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The main causes of obesity are overeating and lack of proper exercise (hypodynamia).
When an animal eats more calories than it expends, the excess is stored in the body as fat.
The most important reason for the appearance of excess body weight is excess calorie intake from food, disproportionate to the level of reduced physical activity, as well as the pet’s lifestyle.
A cat is a predator and in the wild spends ⅔ of its time searching for prey.
The cause of obesity in dogs may be the presence of some serious disease.
For example, the appearance of excess weight is provoked by diabetes mellitus or improper functioning of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland.
Also, as a result of hormone imbalance, metabolism can be seriously disrupted.
Obese dogs behave very similarly to humans with the disease, European researchers note in Royal Society Open Science.
These dogs eat more high-calorie foods than normal-weight dogs and are more sensitive to rewards.
According to the authors, overweight dogs can be an excellent model for studying the causes and consequences of obesity.
Previously, we talked about the characteristics of Persian cats.