Natural remedies to help speed up slow metabolisms and prevent metabolic disorders in cats and dogs.

Slow Metabolism

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What is Slow Metabolism?
What Causes Slow Metabolism?
Help for Slow Metabolism
More Information on Slow Metabolism

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What is Slow Metabolism?

Metabolism is the term used to describe the process in which the animal body converts food and nutrients into energy. Your pet’s metabolism is like an engine, it runs all the time – when your pet is eating, moving and even sleeping. Nutrition, hydration and physical activity are vital aspects of a healthy metabolism.

A pet with a slow metabolism cannot expend energy fast enough to maintain a healthy weight. This can result in weight gain and obesity for a pet, which in turn, may lead to serious health problems. Excess weight puts added strain on joints, and internal organs such as the heart.

What Causes Slow Metabolism?

An animal’s metabolism is greatly influence by genetics. Some breeds have very high metabolisms – they have high energy and require large amounts of food, and burn off large amounts of calories. Metabolic disorders occur when abnormal chemical reactions in your pet’s body disturb this process.

There are various metabolic disorders that effect metabolism and they include:

Hyperthyroidism (This condition is caused by an overactive thyroid gland).
Hypothyroidism (This condition is caused by an underactive thyroid gland due to an iodine deficiency or thyroid disease).
Diabetes (a condition that occurs when the body cannot use glucose properly).

Help for Slow Metabolism

Conventional treatment may include strong drugs to help speed metabolic rate, but be warned that these drugs may come with side effects. Speak to your vet about a safe, harm free way to help your pet get into shape.

Natural Remedies

There are many natural ingredients in herbal and homeopathic remedies that can help to promote a healthy metabolism, and healthy weight. Fucus vesiculosis is a concentrated source of iodine, it assisting in the production of thyroid hormones, which are necessary for maintaining healthy metabolism in all cells of the body.

Curcuma longa has been used by Indian healers to treat obesity, while Silybum marianus and Dandelion can help to enhance liver and gall bladder functioning and may decrease high blood pressure in animals due to its diuretic properties.

More Information on Slow Metabolism

Tips related to slow metabolism:

Be realistic when commencing a weight loss program for your pet. Aim for gradual weight loss and set realistic goals. Award each successive stage of weight loss with an extra run on the beach or a few extra minutes on the couch with you but never ever with food!!
If despite cutting back on food, feeding a natural, unprocessed diet and increasing your companions daily exercise no weight loss is achieved, consult your vet to rule out the possibility of an underlying disease.
Regular exercise helps to build up a healthy appetite and gets all organs in the body functioning well. It also helps to relieve stress and contributes to a healthy happy pet!