Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter And Their Health Suffers

Humans aren’t the only ones whose health is at risk from being overweight. Research in England shows that dogs are now suffering many ill effects as they become obese.

The study demonstrates that dogs now experience a significant rate of metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is a harmful condition that describes multiple health issues that occur in the body at the same time.

In the research involving 35 obese dogs, 20 percent were found to have metabolic syndrome. Just as in humans with the condition, obese dogs had increased blood insulin. This suggests that the pancreas is working harder than normal to control blood glucose. Blood adiponectin, a protein produced by fat cells that helps control sugars and fats, was also shown to be lower than normal. It is yet to be determined, however, what the exact health impacts of these issues are on dogs, and if they are similar to the diseases (like diabetes) that metabolic syndrome can cause in humans.

According to researcher Alex German, “A previous study that we conducted showed that a dog’s quality of life improved with weight loss, resulting in better vitality and reduced emotional distress.

“This new research creates a lot of new questions for us. It suggests that dogs develop metabolic syndrome, similar to humans with obesity-related health problems. We now need to investigate, however, what health consequences this may have for dogs. The key point for us is that the problem can be resolved with successful weight loss, and this must be a priority for pet owners with obese dogs.”