Pet a great companion

Keeping a pet is a great thing. Pets provide a great amusement and emotional support to the people and it very soon becomes the part of the family. People usually like to keep dogs, cats, and fish as pets. The desire to keep a pet is a demanding job as one has to take care of all the needs of the pets ranging from grooming, providing it with exercise, feeding, health care, etc.

Reasons for overfeeding the pet

The owners of the pet are so attached with their pets, that they often feed their pets worrying that it might not remain hungry or starved. Every time the cat meows or dog bows, it is considered as a sign of hunger. Moreover, some owners love their pets to the extent that they considered food as a way to show their love and concern for their pets. Their love, care, concern and apprehension are understandable, but the consequences can be hazardous, in case it leads to overfeeding of the pet. While feeding the pet it is quite essential that it should get necessary vitamins, nutrients and minerals; required for optimum growth and proper functioning of the body. It is quite agreeable that lack of nutrition like calcium or phosphorous in the body can lead to malformation of bones and low bone mineral density but overfeeding is equally dangerous situation.

Disease in pets like dog and cat due to obesity

Overfeeding in pets can lead to obesity, which makes the pet inactive to play and exercise. Obesity in pets can cause serious health ailments which can be proved to be fatal. Obesity when combined with a sedentary life style can prove to be very dangerous. Following are the disease which might occur in case of pets like dog and cat due to overfeeding:
1. Arthritis
2. Diabetes
3. Skin Problems
4. Respiratory Problems
5. Bloating and gastric
6. Liver Disease (Cats)
7. Higher Anesthetic Risk
8. Worsened Fatigue
9. Loss of appetite
10. Short life span

There are several health concerns emerging out of over-feeding the pets. The most serious one is heart problems. In case the dog or cat, have the problem of high blood pressure or hypertension, the risk of heart attack or heart disease would raise.

As the body of the pet can bear only a fixed amount of weight, gaining more weight can put more stress on the joints, leading to painful condition like arthritis in the case of cats and dogs. It can lead to strain or on muscles of the pet; making it difficult for it to move around.

In case the cats are fed more, they will find it difficult to groom themselves. They try to groom all parts of the fur; failing to reach there can lead to matting of the areas. In severe cases it can lead to rashes, infections and irritations.
Obesity in the case of cats can lead to the development of the liver disease known as hepatic lipidosis. In this case, the liver of the cat is not able to process the fats and proteins properly. The symptoms can be seen in the form of the yellowing of the cats’ eyes.

Common disease in fish due to overfeeding

Overfeeding fish can also lead to obesity in fish on one hand. On the other hand, excess food in the tank can lead to issues related to the quality of water in the tank; as it may lead to the formation of algae or toxins which can be harmful for the fish. It may also lead to high level of ammonia and nitrates in the tank due the fish waste; and can be highly toxic for the fish. The increasing food waste and fish waste can also lead to decreased oxygen level in the tank; which can be proved hazardous for fish. The disease, which can emerge out of over-feeding the fish can be fatty liver, fin rot and improper digestion.

How to provide proper food and nutrition to pet?

It is important to note that instead of finding medication for curing the health problems of the pet, it is necessary to provide it with a balanced diet and proper exercise. The nutrition and food requirement of the pet varies as per the breed and weight of the pet. It is advisable to consult a vet to know about the dietary requirements of the pet. Before giving the can food or packed food to the pet, one should always read and follow the given instructions. The owners of the pet should follow a fixed routine for feeding the pets and should give a fixed amount of food as directed.

The pet abuse not only involves underfeeding or beating the pet, as it also involves overfeeding. The owners are actually killing the pets by overfeeding them. They commit this innocent crime due to lack of awareness. Hence, it is essential that the owners should first get a thorough knowledge about the pet before bringing it to the home. Last but not the least, instead of giving food to pet to show love; it is important to spend some quality time playing with it. After all a relationship of trust and care with loved one, is built by being with each other.