National Pet Obesity Awareness Day (October 12)
Our furry friends bring a lot of joy into our lives, and sometimes it’s hard to deny them a little treat. However, too many of those little treats an add up, hurting your best friend’s health. National Pet Obesity Awareness Day on October 12 helps highlight the importance of your pet’s healthy weight.
Pet Obesity Awareness
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, a majority of pets in the US are overweight. This number accounts for:
- 53.9{89cfe35005d9d7bf4224d3001a3add768446566f87840decb4aed1c431d7b32b} of or 41.9 million dogs
- 58.9{89cfe35005d9d7bf4224d3001a3add768446566f87840decb4aed1c431d7b32b} of or 50.3 million cats
These numbers represent modest increases from 2015
What does this mean? Obviously, our pets are getting a little chubby. However, National Pet Obesity Awareness Day awareness has helped play a role in raising awareness of this all-too-common issue.
The Health Effects of Obesity
Many pet owners regularly visit a Tulsa veterinary hospital to treat health conditions that have obesity as their basis. Some of these conditions include:
- Reduced life expectancy and quality of life
- Skin conditions
- Chronic inflammation
- Orthopedic issues
- Kidney, respiratory and metabolic disorders
Paw Prints Ltd and other veterinarians help play a role both in preventing and treating these issues.
Helping Overweight Pets
Advocates who promote healthy pet weight offer several resources to help owners make better decisions about their dog’s lifestyle. Just a few of the things that National Pet Obesity Awareness Day helps advocate for include:
Encouraging owners to get out and exercise their dogs
Providing helpful guidelines for how much to feed your dog
Offering information on caloric needs and weight loss
A Tulsa veterinary hospital can provide the help you need with your dog’s weight, contact Paw Prints Ltd for information on pet wellness.