What happens if a dog has too much fat

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Too Much

It can be concerning when your dog eats too much food. Overeating can lead to a variety of health issues, such as obesity, canine bloat, and other digestive problems. But it's not always easy to tell if your pup is eating too much or simply enjoying their food.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take as pet parents to ensure that your furry friend is getting the right amount of nutrition without overindulging and prevent overeating. In this article, we will provide some tips on how to control your dog's appetite and make sure they're not overeating. So read on for more information about what to do if your dog eats too much!

What Happens When Your Dog Eat Too Much Food?

When your dog eats too much, they can suffer from a variety of health issues. Here are some of the potential risks:

Obesity

The most common problem associated with overeating is obesity. Eating beyond their needs can cause excess fat to build up in the body and lead to weight gain.

Joint Damage

If your pup is carrying excess weight, this can put extra strain on their joints and lead to joint damage. This is why it is important for your dog to maintain a healthy weight.

Canine Bloat

Overeating can also lead to canine bloat, which is a dangerous and life-threatening condition that happens when the stomach is filled with gas, fluid, or food. If left untreated, bloat can be fatal.

Digestive/Gastrointestinal Issues

Eating too much food at one time can also cause digestive issues like vomiting and diarrhea. This can be uncomfortable for your dog and could also lead to dehydration or even malnutrition if not addressed quickly.

Heart Disease

Excess calories or weight can also put strain on the cardiovascular system and increase your pup's risk of developing heart disease. This is why some pet owners choose to fed their dog smaller meals instead of a one large meal.

Diabetes

Eating too much can also affect your dog's blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes. If your pup has diabetes, it is essential to monitor their food intake and ensure they are eating the right amount of food for their size and activity level.

Oops! Your Dog Ate Too Much...What Now?

If youve caught your dog red-handed with his muzzle in the cookie jar, so to speak, take a deep breath. This is actually the best case scenario. If you know exactly when your dog helped himself to, you can take immediate action. Plus, youll know exactly what it is that your dog has consumed.

Now, if youve come home to an empty food bag or treat jar and a bloated dog, youll want to act quickly since you dont know how long your dog has been sitting with a full belly. But dont panic! In most cases, as long as your dog has consumed food or treats that are safe for pets to eat, hell be perfectly fine albeit quite full!

Heres what you should do if your dog overeats some of his normal dog food or treats:

• Keep a close eye on your dog: Monitor your pup for signs that hes uncomfortable or otherwise in distress.
• Check the ingredients: Make sure that the food or treats your dog has gorged himself on contains ingredients that are safe for him to consume.
• Contact your vet immediately: If anything seems amiss, dont hesitate to seek vet care immediately for help. You can give the office a call with questions, or if your dog is obviously uncomfortable, bring your dog to an emergency clinic.

When To Worry About Your Dogs Overindulgence

Of course, there are some warning signs to watch out for and instances that are cause for concern if your dog ate too much. If they've accidentally overeaten, youve overfed them, or they have gotten into something that isnt safe for them to consume, it is imperative to watch them closely for signs of distress.

Heres what you should keep in mind to help you determine whether a little rest and relaxation is enough to help your dog recover or if you need to seek medical attention ASAP.

If your dog has consumed toxic ingredients

If youre worried that your dog has consumed some or worse, large quantities of ingredients that arent safe for Fido, get on the phone with your vet immediately. Maybe your pup busted into a bag of grapes and ate them all, or perhaps he ate a bag of candy thats made with artificial sweeteners. In any case, you should make sure they stop eating and induce vomiting to get rid of whats left in their stomach, and head to the vet for help.

If your dog has consumed objects that can cause obstruction

Did your dog get himself into the garbage bin? Make sure all packaging and pieces that were present in your trash bag are accounted for. Dogs love anything that smells like food or once held food in it and cant always distinguish for themselves whats edible and whats not. Because of this, your dog might have consumed something that he shouldnt and that could get lodged in his throat, stuck in his gut or cause an obstruction in his bowels. If you suspect Fido has ingested an object thats not digestible, make sure you bring him into the vet asap.

If your pet is showing signs of dog bloat

While most dogs can handle an extra meal, or three, other dogs may experience a complication known as dog bloat.

What is Food Bloat in Dogs?

Food bloat occurs when your pups gut expands rapidly to account for a large volume of food thats been consumed in a short period of time. Dogs that eat quickly are prone to bloat. The amount of food necessary to trigger dog bloat varies greatly, since all dogs have different tolerances and their stomach size spans a wide range.

