Canine Obesity

Canine obesity has become more of a problem than our children and obesity.  In the United States the obesity rate for our youngsters stands at 30%.   For our dogs, it's 20-40%!  It's evident there is a growing problem.  It seems our lifestyles have become so busy, that our pets are suffering the effects from our overextended schedules.

I also feel there's probably some 'convenience' of the fast food trickling down to our canine companions.  Since we as humans have such hectic lives, we are relying more and more on the drive-thru to pick up a quick meal.  Then we feed our dogs that same food that we're eating.  Of course they'll eat it! I've said it before, my dogs would probably eat anything that wasn't bolted down, whether it was healthy for them or not!  We're overfeeding our pets...this is the #1 reason they have a weight problem.

Fast food contains high amounts of sodium, fat and calories, and typically it's unhealthy.  It
is not the quality diet our pets require for optimum health (not for humans either!).  A steady diet of this junk can set our furry friends up to get cancer! Then you have a whole other issue to deal with, that can get complicated and expensive.  Our dogs don't require pizza and french fries in their diet.

Obesity in dogs is caused by the same conditions that cause obesity in humans...too much of the wrong foods, and too little exercise.  Really, feeding your dogs better (i.e., cooking healthy meals) should cause you to want to cook and eat better for you!  You eat better, you feel better...you feel better, you move more...see where I'm going with this?

Also, the wrong foods can lead to diabetes in dogs, again, another issue to deal with.  The wrong food leads to shortened life spans...and our doggies already only live on average 15 years...that's short enough.  They deserve to have those years filled with the best life can give them.  Healthy foods, exercise, sunshine, a safe environment and lots of love from their human family.

There are no guarantees in this life that making all the right choices will keep us from having ills, but there is the certainty that if we make the wrong ones, we are sure to pay the price.  Our pets are our responsibility...we pretty much make all their choices for them.  We need to make sure they are the right ones.