about what things you can do to help your dog lose weight. They may also have recommendations regarding their food intake and may recommend a specialty dog food for weight loss. They can also determine the ideal weight for your dog depending on its breed.