Being obese or overweight is not something that only hurts humans. It also affects pets. In fact, 30% of dogs in Spain are obese or overweight. The consequences for these pets range from disorders of the joints or the cardiovascular system.
It is important to prevent and also know how to deal with this problem to mitigate it so that it does not go further.
Do you know how to prevent obesity among dogs?
According to veterinarian Xenia Taran, Happets’ director of operations, “an unbalanced and poor diet can lead to serious health problems that negatively affect the animal’s life expectancy.”
Thus a good diet, with adequate levels of antioxidants and natural fatty acids contributes to healthy aging and a good state of health even in advanced ages.
What nutrients should be included in your pet’s diet?
In order to take action, and reduce this 30% of dogs in Spain are obese or overweight, it is appropriate to take various nutrients.
The expert points out the following:
- Water: constitutes 75% of the body mass of the newborn and 60% in adulthood. It allows to regulate body temperature, the transport of nutrients and the elimination of waste.
- Proteins: make up all the structures of the body (bones, cartilage, organs) and are essential to produce hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters. Growing puppies and pregnant or lactating bitches require a higher protein intake than an adult dog.
- Fats: lipids provide energy, allow the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and protect internal organs. Healthy dog fats come from animal and plant sources, such as fish oil, animal fat, and seed oils.
- Carbohydrates – Dogs can synthesize glucose from amino acids. For this reason, carbohydrates are considered not essential in canine nutrition.
- Vitamins: as dogs cannot synthesize many of the vitamins they need, we must include them in their diet through food.
- Minerals: are inorganic compounds that the body needs to perform metabolic functions, such as calcium, iron, sodium and potassium, among others. Like vitamins, minerals play a fundamental role in the maintenance and development of vital functions of the body of our pets.
But they also need some care because each dog is different. Visits to the vet are important.
