The city is slowly evolving into the obese pet capital of the country and vets are worried.
If you thought obesity was a problem just for the city’s IT community, then think again as obesity in pets is becoming the biggest threat to the city’s indulgent lifestyle. Obesity in pets is something that is increasing at a scary rate in the city, says Udayaravi Bhat of Prajna Veterinary Clinic. “The lack of knowledge of the pet owners concerning the right feed is one of the biggest reasons that has led to this problem. I recently had a labrador brought in which weighed 55kgs. The normal weight for a labrador of that age should be around 34kgs at maximum,” Udayaravi Bhat told dna.
“These days, the over pampering and over feeding of pets, especially when the diet includes a lot of junk and fried food, has led to this problem. Another reason is that pet owners cannot gather time to take their pets for walks or any other similar kinds of exercise, leading to an abnormal increase in the number of obese pets in the city. That said, several pets also are predisposed to obesity after they are neutered. The hormonal imbalance and related problems often lead to excessive gaining of weight,” he further added.
Pets across the city are leading much more indulgent lifestyles than their owners. “Every member in the house takes turns in over feeding their beloved pet, unaware of the fact that some other member of the family has already done the same, as a consequence the pet puts on unnatural amounts of weight. Feeding a pet twice a day is more than sufficient,” Udayaravi Bhat explained.
The problem however doesn’t apply to several species of dogs including the doberman, which never really puts on weight. Cats on the other hand are also suffering from this lack of exercise. “It is not just dogs but also cats that are getting fat. In Bangalore, it is the Persian breed that seems to be affected the most. Most owners do not even realise that the cat’s weight has increased and let the animal sit around and laze most of the day.
That said, cats are also rarely allowed outside the home and so they are more prone to putting on weight,” said AG Amarnath, veterinary surgeon, Amar Pets Medical Centre .
But what are the solutions to the problem DNA asked these professionals. “We recommend that owners insist on a morning and evening walk for all breeds followed by a strict diet. Hire a pet-walker if you must. Every pet needs exercise. We can only give the target of diet for them depending on their body mass index, the rest is left the owner. Even with cats, all you need to ensure is that they are played regularly with. That exercise is often enough to keep them in shape,” added Amarnath.
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