One day many years ago I was working in the critical care unit and there was a massively obese dog there, critically ill and diabetic. Literally killed with love. It made me want to do a study on the outcome of patients dealing with critical illness if they were overweight when they got sick. My feeling was that they just didn't do as well for a variety of factors.
As far as I know, no one has done that study in dogs, but there was an interesting study that showed that in general, dogs who are overweight simply don't live as long.
It's a clear reminder that weight management is so very important. Arthritis is caused by two factors - either abnormal forces on a normal joint or normal forces on an abnormal joint. With obesity, it's the first factor.
Keeping your dog thin will save you thousands of dollars on veterinary care and allow you to enjoy your pooch well into his or her golden years.
I know it's easy for me to say. Treats are how we connect and part of how we establish a bond with our pet. In a future blog, I'll give you the top ten tips for weight management in your dog.
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