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.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

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...

Only one testicle descended. I have a 7 month old male boxer who has only had one of his testicles drop. Can you... (62553 views)

Thumping back legs. My cat started throwing up Sunday. Yesterday he started thumping his back feet and... (26037 views)

Sick kitten is not eating. my kitten keeps being sick and hasnt eaten any thing in the last 3 days apart from a... (10860 views)

Fly bites on dog's ears. My dogs are having problems with fly, on their ears what should I do, to help them. ... (10552 views)

Pancreatitis in dogs. A few days ago my little 8 pounds, 2 years old chihuahua was having an upset... (25043 views)

Euthanasia question. Sad day! I had to put my beloved Angel to sleep. Still unnerved by what happened. ... (6661 views)

Sore neck after blood draw. This afternoon, I took my dog for routine labwork and the tech took it from his... (17921 views)

Bump on roof of mouth. Hi I'm almost certain this is nothing. But I have an 8 week old golden male. I've... (36614 views)

Itchy dog. My question is long because I have to give all the background data. On May 10, 2011... (23648 views)

Parvo protection. Hi Dr, My Golden is 7 weeks now. I will be taking him home next week after he's... (72670 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.