Are We Overfeeding our Pets?

Today, most Americans have some form of pet, be it dog, cat or fish. Most of us know the basics, like feed, water, and love your pet. However, what most of us do not know is that there is as much danger to a pet from overfeeding, as underfeeding. This isn't a significant worry for most people, but that is probably because most people do not know the enormous danger that overfeeding a pet causes.

Dogs and cats are the most common household pets in America. When overweight, the all get the same disease- Diabetes. Diabetes causes the endocrine system (Your pet's growth hormones) to either produce an inadequate supply of insulin, or none at all. Without insulin, sugar accumulates in your pet's blood. This can cause an enormous array of problems. At the start, your pets will need to urinate more often, and will become thirstier. After a while, they will begin eating more, but without the means to get rid of the sugar in their bodies, they will begin to dehydrate, they will suffer from acute vomiting and diahorrohea, and then coma, and eventually death.

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The signs of the disease are often missed by the owner until the disease is in a very late state. The first sign is increased thirst and urination. From there, animals start showing signs of general disability. They lose the ability to see as well, and lose energy. One of the major signs is sickness. A diabetic pet will be sick more often because they can no longer efficiently filter out the bacteria and viruses in their systems. The treatment is essentially the same for both pets and humans- control their diet, and administer insulin. until the correct type of insulin and dosage are established, you must work very closely with a veterinarian, so that if your pet has an adverse reaction, it will be in a position to receive care.

Overfeeding fish is as serious as overfeeding a dog or a cat. When a fish is overfeed, it does not eat the food as do other animals. Instead, the fish leaves the food, causing it to rot. This in turn causes wild algae growth, large areas of the fish rotting away, tears in the fins and sores on the body. A Fish will also have many bacterial infections, which will present themselves in the form of a discoloration on the body of the fish.

The signs are obvious, but they are often associated with regular fish behaviour. The first is cloudy water, and algae. This means that something is going wrong biologically. This is because the food that the fish is not eating is rotting away. The other signs are all behavioural changes in the fish. If it is rubbing itself against the sides of the tank, or if it is having trouble breathing or eating. If something is growing on your fish, it is a very big sign that you are feeding it incorrectly. Internal problems from overfeeding include fatty liver and digestion problems.

The treatment is not hard, but takes a bit of time. Firstly, COMPLETELY clean out your tank, scrub out all algae and clean or replace everything. Small bits of Algae growth are to be expected, but you need to clean your tank regularly. Secondly, Read the instructions on the food package carefully, and rethink your own feeding plan based on that. Third, take your fish to a fish specialist to ensure that they have the best possible care. Finally, constantly be aware of the pH and the Temperature of the water. If necessary, purchase new equipment to that effect.
A pet is a precious gift. We must all be careful that we treat them as gifts, and not take them for granted and treat them poorly.