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GSMD Obesity

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11 views1 page

GSMD Obesity

Uploaded by

Tom Roberts
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Obesity in the GSMD

“How much does your dog weigh”? In nine times out of ten times that is either the first or
second question out of the mouth of someone meeting a GSMD. If the first is “What
kind of dog is that” the second is “How much does he weigh”? The higher the number
the more impressed the observer tends to be. This is a very unfortunate trend in a breed
where obesity is one of the major preventable health issues. We live in a society where
bigger is perceived as better and that carries over into the world of large breed dogs.
Unfortunately bigger is correlated with a weight on the scale that may be far too high to
be appropriate for the individual.

Veterinarians consider obesity one of the major health concerns in today’s dogs. Obesity
is now thought to affect at least 25% of the canine population with that number running
higher in the GSMD and other breeds that easily lend themselves to obesity. Obesity in
dogs is a serious medical problem. Overweight dogs are more at risk in surgery, more
prone to injury, and have more stress on heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints. Excess
weight can worsen osteoarthritis, cause respiratory problems during exercise, lead to
diabetes mellitis, and generally lessen the quality of life for a GSMD.

In young dogs being overweight has now been proven to be as influential a factor if not a
larger factor than heredity when it comes to orthopedic problems, especially hip and
elbow dysplasia and OCD, yet many new puppy owners and some breeders seem to be in
a race to fatten their puppies up quickly. It is very hard to convince them that a lean
puppy is a healthy puppy. This is a breed that matures very slowly. It is not uncommon
for them to take 3-4 years to reach their mature weight. In old age they are going to
weigh less than their ideal mature weight because of loss of muscle mass. That loss of
muscle mass should not be replaced with fat. This breed is very prone to spondylosis and
carrying extra weight in old age aggravates that condition.

There seems to be no simple solution to the epidemic because big (a higher weight on the
scale) is equated with better, and food is equated with love. Most GSMD will always eat
everything they are given and generally they do this very rapidly. They tend to be easy
keepers with many maintaining proper weight on 2-3 cups of food per day. They
approach every meal like it will be there last. Many owners fall prey to the “I’m starving
to death” trap and feed more. Managing obesity can be very difficult for some owners
when in reality it simply involves feeding less food. Green beans, carrots or some other
low calories food can be added for additional bulk. Increasing exercise is also helpful.

Obesity can take years off the life of a GSMD and lead to many health problems
especially as puppies and in old age. It would do owners and breeders a great service to
throw away their scales and start looking at their dogs.

Catherine Cooper
Martinsville, VA

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