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Section: Overview
Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat. Between 25 and 40 percent of dogs are considered obese or are likely to become obese. It is the most common nutrition-related health condition in dogs in our society.The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of exercise. When regular caloric intake exceeds the energy burned, the excess is stored as fat. As little as an extra 1 percent caloric intake can result in a 25 percent increase over ideal body weight by middle age.Most owners don't recognize that their dogs are overweight until they take them to the veterinarian for another reason. Most pets begin slowly gaining weight and only a historical review of body weight reveals the insidious nature of this condition.Dogs that are overweight may experience difficulty breathing or walking or they may be unable to tolerate heat or exercise.
In the United States, pets and their owners have one thing in common: too much food and too little exercise. Many pet owners don’t monitor their pets’ weight and succumb too often to animals that beg and...
A fat cat may seem adorable but it is not healthy.
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