“Porky Pets”
At risk for joint disease.
If you find the photo above adorable, you’re not alone. We all love to see our pets fat and sassy. However, we may not be seeing the risks that are associated with being so cute.
The nation’s obesity epidemic reaches far beyond adults and children to our pets, who share our homes, eating habits, and lack of exercise.
Recent studies from Tufts University suggest that up to 50% of dogs and cats are obese or overweight.
While most cats and dogs don’t develop the life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular disease that are associated with obesity in humans, being overweight can affect animals in other ways. The extra weight can wreak havoc on their joints and complicate other health problems.
Degenerative Joint disease (DJD) in our overweight pet population is common. DJD is the long term decrease in cartilage around the joint spaces. Over time this will cause the animal to have a decrease in activity, sudden lameness, and stiff gaits that worsen with exercise.
The use of splints or braces is widely utilized to support the joints affected by DJD.
OrthoVet carries a full line of splints to get your pet back up and running to shed those unwanted pounds.
Call us today at 866.207.9205 or send an email to contactus@orthvet.com to learn about our full line of dog and cat splints.
