Obesity in dogs is more common than you think. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention reports that more than 50% of dogs in the U.S. are obese.
According to the VCA, obesity in dogs can shorten their lives by up to 2 years. It can also lead to a host of other health problems:
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Bladder Stones
- Osteoarthritis
Obesity is a preventable disease, and the first step in its care is prevention. Ensuring that your dog is getting the right amount of activity and calories is the best way to ensure that they aren’t gaining too much weight.
Once a dog has gained more weight than ideal, working on helping them lose that weight is your primary goal. More activity and less calories is the best way to do this.
Keeping your dog healthy while embarking on their weight loss journey is also very important. Joint health is key, as too much weight puts additional pressure on their joints, leading to osteoarthritis. LubriSynHA is a great way to keep their joints healthy, as it supports healthy joint fluid, helping to prevent the bone on bone grinding that leads to osteoarthritis.
Other beneficial ways to lose weight while being gentle on joints are water activities. Swimming is a low-impact exercise that helps to keep dogs active without adding unnecessary stress to their joints.
While obesity in your dogs should be avoided, once they are overweight, keeping them healthy while they lose weight is key. LubriSynHA can help with that.
