Beagle Obesity The Hidden Health Risks You Shouldnt Ignore

Beagle

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Beagles make wonderful pets for families and active pet parents, but take note: They need a lot of activities and supervision, as they are prone to following their nose to trouble.

Along with caring for their mental well-being, Beagles need special attention paid to their physical health, too. Their floppy ears make them more prone to ear infections, so pet parents need to clean their Beagles ears regularly. Theyre also prone to obesity, so they need measured meals spaced at regular time intervals (free-feeding is not recommended).

Caring for a Beagle

Beagles are generally considered medium-sized dogs, but they actually come in two sizes: One measuring under 12 inches at the shoulder and a larger size that ranges from 12-15 inches tall at the shoulder. No matter their size, a full-grown Beagles weight can range from 20-30 pounds. Males are usually bigger than females.

Beagles come in several colors, including lemon, red and white, and the more common tricolor of black, brown, and white. Beagles have a smooth, dense double coat and floppy ears, which need to be cleaned regularly to prevent ear infections. They also have long tails that seem to never stop wagging. As a result of wagging too much, Beagles can suffer from limber tail syndrome, also called swimmers' tail. This is a temporary, acute condition that results in a strain in the muscles used to keep the tail upright, causing a limp and sore tail. Limber tail syndrome usually resolves with a day or two of rest, but it can require pain medication to make your dog comfortable.

Beagle Health Issues

Common Beagle health issues include ear infections, obesity, allergies, cherry eye, epilepsy, and hypothyroidism.

Ear Infections

Beagles are beloved for their long,floppy ears, but those ears do require some extra care. Because they cover the ear opening completely, there isreduced air flow in the ear canal. This creates a moist, dark environment that allows bacteria and yeast to grow. When the yeast grow in abundance, the result is an ear infection.

Beagles with ear infections will scratch excessively at their ears. Youmight even notice a yeasty smell. To prevent this, regularly clean your dogs ears with a good-quality ear cleanser. Even with regular cleaning, ear infections may still occur. If your Beagle gets an ear infection, your vet may recommend topical and oral medications. If you notice your Beagle scratching at their ears, schedule a vet appointment.

Obesity

Despite being a high-energy breed, obesity is very common among Beagles. Most Beagles have an insatiable appetite along with a very strong sense of smell. If allowed, most will overeat and seek out any food within reach. Pet parents need to measure their Beagles food consumption carefully and keep any temptations out of reach. Your vet can help you figure out how much and how often to feed your Beagle.

It's not uncommon for vets to see Beagles whove eaten something they shouldn't have. This can result in vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis, and may require surgery to remove ingested food packaging or other materials. Make sure to keep all food other than their own out of their reach.

Allergies

Beagles can be prone to environmental and food allergies and may start to scratch excessively. About 75% of their ear infections are caused by allergies.If your Beagle experiences allergies, there are many treatments your veterinarian can recommend.

Cherry Eye

A prolapsed nictitans gland in the eye, commonly referred to as "cherry eye, is common in Beagles. This condition happens when the tear gland is inflamed, becoming visible in the lower inner corner of the eye. This condition is usually not painful, but it can lead to eye infections. Cherry eye can occur in one or both eyes. Some cases resolve on their own, while others may need surgery.

Epilepsy

Beagles can be more prone to epilepsy, a seizure disorder, than other breeds. This commonly starts from 2-5 years of age and sometimes requires anti-seizure medications to help control.

Seizures last about 30-60 seconds and can range from mild to severe. A mild seizure may include involuntary movements, such as your dogs legs going stiff. Signs of a severe seizure can include:

If you suspect your Beagle had a seizure, call your veterinarian right away.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is common among older Beagles. This condition is a disease of the thyroid gland, which controls metabolism. In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland doesnt produce enough thyroid hormone, which can cause metabolic changes. Beagles experiencing hypothyroidism may have skin and hair coat changes, such as a coarse and dry coat or hair loss. It can also cause weight gain, even if you arent feeding your Beagle more than usual. It can be easily controlled with daily medications under your vets guidance.

What To Feed a Beagle

Beagles can be prone to obesity. Usually, a good-quality commercial dog food used in accordance with the producers' instructions and regular exercise will keep your Beagle at a healthy weight. However, if your Beagle becomes overweight, your veterinarian may recommend a prescription restricted-calorie diet.

How To Feed a Beagle

Beagles should be fed the amount recommended by the food manufacturer at regular time intervals, usually about two to three times daily to keep their metabolism increased. They should not be allowed to graze all day, to prevent overindulging and obesity.

