Excessive body weight, or obesity, is a common problem in many animals today.
Dr. Bob Judd, host of Texas Vet News on the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network, reports it may be the most serious problem in pets in this country today.
In horses, obesity can lead to laminitis and founder.
Laminitis and founder are serious conditions of the horses’ feet and can lead to severe pain, lameness and, eventually, death,” Dr. Judd said.
Some horses are overweight because they eat too much feed.
Others are obese because they have a condition called Equine Metabolic Syndrome and gain weight while eating a normal diet.
The most important thing in these horses is to get them to lose weight. This is difficult to do without veterinary supervision of the weight loss plan,” Dr. Judd said.
Studies show that animals lose weight and are healthier when on a plan set by a veterinarian.
Dr. Judd’s full report can be found here: http://bit.ly/1Lp15Wn.