Vet warns that too much human food can leave dogs overweight - IOL
South African veterinarian Dr Amir Anwary has warned that regularly feeding dogs calorie-dense human foods can contribute to obesity and related health problems.
He said ‘Indian aunties’ who feed their dogs breyani, samoosas, and burfee that their animals could face weight-related health problems.
Anwary is a social media content creator known online as ‘Amir the Vet’, and said in the video: “I am a South African veterinarian and this is serious.
“I do not know which Indian aunty from Durban needs to hear this, but you need to stop feeding your dog curry.
“Every single time, a dog comes into the veterinary clinic and it is overweight and the owner is Indian, and I ask them, why is your dog overweight?
“They always say, it is because my mother keeps feeding the dog curry, breyani, butter chicken, and samoosas, spring rolls, burfee.
“Basically, everything my mother gets, my dog gets.”
Anwary said while he understood about Indian culture and the love of food and food being love, dogs were at risk of heart and joint problems when overweight.
He warned that they could also suffer from systemic inflammation.
“I get it. I come from an Indian family so I know the culture. Love is food and food is love.
“But how much, aunty? Can you give your dog a little bit of samosa and a little bit of butter chicken here and there?
“If that is what you must, then I understand. But do not give it every single day and pour it over the food. That is too much.
“That is way too much because now your dogs are overweight and it is not good for them. When your dog is so fat, it affects their heart, joints, and it increases their systemic inflammation
“It is never a good thing for them to be that overweight so please aunty, save the curry and the breyani and the disappointment for the children,’ he said in the video.
Pet owners reacted to Anwary’s video with humorous comments, and some said their pets were perfectly fine, even though they too were feeding the dogs curry and rice.
“Our dog is 13 years old. He eats curry, rice and all things nice. The problem is he is fine but I am overweight,” wrote one pet owner.
Another wrote: “My Chow Chow baby just came off a whole month fasting with us and ate everything I did.
“Dhall and rice, cauliflower curry, green beans, sugar beans, vegetable breyani, sweet rice, roht, veda, goolgoola, and the works.
“He only eats basmathi rice and curry every day, and he is absolutely healthy and gorgeous.”
One resident posted: “I was low key jealous. I want to come back (be reincarnated) as a dog in an Indian house.”
