He urges pet owners to look for early warning signs that their dogs can't handle fast food. After downing a burger, a dog may react by whining, pacing a lot, acting sluggish, vomiting, or having diarrhea within an hour of eating. He may be full and not want to eat his dog food. Dogs probably have better nutritionally balanced meals daily than humans because commercial dog foods are very well-balanced with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to give them maximum digestibility. Fatty fast foods can also kill your family dog more slowly.
Obesity is the number one chronic disease among dogs, say veterinarians.
Like people, hefty dogs can suffer from diabetes, liver disease, heart problems, and a shortened life. About one in three dogs is overweight from being fed too much, not getting enough exercise, or eating fast food, says Dr. Kuhn. But he resists the temptation to have Scooter join him in a Big Mac or Dairy Queen cone. With the average dog living 10 to 20 years, every year counts, and we can't afford to cause irreparable harm by adding high fat to their diets. So Scooter gets premium dog food every day, except on her birthday-July 4.