Pudgy Pets: 10 Most Common Obesity-related Heath Issues for Dogs and Cats
We all know that carrying extra weight is not the best for our health. Obesity in our pets is no different and can cause a wide variety of health issues for or dogs and cats.
According to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co, one of the leading pet insurance companies, in 2012, policyholders filed more than $34 million in claims for conditions and diseases that can be caused or exacerbated by excess weight.
My cat, Ariel is of average weight, but a few weeks after we brought her home from the shelter, we worried about her weight. She was eating a lot and seemed to enjoy eating people food (she was obsessed with french fries and tater tots) and we started to see her weight gain over a short amount of time. We've not had experience with overweight cats before (our older cats who passed away this year were very fit and thin cats), and we knew it was not something we want to have for her. We thought we were treating her by giving her little bits of our food, but clearly that was not best for her health, so we stopped.
Related: 10 funny pictures of cats acting like ninjas
The Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.'s 2012 insurance claims of more than 485,000 insured pets are used to determine the top 10 dog and cat obesity-related conditions in 2012, and they're certainly not issues I want for my cat!
Most common obesity-related conditions for dogs and cats:
Dr. Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. says, "Taking your pet to the veterinarian for regular wellness visits is the most effective way to monitor your pet's weight. Routine exercise, a regulated diet and watching for signs of excessive weight gain are important steps in avoiding pet obesity and the additional health concerns that are associated with it."
- By Devan McGuinness
For 12 adorable pictures of cats giving their best "puppy eyes", visit Babble!
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