Importance of Physical Activity for your Pet
Physical activity and daily exercises are adding positively to the body condition of both human and dog. For Dog activities, there are many options of which we in this article discuss two categories:
- Daily activity with the owner, and
- Dog sporting activity
Both activities have a significant association with the body condition score of the dog. Daily dog activities with the owner includes walking, running, and time spent playing even if less than an hour a day. These exercises keep your dog active and moving herewith contributing to lessening the risk of obesity. A dog and its owner can also do special activities, may it be at hobby level or competitive level, or even as work. Some dog sports include obedience challenges, tracking, retrieving, hunting, racing, and many more. For as long as the dog is moving daily at moderate or high level of activity, this will help reduce the risk of dog obesity.
Learn more about responsible and creative exercises
for dogs to help reduce obesity
Pet obesity is a serious health threat, which can be easily avoided with a well-balanced exercise program combined with a calculated feeding plan using palatable and nutritious diets for your pet’s specific needs. A dog is considered obese when excessive adipose tissue accumulates in the body and when a dog’s body weight is at least 20% greater than its optimal body weight. Obese dogs are more likely to develop joint problems, heart and respiratory problems, heat intolerance, and many other, negatively affecting quality of life, causing health disturbances, leading to a lower life expectancy.
For dogs, a 9 or 5-point body condition score (BCS) system is used to estimate body fat percentage. Use the illustration by Metro Mobile Vet Australia as a quick BCS reference. BCS works by checking whether ribs can be felt and whether the abdominal tuck (waist) is present.
Dog breed, gender, neutered/spayed, age, and the country you live in are important factors which affect the risk of obesity. Owners also play a huge role in the risk of developing obesity in dogs. Owner’s own mobility, time dedication to the dog’s exercise, and commitment to correct feeding habits can greatly influence the outcome whether or not a dog becomes obese or stays within recommended body score and weight expectations. Obesity in dogs is usually due to excessive food intake or lack of physical exercise, sometimes medical issues can contribute as well, and therefore it is important to discuss any weight concerns of your dog with your veterinarian.
A Dog owner’s first step to manage their dog’s obesity is weight loss, in this phase energy intake from food/day must be less than the energy use each day. As dogs themselves cannot control their calorie consumption, it is recommended that dog owners control the food amount given. Reducing food intake by controlling portion size and treats given is a great way to start as well as slowly increasing the daily exercise and intensity. Some pets need to lose a larger amount of weight in which case just reducing the food intake is not correct as it will interfere with the intake of important nutrients. In those cases, we recommend scientifically formulated nutritional products to help support a healthy and safe weight reduction in dogs. Visit or write your question to Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic to determine which nutritional products are best for your dog.
Another important component of weight loss is a regular weigh-in, at least every 2 to 3 weeks or once every month at a minimum. This is important to ensure that the weight loss is neither too rapid nor non-existing and to determine when enough weight has been lost. Once the weight goal is achieved it is important to find the appropriate food and portion for the weight goal to be maintained.
Contact us if your pet needs help with weight control or if your pet is exhibiting difficulties moving, running, or even standing.
*Source of BSC Illustration: Metro Mobile Vet Australia
Written by Jico Pangilinan, ABVC Nurse
