With us as humans if we are severely overweight or underweight then we generally see an array of health problems and sometimes even mental health problems due to these issues at hand. While dogs and humans are very clearly different and i dont want to anthropromorphise the feelings dogs may be feeling if they are over or underweight there are issues are displayed over both species.
Diabetes is one of diseases that affects both species and can be brought on by dogs being overweight just like humans! Canine diets can be an extremely tricky thing to decide and control with so many different lines of advice coming from different parts of the pet professional industry. You may have one vet on one street telling you to stick with a prescription diet, and one vet in a neighbouring town who doesnt mind raw feeding. You may have the canine dietician who is sponsored and paid by a large food brand to promote their foods, or you may a nutritionist who adapts a diet to every dog they consult with.
The same as humans, every dog and every breed have very different dietry requirements, and its extremely important for owners to do their own research to see what is suitable for their dog. With my two dogs i have one who cant eat chicken and one who can, this was done through trial and error. After a year and a half of owning Woody and having him on kibble i transferred to raw feeding and havent looked back since. Bucky has been fed raw since the day he came home.
So how does a dog being overweight or under weight affect them you ask?
A dog who is overweight is more likely to develop heart and joint issues. Excessive strain on both their heart and joints can cause alot of pain and discomfort for the dog. While clogged arteries is alot less common in dogs due to their food sources not being high in saturated fats like us humans, they can still develop this and can cause heart attacks. When it comes to your dogs joints its no different, the excessive weight on their joints can cause alot of pressure making it more difficult for them to move around.
An overweight, underweight or badly fed dog can also develop an array of behavioural issues due to these issues at hand. A dog who is consuming more calories than they need is more likely to have excessive energy due to being on the wrong feed. You see this commonly on dogs who are still eating puppy food when the owners havent changed their food over earlier enough. An overweight dog may feel sluggish or in pain, causing them to lash out or even be reactive towards other dogs or people. An underweight dog who has to scavenge for more food may be more likely to resource guard food and items due to the need to ensure they are fed.
How do i tell that my dog is the correct weight?
The above picture from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention is a great guide to see how our dogs should look.
If looking from above our dogs should have hip dips in front of their hips and behind their ribs.
If looking from the side they should have a tucked waist.
The dogs ribs, spine and hips are able to be felt and in some dogs may be visible (but not to excess).
If your dog doesn't match number 5 then it is likely they are slightly over or underweight.
Certain breeds such a greyhounds and lurchers may not 100% fit this typing as they are generally a leaner breed but a lot of this will still apply.
While dog breeds do generally have a weight guide in what kennel club decides is an ideal range for your dog, this isn't something that is 100% accurate. Sometimes vets will say a perfectly 'ideal' dog is overweight due to their guidelines.
Please think about your dogs weight and diet and how it may be truly affecting them.
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