Dog Breed Vulnerable to Obesity
Since dog breeds usually have varying genetic traits that can affect their behaviors and appearances, they also are vulnerable to different diseases. In fact, some dog breeds are vulnerable to obesity than other breeds. Besides genetics, some dog breeds often gain weight rapidly since they’re less active and have different appetites and metabolism.
Here are the common dog breeds that are vulnerable to obesity and what to do to ensure your dog has a healthy weight.
Pugs
This dog breed isn’t designed to handle strenuous exercise. Also, pugs have a short nose with small nasal opening, as well as an elongated palate with tiny airways that lead the lungs. That makes it difficult for them to perform exercise and combined with excessive eating, pugs are prone to obesity.
Additionally, pugs don’t tolerate outdoor heat well. That means they cannot exercise outdoors as other breeds. They are meant to be indoor pets or lapdogs. And due to their personalities and build, pugs don’t usually get enough exercise, while they receive plenty of treats and affection, which can make them obese.
Bulldogs
One reason why bulldogs are overweight is that most people assume they need to have a specific look. People believe that bulldogs look stronger, meaner and prettier when they are obese. And to give these dogs an overweight look, these dogs are overfed resulting to obesity.
Similar to pugs, bull dogs are short-nosed as well. They have a tiny airway and that can cause intolerance for exercise. Due to their inactivity and intolerance to basic exercise, bulldogs often come obese faster than other dog breeds.
Beagles
While beagles are generally active dogs, they often have slower metabolism than other dog breeds. However, they have a good appetite that can lead to overfeeding. Initially, beagles were bred to facilitate rabbit hunting and they were allowed to hunt and roam freely on long distances, which means they didn’t have any obesity issues.
But today beagles never go on hunting expeditions and rather stay indoors in confined rooms throughout the day. When beagles don’t get enough exercise and fed lots of treats and food, then they are prone to become overweight.
Conclusion
If you have one of the dog breed mentioned above, get him to exercise regularly to keep a healthy weight. But if you suspect your dog is sick due to obesity, you need to visit the vet immediately to get appropriate treatment.
References: Petmd, The active times, Puppy Toob
Copyright: Local Value
