Top 10 Diet-Related Common Dog Health Problems

Diabetes mellitus or “sugar diabetes” is a metabolism disorder that is quite common in dogs. As a result of it, many dogs are either euthanized or prescribed medication for their entire life. Dogs with diabetes show symptoms such as increased urination, excessive thirst, and weight loss despite normal or increased food consumption. It is mostly caused by what the dogs eat and can be prevented with proper diet management.

It won’t be wrong to say that obesity is a worldwide epidemic for pet dogs. It affects over 50% of dogs in America alone. What is more concerning about obesity is that it leads to other life-threatening problems such as arthritis, diabetes, and even cancer. The two main causes of obesity in dogs is inactivity among them and not consuming a diet that is appropriate to their nutrition requirements.

The formation of bladder stones in dogs is directly related to their diet. Bladder stones may start out small, but they can grow over time and cause various issues such as discolored urine, urination straining, and urinary accidents. If diagnosed on time, bladder stones can be dissolved with food or else surgery would be the only option. Bladder infection, on the other hand, is caused by bacteria due to irregular digestion.

Pancreatitis develops as a result of the inflammation of the pancreas and it prevents the normal digestion. Due to pancreatitis, the dog starts to show symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. Pet nutrition experts believe that pancreatitis in dogs is directly correlated to how much fat they are consuming. If your dog has pancreatitis, start giving it a diet that is easily digestible and low in fat.

Just like humans, heart disease in dogs is because of the unbalanced diet. Another reason behind heart disease in dogs is lack of activity, but the poor diet is the main culprit here. Heart disease in dogs is due to eating “people food” and cheap grocery food for years. Make sure you don’t feed any food to your dog that is high in fat and salt.

Diarrhea in dogs in common as sometimes they eat something that they shouldn’t have, but if it lasts for more than a few days then there is something wrong with their digestion. If left untreated, long-term diarrhea can easily cut your dog’s life short.

Cancer is most common in older dogs, but it has been found in the last few years that cancer can occur at any age. Although we are not familiar with the actual causes of cancer, experts believe that cancer is correlated directly with nutrition.

Although there was an initial belief that arthritis is caused due to aging, it has become quite clear that this complex condition can occur at any stage. The two main reasons which cause arthritis are poor nutrition and lack of activity.

Various issues such as patchy fur, skin irritation, irregular shedding, skin tags or patchiness are because something is not quite right on the inside of your dog and the main culprit is poor diet. It is due to the fact that skin and hair growth is related to nutrition.

Although infectious sicknesses and viruses are not directly caused by the diet of your dog, it is important to understand that poor nutrition can compromise the immune system of your furry friend. With a weak immune system, the dog easily becomes prone to viruses and infections.