Some Beagles will eat too quickly, resulting in choking and vomiting undigested food. To help a hungry Beagle slow down (and to keep them entertained), use a slow feeder bowl so they work for their food.

How Much You Should Feed a Beagle

When feeding your Beagle, follow the manufacturers instructions on the food package. Every food has a different caloric value, so its important to follow the guidelines. If you change brands or flavors, don't assume that your Beagle will get the same amount of food in their bowl.

Nutritional Tips for Beagles

Beagles can benefit from foods made for sensitive skin, which are usually high in omega-3 fatty acids and help reduce inflammation. If your veterinarian suspects that your pup has food allergies, they may prescribe a prescription diet to help.

Behavior and Training Tips for Beagles

Beagle Personality and Temperament

Beagles make loving, affectionate pets that are generally good with children and other animals at home. Most Beagle puppies are full of energy, but as they age they tend to slow down and become a bit more lazy, though they still love joining their pet parents for walks, runs, or hikes.

Led by their noses, Beagles are very curiouswhich means they can easily get into trouble and wander away if left unattended. When outside, they always need to be on a leash or inside a fenced-in yard so they dont walk off in search of an interesting scent.

Although they are not considered a very protective or territorial dog, they will definitely bark when confronted with new people and strange noises. Beagles are hounds and are known for their typical loud, long bark and howl.

Beagle Behavior

Many Beagles end up in the vets office because their curiosity and superior sense of smell got them into trouble. Led by their noses, Beagles will unzip backpacks to steal lunches and counter-surf for snacks. Their sense of smell keeps their nose to the ground, and they will follow it to anything that smells curious to them.

Beagle Training

Beagles are smart, but they but can also be stubborn and have a short attention span when it comes to training. Because they are food-motivated, most Beagles train best before mealtime and will do just about anything for treats.

Potty training can be especially difficult with Beagles because of their powerful nosesthey can smell where a part of the house was previously soiled so easily. Repetition, consistency, and positive reinforcement work best to help potty train Beagle puppies.

Leash training may be difficult because they are constantly paying attention to smells on the ground. Using a harness and rewarding them with treats is helpful in leash training.

Fun Activities for Beagles

Beagle Grooming Guide

Coat Care

Beagles have short coats, which makes them easier to groom than, say, a Samoyed.They are, however, moderate shedders, and weekly brushing can help with keeping loose fur from ending up on your floor. Pet parents can give their Beagle a bath every two to four weeks, depending on the dog's activity levels.

Ear Care

Ear cleaning will most likely be the biggest grooming chore with your Beagle. On average, they require ear cleaning once or twice a month.

Beagle FAQs

Is a Beagle a good family dog?

Beagles are good family dogs and usually get along with other pets and with children. They are social pups and like to be with their families.

Are Beagles smart dogs?

Beagles are smart, but their stubborn nature can sometimes make them difficult to train. Use treats and other positive reinforcement methods for success in training.

Are Beagles lazy?

Beagles are active dogs, but like many other breeds, they tend to become lazier as they get older. Dont adopt a Beagle puppy and expect them to be a couch potato.

How did Beagles get their name?

The origin of the word "Beagle" is uncertain, but its suspected to be derived from the French word begueule, which means open throat. This may be a reference to their howling.

Featured Image: iStock/Maria Levkina

WRITTEN BY

Tiffany Paul, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Paul graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. She has practiced small animal medicine happily...

Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity

In this section:

Overweightand obesitymay increase your risk for many health problemsespecially if you carry extra fat around your waist. Reaching and staying at a healthy weightcan help prevent these problems, stop them from getting worse, or even make them go away.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Nearly 9 in 10 people with type 2 diabetes have overweight or obesity.¹² Over time, high blood glucose can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage, and other health problems.

If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing at least 5% to 7% of your starting weight.^13,14 For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal would be to lose about 10 to 14 pounds.

High blood pressure

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk for high blood pressure.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a condition in which blood flows through your blood vesselswith a force greater than normal. Having a large body size may increase blood pressure because your heart needs to pump harder to supply blood to all your cells. Excess fat may also damage your kidneys, which help regulate blood pressure.

High blood pressure can strain your heart, damage blood vessels, and raise your risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death.¹⁰ Losing enough weight to reach a healthy body mass index rangemay lower high blood pressure and prevent or control related health problems.

