FACTS & SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY PET UNHEALTHY FACTS • Pet obesity has become the leading cause of preventable disease and death in both dogs and cats. Currently 52.5% of dogs and 58% of cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese • The primary causes of pet obesity are similar to the reasons for human obesity: high-calorie diet, carbohydrate-based foods and decreased activity. • Major health risks tied to obesity in dogs and cats include: arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, insulin resistance, elevated levels of oxidative stress, cruciate ligament injury, skin disease, respiratory problems and many forms of cancer. • An overweight dog/cat is unlikely to reach its optimal life expectancy. Dogs have an average lifespan of 12 years, but research shows that fit pets live approximately 15% longer than overweight pets. HEALTHY SOLUTIONS • Exercise strengthens bone mass, improves mental health, reduces stress, helps the body remove toxins and waste, enhances metabolic health, improves heart and lung function and slows the aging process. • Here’s a great link to exercise for both dogs and cats: hillspet/weight-management/pet-exercise.html • Maintaining an ideal weight supports all healthy processes of the body, increases energy levels, lowers inflammation, may lower susceptibility to disease and has been shown to promote vitality and optimal life expectancy. • Maintaining a healthy diet can make all difference in your pet’s life expectancy and ability to function at an optimum level. Your veterinarian is the nutrition experts who can help your pet reach his or her ideal weight. The right diet pet food can help reduce body fat by as much as 22% in 8 weeks in dogs and 20% in 3 months in cats.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 04:40:02 +0000
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