Dog-ged by weight

“Had it been a bowl of chicken,we could have expected him to move his body a bit and get down from the couch,but his laziness will not make him do that for a bowl of chips,” quips Pritha Deshpande,an animation instructor who owns Neo,the adorable Labrador. Three-year-old Neo has been an overweight dog for a year now. Three years ago,when Ritudhwaj and Pritha bought Neo,little did they know that the bubbly,energetic lab will one day become a couch potato. But as the city strives to live up to its metropolitan tag,long working hours and expanding social life have lead to emerging obesity problems in dogs.

Veterinary doctors in the city will have you know that just a few extra pounds can cause all sorts of problems for dogs,such as straining of the joints,arthritis as well as other illnesses like diabetes,liver and heart disease. Tackling this problem can be difficult and it’s hard to resist pets’ pleas for treats; but this not the only reason which contributes to those extra pounds. According to veterinary experts in the city,dog owners these days spend far less time with their loved pets than earlier. “Excess weight results from lack of exercise and inappropriate diet and,if owners are working longer hours,they will have less time to exercise their dogs properly. The credit crunch may potentially have an impact,since it may make owners more reluctant to take their pet to a veterinary surgeon,thereby missing out on important advice on health and well-being,” says Dr Hatekar,a veterinary surgeon,who claims that 30 per cent of the cases he handles are of dogs who are clinically obese.

“I get cases of many dogs who are overweight,especially the Labrador breed. Lack of knowledge about the type and quantity of food given to dogs,in spite of our instructions and lack of time,is contributing to it,” says Gaurav Pardeshi,another veterinarian,who is treating Deshpande’s Neo. “Since these people are free only on weekends,they make them exercise only on these two days; sometimes,they ask their housekeeper to take them for walks but the housekeepers are least bothered about the dog’s health,” he adds

According to doctors,dogs with diabetes,hypothyroidism and adrenal disease tend to be obese. The Kundalkars,one of the regulars at Dr Hatekar’s clinic,have a daschund which suffers from hypothyroidism and weighs 15-20 kgs above his normal weight. “He does not have anything to do with his food habits but because of the hypothyroidism,he is suffering from obesity,” says Dr Hatekar.

The Malliks’ Golden Retriever Zippy is another pet who has fallen prey to obesity. The two-year-old dog started gaining weight once the family’s youngest member began working after college.