Dangers of Dog Obesity

If a dog is carrying too much weight, it increases the stress on almost all of their organs.  This extra stress can result in some serious health issues such as diabetes, joint damage, heart disease, high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, lack of stamina, heat intolerance, poor liver function, digestive disorders, skin and coat problems, increased cancer risk and more.  The first step in dealing with this situation is finding out if your dog is obese.  So we are providing you with 3 easy ways to test if your dog is obese.

1. Waist Test

Dogs can carry excess weight on their waists. Find your dog's waistline by standing above them and feeling along their abdomen towards their hips.  If a waistline is easily identifiable then your dog is at a healthy weight.  If the waistline is starting to disappear, then your dog is probably overweight.  If you are unable to find any waistline at all, your dog is obese.

2. Rib Test

Lay your dog on their side and feel along either side of their chest to find their ribs. If you can feel and count the ribs but not see them, then your dog is a healthy weight.  If the ribs are difficult to locate or count, then your dog is moving towards being overweight.  If you can't feel many or any of the ribs, then your dog is overweight.

3. Weight Test

Find out the ideal weight range for your breed of dog from your breed club or other trusted source.  Step 1 - Weigh yourself holding your dog. Step 2 - Weigh just yourself. Step 3 - Subtract your weight from the combined weight of you and your dog to give you your dog's weight.  If your dog is too big to hold, then a trip to the vet might be necessary to weigh them on scales.