Quote:
Originally Posted by FireproofGorilla
I have heard that power feeding (i.e. the previous owner) can shorten lifespans down to 5-10 years as opposed to 25-30. If you recently got her from someone else, the damage had already been done. If she was an '01 baby, that would sound about right. Hence the Kidney/Heart fat. You obviously have alot of husbandry experience. So, I seriously doubt that there was anything that you could do about it. Again, I'm sorry.
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yes once KPH fat is laid down it is incredibly hard to get rid of. It is the last source of energy the body breaks down in desperate measures. Fat deposition occurs in the order of Visceral(KPH) fat>Mesenteric fat(surrounding GI tract)>Subcutaneous fat(under skin, "superficial")>Intermuscular fat(in between muscle groups)>intramuscular fat (within the actual muscle). This is why it is important not to overfeed, as to limit the amount of visceral fat laid down in the earlier stages of life. As the animal matures the amount of fat deposited to the visceral regions decreases and we start to see more deposition of fat in other areas of the body such as intramuscular (or "marbling" of the steak you eat) and subcutaneous regions. The breakdown of fat on the other hand (example: when you exercise or lose weight) is the opposite with Visceral(KPH) fat being the last to be broken down. This is why morbidly obese animals, and people for that matter, are still at an incredibly high risk for heart disease and hypertension even after losing weight. So indeed, if you did in fact recieve this animal and it had already been feed to obtain this visceral fat, there was little that could be done. Although the age and size you gave me does not indicate a power fed animal; however there are always exceptions to the norm. Hope my medical rambling helps a little. And in school, students always say "now when will I ever use that information?".
