Chin Obesity

The number one nutritional disorder among dogs and cats is obesity. Research shows that approximately 25% of dogs and cats are overweight.

"But," you say, "my dog doesn't look fat." True, in fact your dog may look absolutely fine. Unfortunately that doesn't mean he's not carrying extra weight. You'd be surprised how much bulk can be well hidden under a full coat of fur.

A healthy chin is lean, firm and well muscled with an adequate layer of fatty tissue under supple elastic skin. How much fatty tissue is adequate? Well, enough to keep the ribs from being plainly visible, but not so much that it totally hides them. If your dog has the proper amount of fatty tissue you should be able to press gently on the skin over the ribs and be able to feel them without effort.  If you have to press hard to feel anything, and if you can fold more than 1/2 inch of skin over his ribs, your dog is probably over weight. If he has no waistline definition or "tuck up" between his ribs and hindquarters, or his body appears square shaped, his isn't fat anymore, he's obese.

Some owners think extra weight is a sign of good health and do not want to follow a weight reduction program. Others are reluctant to admit their pet is fat while some wonder what's wrong with a little extra weight. Here's a few good reasons why there's something wrong with a little extra weight.

-Heart, respiratory and digestive impairment
-Slower healing process
-Poor resistance to viral and bacterial infections
-Skin irritations and disease caused by friction within fatty rolls of skin
-Higher surgical risk
-Diabetes
-Stain on skeletal systems

How you can help

The first step is to visit your veterinarian. Most dogs are overweight because of overeating combined with less physical activity.  However your vet can rule out other causes such as a reaction to a medication or a metabolic disorder. Your vet can also set a weight goal and give you food and feeding guidelines.

Stop all table snacks! Food is often used as a reward or a sign of affection. And for some owners it becomes a way to handle those guilty feelings like "I can't resist those sad eyes watching me while I'm eating." As a result many dogs end up eating too many unbalanced snacks and it's up to you to keep this under control. You need to be especially careful with giving your chin too many snacks because they are not a very active dog.  Restricting calorie intake is the first step in shaping up your dog.

Move it and lose it. Exercise is a very important part of slimming down your dog that is often overlooked. Chins are very good at developing "couch potato habits" and it will do both of you good to get out of the house for a stroll around the block. Or if you're not feeling up to that, play a game of fetch in the backyard. Start slowly into your exercise program if your dog has been sedate. Take a 20-minute leisurely stroll the first day and gradually work up to a brisk 1 hour walk. Plan your walks for the coolest time of day. If you don't enough time, or the weather is nasty, have your dog follow you around while you do chores. Have your dog sit while you make the bed or do some dusting. This is basically the canine equivalent of sit-ups and works to tighten his hindquarters and abdomen.

You need to keep tabs on your dog's progress throughout his weight loss routine. You may think he's looking thinner, but the scales do not lie. Occasionally take him to the vet to weigh him and to keep track of his progress. Very few, if any, vets charge for this and most of them are glad that you're taking your dog's weight problem seriously. Don't get discouraged if it seems like your dog isn't losing weight. It could take a little while and will occur more gradually on chins or any small dog. With patience and commitment you should see significant weight loss in 4 to 8 weeks. When you've reached your goal, celebrate...with playing, or a fun walk, or a new toy, but definitely without too many snacks!