Nonetheless, bloat is dangerous because it can cause your dogs stomach to twist or flip, which can be fatal for pets. Its always a serious situation that requires a trip to the vet, so watch out for these symptoms if youre worried your dog might have developed bloat from overeating.

What Are Symptoms of Dog Bloat?

Many pets show obvious signs of distress especially if they experience dog bloat. Your pup will be visibly large and bloated, with a distended stomach thats firm to the touch. Here are some other signs that your pup might be experiencing bloat:

• Uncontrolled Vomit: If your pup is vomiting nonstop, several times, especially in a row, take note. This is one symptom of food bloat.
• Restlessness: If your dog is pacing and just cant seem to get comfortable, hes likely uncomfortable...and this is another symptom of dog bloat.
• Panting or Dry Heaving and Excessive Drooling: If your dog is drooling all over the place and doesnt normally have so much saliva, it could also be a sign that he has food bloat.

These arent all the symptoms that can signal concern for your dog, but they are some of the most common signs that your furry friend might be experiencing food bloat. As always, its best to err on the side of caution and discuss any potential health issues with your vet as soon as possible.

How to Prevent Canine Bloat and Help Your Pet Recover From Overeating

Once you know that your once bloated dog is now safe and doesnt have a serious health issue, it's time to make sure that you prevent your dog from eating too much food or treats again.

• Give them plenty of potty breaks: You know your pup just consumed a whole lot of food, treats or other morsels...and what goes in, must come out! Your pup will likely need to use the restroom more often than the norm in the time shortly after hes overindulged. Be sure youre taking frequent potty breaks to help your pet work through the extra food!

• Avoid taking them on frequent walks after every meal: The only physical activity thats recommended in the immediate aftermath of an overfeeding is potty breaks. Other than that, it's best to avoid too much physical exertion.

• Reduce tomorrows food: While you shouldnt by any means skip the next couple of meals, it might be a good idea to reduce your dogs portion a bit and go for small meals, as long as hes not showing signs of hunger.

• Avoid giving them lots of water: Its always important to give your pup plenty of water, but after an episode with too much food, its best to avoid overhydrating your pup.

• Feed them a bland diet: If your dogs stomach is extra sensitive, you might also want to feed a bland diet for a few days to help his GI tract to normalize again. Something like cooked white rice with chicken breast is a good option, and is generally thought to be a neutral meal that wont add to the agitation thats already going on!

• Add a probiotic to your dogs diet: You can further support Fido by adding healthy bacteria to his diet with a probiotic supplement. It will help him have healthy digestion moving forward, but can also help ease gut discomfort from mild bloating, gas, and more.

Pet Honesty Products That Can Help When Your Dog Eats too Much

Worried about your dog after hes eaten too much? Help soothe his sore tummy and help him get back to normal with probiotic support from Digestive Probiotics Chews. Theyre packed with billions of healthy bacteria that help with uncomfortable digestive upset like mild bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements. Probiotics also help with healthy digestive function, so your pup can work through all that extra food and get back to feeling his best, ASAP!

Few dogs are as determined as our furry friends when it comes to getting what they want. Although it can be funny at times, overeating is no joke, so if you fear your pup has gorged himself or is dealing with food bloat, take the situation seriously and get him the help he needs. With these tips in mind, you can ensure your pup stays safe and healthy, no matter how tempted he might be by those tasty treats!

Happy pet parenting!

Hyperlipidemia (too much fat in the bloodstream) in Dogs and Cats

Hyperlipidemia is a general term for disorders in which too many fat molecules (called lipids) circulate in the blood. The two most important lipids in pets are cholesterol and triglycerides. Lipids are insoluble, meaning they are not easily dissolved in water. Because blood is a watery substance, in order to move these insoluble lipids around within the blood stream, the pets body forms lipoprotein complexes. Each of these complexes has its own function. In a healthy animal, lipid levels typically rise for a short time after a meal (known as lipemia) and then drop to a normal level.The problem of hyperlipidemia occurs when certain conditions prevent the excess fat from leaving the blood stream, so that the level of lipids remains high for far longer than nature intended (similar to sticky oil in a car engine).

Hyperlipidemia can involve elevating one or more components of circulating fats and lipoprotein complexes. It can involve hypertriglyceridemia (too many triglycerides), hypercholesterolemia (cholesterol is too high), elevations in chylomicrons, etc. Chylomicrons are the largest lipoproteins and are composed of triglycerides surrounded by a protein coating. They are formed in the intestines from fats ingested in the diet and they help move triglycerides out of the intestines in to various body tissues. They give the blood a creamy, white appearance.

