Top 5 conditions linked to pets with obesity

When our pets live with obesity not only do they have a shortened life span but their quality of life is also affected. Our dogs and cats aren’t going to be judged or mocked by their pet pals for carrying some extra weight and people tend to avoid the sensitive subject so not to offend you, but that doesn’t mean we should just ignore it.

As one of the biggest health and welfare concern for UK pets, we take a look at some of the conditions linked to pets with obesity and what effect it can have on a dog or cat’s life.

Skin Conditions

Unfortunately, being an overweight dog or cat can result in some dermatological issues, meaning having an effect on their skin, snails and coats.

Pets that carry some extra weight might not be able to groom themselves as adequately as they could when they were thinner, meaning they can be prone to skin infections in skin and fat folds.

Diabetes

Basically, obesity can cause cells in your pet’s body to become more resistant to insulin, meaning they’re at an increased risk of developing diabetes.

With there being no cure for diabetes you and your pet will need regular visits to the vet to make sure your pet receives ongoing treatment.

Once a pet has diabetes, they are more prone to some other conditions like cataracts and urinary tract infections, which will mean more vet visits and a decreased quality of life.

Dysplasia

Being overweight or living with obesity is a big contributing factor to our pet’s bone and joint problems, including arthritis or hip dysplasia.

As our pet’s bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments all work together in giving our cat or dog smooth movement when these become damaged from carrying extra weight it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

This means obesity increases the risk of hip dysplasia and even slipped discs in certain dog breeds.

Heart disease

Unfortunately, weight gain can cause heart disease and high blood pressure in our pets. This is because their heart has to work a lot harder pumping additional blood to excess tissues around the body.

Breathing problems

When a dog or cat is overweight, their lungs can’t function properly as the additional fat can restrict the lungs as our pets try to breathe. This can lead to complications under anaesthesia if your pet ever needs to have an operation at the vet.

It’s better to avoid obesity in our pets altogether, as we all know prevention is better than cure. Keeping our pets happy and healthy will help maximise their lifespans and quality of life, and who wouldn’t want that?