Heart disease

Heart disease is a term used to describe several health problems that affect your heart, such as a heart attack, heart failure, angina, or an abnormal heart rhythm. Having overweight or obesity increases your risk of developing conditions that can lead to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high blood glucose. In addition, excess weight can also make your heart have to work harder to send blood to all the cells in your body. Losing excess weight may help you lower these risk factors for heart disease.

Stroke

A stroke happens when a blood vessel in your brain or neck is blocked or bursts, cutting off blood flow to a part of your brain. A stroke can damage brain tissue and make you unable to speak or move parts of your body.

Overweight and obesity are known to increase blood pressureand high blood pressure is the leading cause of strokes. Losing weight may help you lower your blood pressure and other risk factors for stroke, including high blood glucoseand high blood cholesterol.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you must have at least three of the following conditions

Metabolic syndrome is closely linked to overweight and obesity and to a lack of physical activity. Healthy lifestyle changesthat help you control your weight may help you prevent and reduce metabolic syndrome.

Fatty liver diseases

Fatty liver diseases develop when fat builds up in your liver, which can lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis, or even liver failure. These diseases include nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

NAFLD and NASH most often affect people who have overweight or obesity. People who have insulin resistance, unhealthy levels of fat in the blood, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and certain genescan also develop NAFLD and NASH.

If you have overweight or obesity, losing at least 3% to 5% of your body weight may reduce fat in the liver.¹⁵

Some cancers

Cancer is a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the bodys cells begin to grow abnormally or out of control. The cancerous cells sometimes spread to other parts of the body.

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of developing certain types of cancer. Men with overweight or obesity are at a higher risk for developing cancers of the colon, rectum, and prostate.¹⁰ Among women with overweight or obesity, cancers of the breast, lining of the uterus, and gallbladder are more common.

Overweight and obesity may increase risk of developing many types of cancer.

Adults who gain less weight as they get older have lower risks of many types of cancer, including colon, kidney, breast, and ovarian cancers.¹⁶

Breathing problems

Overweight and obesity can also affect how well your lungs work, and excess weight increases your risk for breathing problems.¹⁷

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a common problem that can happen while you are sleeping. If you have sleep apnea, your upper airway becomes blocked, causing you to breathe irregularly or even stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. Untreated sleep apnea may raise your risk for developing many health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

Obesity is a common cause of sleep apnea in adults.¹⁸ If you have overweight or obesity, you may have more fat stored around your neck, making the airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult or cause snoring. If you have overweight or obesity, losing weight may help reduce sleep apnea or make it go away.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, condition that affects the airways in your lungs. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the airways can become inflamed and narrow at times. You may wheeze, cough, or feel tightness in your chest.

Obesity can increase your risk of developing asthma, experiencing worse symptoms, and having a harder time managing the condition.¹⁹ Losing weight can make it easier for you to manage your asthma. For people who have severe obesity, weight-loss surgeryalso called metabolic and bariatric surgerymay improve asthma symptoms.¹⁷

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common, long-lasting health problem that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced motion in your joints. Obesity is a leading risk factor for osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, and ankles.²⁰

Having overweight or obesity may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis by putting extra pressure on your joints and cartilage. If you have excess body fat, your blood may have higher levels of substances that cause inflammation. Inflamed joints may raise your risk for osteoarthritis.

Having overweight or obesity may raise your risk of getting osteoarthritis in your knees.

If you have overweight or obesity, losing weight may decrease stress on your knees, hips, and lower back and lessen inflammation in your body. If you have osteoarthritis, losing weight may improve your symptoms. Research shows that exercise is one of the best treatments for osteoarthritis. Exercise can improve mood, decrease pain, and increase flexibility.

Gout

Gout is a kind of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in your joints. Gout develops when crystals made of a substance called uric acid build up in your joints. Risk factors include having obesity, being male, having high blood pressure, and eating foods high in purines.²¹ These foods include red meat, liver, and anchovies.

Gout is treated mainly with medicines. Losing weight may also help prevent and treat gout.²²

Diseases of the gallbladder and pancreas

Overweight and obesity may raise your risk of getting gallbladderdiseases, such as gallstonesand cholecystitis. People who have obesity may have higher levels of cholesterolin their bile, which can cause gallstones. They may also have a large gallbladder that does not work well.

Having a large amount of fat around your waist may raise your risk for developing gallstones. But losing weight quickly also increases your risk. If you have obesity, talk with your health care professional about how to lose weight safely.

