Page 38 - Chow Life - Spring 2016
P. 38
Fat And Fertility
by Jill Maner, RN
Breeders know that fat bitches produced small, weak young with O.K. you guessed it, I’m talking
are unlikely to conceive but when poor viability. Mating and new about the similarities between
we put them on crash diets we pregnancies decreased or ceased obesity and infertility in humans
guarantee temporary sterility. altogether. and dogs. And I’m asking you to
Here’s why. When wolves first joined the really look at what we do to our
All dog breeders want our man pack both groups benefited. animals to get them breeding fit
animals to be strong, healthy and Man acquired a hunter protector and then wonder why they don’t
fit. To that end we read articles, with great strength and intense conceive.
advertisements, and study loyalty and the dog acquired shelter, Recently we had three bitches
guaranteed analysis. We vaccinate, warmth, and man's weapons to aid near mid-life, none ready to retire
worm, add vitamins, minerals, in the kill. The survival ratio for but not producing puppies either.
assorted and sundry trace elements, both groups improved significantly All three dogs were due to come in
herbs and anything anyone else and neither was required to spend heat and were also a little lazy and
claims to have had any success with. all of it's time seeking food. on the chunky side. So, we reduced
Yet all of us have had picky Greater numbers of offspring their calorie intake and initially they
eaters, over eaters, thyroid were born and survived. each dropped a few pounds then
problems and fertility problems. Specialization began wherein a stopped. We felt another reduction
was in order so their intake was
I've spent more than twenty years skilled individual could spend their dropped to about 800-900 calories.
working in both human and animal "leisure" time expanding certain Boy, did we get results then!
medicine and I have come to the skills and talented animals were
conclusion that we have a lot more bred and trained to perform specific
in common with our dogs than is functions, ultimately leading to the
immediately apparent. The obvious variety of breeds we now enjoy.
similarities are those common to Certainly this didn't happen
most mammals; we both bear live overnight and of course it is not
young, the ability to suckle that a news flash to most of you. But
young, internal regulation of body I did say the things we have in
temperature (unlike reptiles) and common were not immediately
we are both driven by the biological apparent. Hopefully I have
imperative to reproduce. That drive piqued your interest
is responsible for socialization, sufficiently to have you
competitiveness, play, dominate looking more closely
vs subordinate behavior and stress at your dog. We share
responses. thousands of years of
In our prehistory, wolves and evolution and in fact for
man were both hunter-gathers, or thousands of years have
perhaps “opportunistic eaters” is a defined the development
better description. Food was scarce of the dog. As our
and no source was overlooked. circumstances improved
Though dogs are commonly so did his.
considered meat eaters, a large We have problems as
part of their diets was vegetation a population with obesity,
and both groups depended on depression, infertility, and
adequate food sources for survival. boredom (beginning to see the
When supplies dropped to or connection?) so why should it
below subsistence levels existing surprise us that our animals exhibit
young perished or were sacrificed the same symptoms? And why
in favor of group survival. do we want to treat the symptom
Pregnancies which did instead of the cause?
not abort spontaneously
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