Question:
I have heard that when male dogs are de-sexed they have a lot of bloating around their lower stomach area. Is there any truth in this or is my dog just slightly overweight?
Collette
Answer:
Dear Collette,
It is a very common misunderstanding that de-sexing animals makes them fat. What actually happens is that when the hormonal functions no longer have an effect on the body after a pet (male or female) is de-sexed, their metabolic rate decreases. That means that if we continue to feed our pets the same as when they were entire, they are sure to put on weight unless they do more exercise (or are just lucky, like some people).
I certainly would still recommend de-sexing for all its benefits, it just means you have to adjust the amount or types of food you feed your pet accordingly, if this is a problem. Combined with this is the effect of aging, which also slows the metabolism (particularly after puberty) to make stacking on the pounds even easier. It’s a bit like me when I hit 30 — suddenly I just couldn’t get away with eating what I did and doing little exercise … without the consequences showing up on the waistline anyway!
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