Obesity in dogs is a serious medical problem.  Obese dogs have more stress on heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints, are more at risk in surgery, and more prone to injury.  Excess weight can worsen osteoarthritis, cause significant respiratory problems in hot weather and during exercise, lead to diabetes, and lessen the quality and length of life for a dog.

It's important to realize that food is not a substitute for responsibily raising a dog.  A certain measure of firmness should be applied to the relationship.  Like people, there is a certain amount of food that a dog needs to remain healthy, while the excess simply contributes to obesity.  As a rule, keep dogs away from the table during meals, and ensure that children don't provide the dogs with unsupervised snacks.

Dog owners need to be similarly disciplined in finding time to exercise their dogs. One way to reduce your dog's caloric intake is to check content of the food you are feeding your dog and look for a diet with similar ingredients but fewer calories.  If you change foods, watch for changes in your pet's coat, energy level, and general condition.  Dietary changes can have undesired effects on overall health, even if it is helping your dog lose weight.  

As discussed before, remember that dry skin and coat or itchiness can be caused by allergies or other diseases that have nothing to do with diet.  If your dog scratches a lot and does not have fleas, a visit to the veterinarian is recommended.

Head back to Dog Health Problems Home.