How Can You Tell If Your Dog Is Fat Or Just Chunky?
We love our pups and often we reward them with extra treats and snacks. Afterall, who can deny those big ‘ole puppy eyes when you’re eating?
Enjoy watching the video of the pup eyeing every bite. 
There are many factors that contribute to obesity in dogs, not just food and exercise. Age and certain breeds also contribute to obesity.
According to a 2018 survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) 55.8% of dogs are classified as overweight or obese. That’s more than half of the dog population and the owners don’t even realize it. Being overweight can often lead to health condition that may shorten your dog’s life.
It’s up to you to pay attention to what you’re feeding your dog and their weight.
You may think it’s cute if your dog snores, but that could an indicator of a respiratory condition and could be a sign your dog is overweight. Diseases related to obesity include diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases and arthritis.
Excess weight can also cause a variety of disorders like: back problems, premature arthritis, ACL and ligament or tendon tears, even cancer has been linked to obesity in dogs.
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Sometimes you can tell just by looking at your dog’s body or you may be able to tell by feeling their ribs. If you feel a layer of fat your dog is probably overweight.
If you’re still unsure your vet will be able to do an exam and provide a professional opinion and a course of action to help shed the extra weight safely.
To help your dog maintain a healthy weight, consider the food you are feeding them, the amount and how often.
Are you feeding table scraps? How much are you feeding them? Are you using a measuring cup or just eyeballing it? Are you letting your pet graze all day long? What type of quality food are you feeding? Is it mostly fillers or is a protein the primary ingredient?
Exercise is also a very important activity to help maintain a healthy weight. A couple 15 minute walks daily is great, but so is play time; tossing the ball several times. Help your pup get moving.
They’ll love the extra attention and the exercise will benefit them in the long run.
Is Your Dog Fat or just chunky?
We want to keep our pets around as long as possible, making some healthy choices for you and your pal is a great place to start.
Thanks for reading this article, I appreciate it.
Debi
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