Obesity can also affect your pancreas, a large gland behind your stomachthat makes insulinand enzymesto help you digest food. People who have obesity have a higher risk of developing inflammationof the pancreas, called pancreatitis. High levels of fat in your blood can also raise your risk of having pancreatitis. You can lower your chances of getting pancreatitis by sticking with a low-fat, healthy eating plan.

Kidney disease

Kidney diseasemeans your kidneys are damaged and cant filter your blood as they should. Obesity raises the risk of developing diabetesand high blood pressure, which are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease(CKD). Even if you dont have diabetes or high blood pressure, having obesity may increase your risk of developing CKD and speed up its progress.²³

If you have overweight or obesity, losing weight may help you prevent or delay CKD. If you are in the early stages of CKD, consuming healthy foods and beverages, being active, and losing excess weight may slow the progress of the disease and keep your kidneys healthier longer.²⁴

Pregnancy problems

Overweight and obesity raise the risk of developing health problems that can affect the pregnancy and the babys health.

Overweight and obesity raise the risk of developing health problems during pregnancy that can affect the pregnancy and the babys health. Pregnant people who have obesity may have a greater chance of ¹⁰

• developing gestational diabetes, or diabetes that occurs during pregnancy
• having preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can cause severe health problems for the pregnant person and baby if left untreated
• needing a caesarean deliveryor c-sectionand, as a result, taking longer to recover after giving birth
• having complications from surgery and anesthesia, especially if they have severe obesity
• gaining more weight or continuing to have overweight or obesity after the baby is born

Having obesity or gaining too much weight during pregnancycan also increase health risks for the baby, including²⁵

• being born larger than expected based on the sex of the baby or the duration of the pregnancy
• developing chronic diseases as adults, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and asthma

Talk with your health care professional about how to

• reach a healthy weight before pregnancy
• gain a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy
• safely lose weight after your baby is born

Fertility problems

Obesity increases the risk of developing infertility. Infertility in women means not being able to get pregnant after a year of trying, or getting pregnant but not being able to carry a pregnancy to term. For men, it means not being able to get a woman pregnant.²⁶

Obesity is linked to lower spermcount and sperm quality in men.²⁷ In women, obesity is linked to problems with the menstrual cycle and ovulation.²⁶ Obesity can also make it harder to become pregnant with the help of certain infertility treatments or procedures.²⁶

Women with obesity who lose 5% of their body weight may increase their chances of having regular menstrual periods, ovulating, and becoming pregnant.²⁸

Sexual function problems

Obesity may also increase the risk of developing sexual function problems.²⁹ Having overweight or obesity increase the risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED), a condition in which males are unable to get or keep an erectionfirm enough for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

Few studies have looked at how obesity may affect female sexual function by contributing to problems such as loss of sexual desire, being unable to become or stay aroused, being unable to have an orgasm, or having pain during sex.³⁰ But research suggests that healthy eating, increased physical activity, and weight loss may help reduce sexual function problems in people with obesity.^29,30

Mental health problems

In addition to increasing the risk for developing physical health problems, obesity can also affect mental health, increasing the risk for developing³¹

Studies show that people with overweight or obesity are also likely to face weight-related bias at school and work, which may cause long-term harm to their quality of life.³¹ Losing excess weight has been found to improve body image and self-esteem and reduce symptoms of depression.³²

References

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[13] Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Long-term effects of lifestyle intervention or metformin on diabetes development and microvascular complications over 15-year follow-up: the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2015;3(11):866875. doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(15)00291-0

[14] Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;346(6):393403. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa012512

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[20] Molina J, Morgan EL. Obesity and orthopedic issues. StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572101

[21] Clebak KT, Morrison A, Croad JR. Gout: rapid evidence review. American Family Physician. 2020;102(9):533538.

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[23] Kovesdy CP, Furth SL, Zoccali C. Obesity and kidney disease: hidden consequences of the epidemic. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. 2017;4:2054358117698669. doi:10.1177/2054358117698669

[24] Kotsis V, Martinez F, Trakatelli C, Redon J. Impact of obesity in kidney diseases. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4482. doi:10.3390/nu13124482

[25] Godfrey KM, Reynolds RM, Prescott SL, et al. Influence of maternal obesity on the long-term health of offspring. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology. 2017;5(1):5364. doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(16)30107-3

[26] Practice Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Obesity and reproduction: a committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2021;116(5):12661285. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.08.018

[27] Salas-Huetos A, Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L, James ER, et al. Male adiposity, sperm parameters and reproductive hormones: an updated systematic review and collaborative meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2021;22(1):e13082. doi:10.1111/obr.13082

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