Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Relation of weight to skin problems.

Species: Dog
Breed:
Age: Less than 3 mon
I understand that you are a very busy person but i am currently inrolled in the Veterinary Office and Animal Care programme. I'm doing a project on dermatology and I was wondeing if a pet;s weight has any effect on the dermatological health of the animal?

Thank you for your time

Lauren Hastie


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Lauren and thanks for an interesting question.

I can think of a few situations where a pet's weight could influence their dermatological health.

I will often see extremely overweight cats that will have difficulty cleaning their hind end. They can get severe infections around the anus from urine and fecal scalding.

Fat cats will often have a lot of dandruff on their back because they can't get to this area to groom it.

In overweight dogs we will often see skin fold infections in places like around the vulva.

Some animals are overweight because of hypothryoidism. Hypothyroid dogs will often have hair loss and be prone to skin infections as well.

I hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Is he really gone? My very elderly dog very sadly had to be put to sleep a few days ago. This was... (30259 views)

Sores on dog's leg. My dog recently got theses two sores on her back leg, one bigger than the other. Its... (8572 views)

New hamster tips. Ok well im getting a hamster tomorrow and i had one a few years ago. a few years ago... (8094 views)

Pregnant 10 month old dog. my mini doberman is 10 months and shes pregnant can she die? and how many dogs can... (12660 views)

Mass on dog's cheek. My dog recently had a cotton ball size mass on her "cheek". Someone told me it was... (10111 views)

Strange behavior in cat. Hello. My cat got hit by a car four months ago and had to have his tail... (10576 views)

Sick Golden Dr., I try to keep this short: My kids golden, 7+ years old, got lyme like 3... (6508 views)

Allergic reaction to vaccines. He just got all his shots this morning and has been vomiting since and his face is... (11875 views)

Eye closed in hamster. My hamster has one eye closed all the time. There are no other hamsters living with... (30014 views)

Lump near nipple. She has a lump(i think so).. It's hard, and about a marble's size in... (9985 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.