In pets, hyperlipidemia most often occurs as a consequence of some other disorder, such asdiabetes mellitus(sugar diabetes),hypothyroidism(low levels of circulating thyroid hormones),Cushings disease(excessively high cortisone levels in the body), certain liver diseases, and protein-losing nephropathy (a disease of the kidneys resulting in protein loss in the urine). However, hyperlipidemia can also occur spontaneously after a meal of high-fat foods, particularly table scraps.

Certain medications, such as progestogens and corticosteroids, can cause lipids to increase. Your veterinarian needs to know what medications the pet is taking before undertaking a search for primary diseases that can cause hyperlipidemia.

Hyperlipidemia is not a common problem in cats, but rarely cats can have a hereditary disease that results in hyperlipidemia. In cats with the inherited disease, hyperlipidemia is usually detected after the age of eight months.

Some dog breeds (miniature schnauzer, beagle, Shetland sheepdog, briard, rough collie, and poodles) are predisposed to hyperlipidemia. Miniature schnauzers and beagles usually develop the condition after the age of four years. What the genetic link might be in dogs is not yet understood.

Signs

By itself, hyperlipidemia may not mean much clinically; however, signs are common with some of the underlying metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. Some pets with hyperlipidemia dont have any signs at all.

Typical signs can include:

• Lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort
• Acutepancreatitis, which can cause all the above signs plus severe abdominal pain
• Skin problems, such as hair loss or itching
• Central nervous system signs, such asseizures
• Inflammation inside one or both eyes that produces a cloudy milky appearance
• Lipid deposits in certain tissues of the body, such as the skin, eyes, and blood vessels

Diagnosis

There are many blood tests that can be used to diagnose hyperlipidemia and many of these tests are relatively inexpensive. Prior to testing the blood the pet must fast for 12 hours, so the ideal time to take the test is first thing in the morning before breakfast.

Acomplete blood count, biochemistry panel (including triglyceride and cholesterol measurements), urinalysis, and hormonal assays are usually performed to confirm hyperlipidemia and to search for the cause. The blood sample may also be checked for chylomicrons. More specialized tests to determine exactly which types of lipoproteins (for example, low-density lipoprotein, very-low density lipoprotein, etc.) are in the blood can also be done.

Treatment

When the hyperlipidemia is secondary to some other disease, then the treatment and control of that disease becomes the major priority. A low-fat, high-fiber diet is also used to reduce the fat content in the blood, along with some plain old common sense about maintaining a healthy weight and providing the animal with enough exercise. Commercial low-fat diets are available, but some pets detest the inherent lack of taste in these foods, as animal fat is really flavorful. Although homemade diets can be made, they are discouraged unless they have been formulated by a veterinary nutrition service because they are often unbalanced in other important nutrients and unbalanced diets can cause other medical problems. Many animals with hyperlipidemia will need to be on a low-fat diet for life, just like people with high cholesterol problems.

If the pet likes to eat people food from the table or scraps from the trash, keeping him away from this high-fat material is going to be important. Animals with hyperlipidemia are prone to episodes of acute pancreatitis. If the pet manages to break into the trash or gets access to high-fat foods, a visit to the veterinarian may be in order.

Fish oil supplements have been used to reduce high lipid levels in some animals, depending upon the cause or source of the hyperlipidemia. You can discuss with your veterinarian whether they are indicated for your pet. While fish oil supplements dont usually bring triglyceride values all the way down to normal, a partial reduction in the levels can still be helpful.

Most lipid-lowering medications that are used in people, such as the statin drugs, are not used in animals because of their tendency to cause cataracts and other side effects. Other drugs and supplements, such as gemfibrozil and niacin, can have side effects, so should be used only if diet and other methods havent been successful in lowering the numbers and only under your veterinarians supervision.

Regular monitoring is needed to keep track of the pets lipid levels. The timing and frequency of recheck examinations and blood tests are often related to what monitoring is needed for the underlying or primary disease. In general, however, if unexplainable vomiting or diarrhea occurs, testing is usually done even if its earlier than expected or scheduled.

Prognosis

Prognosis depends on a number of factors. If the lipids are just mildly elevated and not associated with any other diseases, then they can often be controlled with dietary changes. If the elevated lipids are associated with other metabolic diseases, then the prognosis is most often related to that particular metabolic disease. (For example, acute pancreatitis can be potentially fatal; however, mild cases usually are not life threatening.) Animals with hereditary hyperlipidemia can be difficult to treat and also should not be used for breeding.