Stop feeding your dog or cat too many treats and discover why your pet should slim down. Aside from diabetes, heart disease and hip dysplasia, there are other risks associated with overfeeding your dog. More and more studies are pointing to the drawbacks of being overweight and obese. If you love your dog and would like to ensure it life expectancy review these other medical conditions that may accompany a dog’s extra weight gain.

Whenever dogs gain extra pounds, the liver acts as a fat storage centers. As a result, if your dog is packing on the pounds, the chances are high that his liver is becoming overwhelmed with fat. The process of storing excess fat in the liver is referred to as hepatic lipidosis. The condition may result in impaired liver functions.

Heightened Risk During Surgical and Anesthetic Procedures
Another reason to reconsider over satiating your dog is the risk associated with surgery. If your dog is obese, there are potential medical ramifications to its heart and lungs that maybe detrimental during anesthesia. Insufficient circulation and cardiac arrest are a few of the serious medical side events linked to overweight canines. Aside from the circulatory and cessation of breathing, other risks may occur in a dog with too much weight. For instance, if your canine has surgery and anesthesia, the fat in your dog’s liver may not break down the anesthetics – delaying/deferring recovery. Not to mention, fat can obscures the surgical area.

Complications During Birth
For pet owners who have designs on breeding their dog, overweight dogs are prone to experience more problems during birth than slim or svelte dogs. Difficulty puppy birth is referred to as dystocia. The condition requires that your dog obtain veterinary assistance to deliver its pups.