When people want to lose weight, they usually do so by eating healthy food in the right amounts. The same is true for your pets. They need specific diet foods to help them lose weight without losing out on the essential nutrients they need for good health.
When a pet has an increased intake of fat, they will also have an increased intake of energy. This may predispose growing large and giant-breed puppies to developmental orthopaedic disease and adult pets to obesity. Optimal skeletal development is more likely to occur if growth is slowed by reducing the fat and energy intake of these puppies. Obesity is the most significant clinical problem associated with malnutrition in adult dogs and cats.
Risk factors for obesity include:
- middle age
- female gender
- neutering
- certain breeds
- lack of exercise
- feeding foods high in fat and energy