Pets can pack on the pounds just like humans can, but it’s can be much more serious for them because their bodies are so much smaller than ours. What do you do if, when noticing that your pet is a little pudgy, you’ve altered his diet and exercise but the weight still hasn’t come off? There may be other reasons causing this problem. Here’s a list of the top six reasons why you have an overweight pet.
Pregnancy
This might seem like a no brainer to you, but there are times when pet owners are unaware that their cat or dog is pregnant. The first time they know about the pregnancy is when their female is giving birth. It only takes a few minutes for an un-spayed female to hook up with an intact male and have babies. If you don’t want to deal with a pregnant pet, make sure to have your dog or cat spayed or neutered.
Prescription Medication
You may need to talk with your veterinarian if your pet’s prescription meds are causing weight gain. It’s possible that another medication can be prescribed that will not cause this issue.
Retaining Fluids
This is one condition that can be a little scary. Fluid retention can be as a result of a heart condition, internal disease or even cancer. If you have found that your cat is retaining water, talk with your veterinarian about something called feline infectious peritonitis. This disease is one of the main causes of cats retaining fluid in their abdomens.
Bugs
We’re talking about parasites – the ones that decide to take up residence in the abdominal walls of your pet. What happens is that fluid will build up right around where the insects have moved in causing your cat or dog to look like the neighbors potbellied pig. Fortunately, this is easy to eradicate by going to your vet and finding out exactly what parasite is bothering your animal. Your vet will prescribe an oral medication that will get rid of the parasites.
Cushing’s Disease
Cushing’s is typically seen in older animals and, most particularly, dogs. It’s a hormonal imbalance related to adrenal and pituitary glands. One of the symptoms of Cushing’s disease is a rapid weight gain around the belly. If any of your pets seem to gain weight quickly, take them to the vet for tests and diagnosis.
Bloat
This is a common occurrence especially in puppies and it happens when she dives into her food bowl and finishes it up so quickly you could swear she never tasted a morsel. The reason your dog’s tummy becomes distended is because it’s full of food that hasn’t been chewed. One of the ways you can slow your dog down at supper time is to put a tennis ball in their supper dish. It forces them to have to eat around the ball and that slows things down.
Watch your pet’s behavior and see if it matches any of the reasons listed above and then see your vet.
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