‘Buddy, you are growing too fat’

Man’s best buddies too are becoming increasingly obese. Labs, Dashchund, bull dogs and pugs in the city are getting too fat, causing worry for their owners.

Vets say the problems lie in the steroid-laced food and their sedentary life style. Just as in case of humans, obese canines are vulnerable to cardiac diseases, orthopedic injuries, respiratory disorder and cancer of various forms.

Every month, veterinarian Dr M Manu of A to Z Polyclinc and Scan Centre, treats about 10 to 15 dogs with obesity-related problems According to vets, the blame lies in calorie-rich and steroid-laced commercial foods given to pet dogs.

“It is very unfortunate that while the US and other developed countries are giving up on commercial dog foods, sale of these feeds have picked up drastically in India,” rues Dr Manu. The owners are more focused on nutritional rich diets and seldom worry about the calorie content in the feed often leading to fat deposition.

According to Breeder and Pet Consultant R Deepak, pampering and over feeding are the most important causes of obesity in dogs. There should be a strict diet regimen and homemade food is preferred for the commercial dog feed, as many of the feeds are steroid induced. Over a period of time the steroid induced feed gives rise to side effects during the pregnancy of female dogs and during their menstrual cycles, he said.

“If one needs to go for commercial feed then it is better to go in for five star or seven star rated dog food that is devoid of steroids. Weight gain in most dogs is inevitable as owners tend to buy the pup only if it is bulky. As for exercise now pet owners are increasingly finding it difficult to take the pet dogs out because they confront with the stray mongrels on the road and are unable to defend themselves,” he said.