Believe it or not - anywhere from 25 to 45% of pets are obese - and the problem is growing!!! Obesity in pets is a major medical problem. It impacts on almost every system in the body and it shortens you pet’s life. And yes, you can do something about it.

Obesity increases the probability of developing many diseases and worsens other medical conditions including:

	diabetes
	pancreatitis
	cancer
	heart disease
	hypertension
	respiratory disease
	decreased lung capacity
	joint disease
	skin problems
	bacterial infections
	viral infections
	pyometra
	surgical and anesthetic risk
	drug metabolism rates
	quality and quantity of skin oils
	In cats it increases the risk of feline lower urinary tract disorder and hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver)

 

Why Pets Become Obese

Like their human counterparts, pets have become less active. Our pets pay the price for our changes in lifestyle since they rely on their humans for exercise.

It is not just the decrease in activity that has caused the high rate of obesity. Pet foods have become more calorie dense due to the demand by owners for less stool volume when cleaning up back yards.

Foods have also become more palatable. In the strongly competitive pet food industry, taste has become one of the selling points upon which they try to get owners to purchase their food. Like us, pets will eat just for the taste.

Not only do pets eat for taste, they will eat out of boredom. Again, we seem to have less time for our pets.

The problem can start very early with our desire to have cute roly-poly puppies. Fat puppies develop too many fat cells and this can make fighting obesity even more difficult in adulthood. It only takes 1% too many calories each day to result in 25 to 30% too much weight by mid-adulthood.

For those of you wondering if neutering or age increases the probability of obesity - studies disagree. Some say yes, some say no.

 

Is YOUR Pet OVERWEIGHT??

Dogs put on excess weight over the ribs, shoulders and hips. You should be able to easily feel your dog’s ribs but not see them. Your dog should have a ‘waist’. And you should be able to feel the spine.

Cats store extra weight in the inguinal area (between the hind legs) and generally over their bodies.

If you are unsure whether or not your pet is at an ideal weight - please ask for an assessment.

 

Getting Started on Weight Loss

1. Physical Exam. A detailed history and physical exam is an important first step to weight loss. Though most pets become obese due to overeating, some may have medical problems that are causing the weight gain. Some types of weight gain may not even be fat (for example, fluid in the abdomen). Additionally, obesity may complicate other diseases that are present and may require a more cautious approach to the manner of weight loss. Depending on the results of the physical exam, further diagnostic testing may be advised.

2. Moderate calorie restriction. As with people, the more gradual the weight loss the better the long term maintenance of the weight loss. Calories can be restricted by about 10-20%. If a greater rate of weight loss is desired, up to a 60% reduction of calories may be necessary. Starvation is never a good idea!!

3. Exercise. This only works with caloric restriction. Determining the amount of exercise appropriate for your overweight pet should be done in consultation with your veterinarian. Remember, obesity affects your pet’s orthopedic, respiratory and cardiovascular status. Your average healthy obese pet can be walked 20 to 60 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Even if you do not see any weight loss, the exercise your pet is receiving will have a positive effect against the many detrimental effects of obesity.

Rate Of Weight Loss

The rate of weight loss seen in pets can be as variable as in people. It varies with the individual and it can plateau. A more gradual weight loss will result in an easier to maintain normal weight.

The maximum weight a pet should lose is 3% of it’s body weight per week for the first six weeks. Then this should slow to 2% of its body weight thereafter.

Expect it to take at least 3 months for dogs and 5 months for cats to reach a near normal weight.

 

Which Food to Feed??

There are several options available to you for feeding your pet when it needs to lose weight. You may choose to feed less of it’s regular diet, to switch to a light form of the same diet, or to try one of the reducing diets.

The greatest advantages to remaining with your pet’s regular diet is cost and knowing your pet will eat the food. It may be less expensive to simply reduce how much you are feeding your pet but you should not reduce the amount you feed by more than 20%. It will also take longer to reach your pet’s target weight.

Light foods sold in the stores vary greatly in their caloric content. All that light/lite refers to is calorie reduction within that line of food. In other words, there are less calories in the lite food than in that line’s maintenance food.

The greatest advantage to using the special reducing diets is that these are formulated to provide increased nutrients and protein to account for the decreased calorie intake. If you restrict your pet to less than 80% of its regular food there is the possibility that it may not receive all the nutrients and proteins it requires. For optimum nutrition and weight loss results - use a special reducing diet.

WARNING

Be sure that your overweight cat continues to eat - it is at risk for fatty liver syndrome after 2-3 days of anorexia.

 

Helpful Hints

1. Replace attention for treats. Giving treats to pets is one of the things we all do to strengthen that all important pet-human bond. Try replacing it with petting, praise or even a game of fetch. Build in small moments of time for your pet.

2. Use low calorie treats when you do need them. For example, carrots and other veggies (no onions! - they’re toxic) make excellent treats, as does unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. You can also withhold some of your pet’s kibbles from mealtimes and use those for treats.

3. Keep your pet out of the kitchen and dining room during meal preparation and meal times. Those smells can be very tempting and will encourage begging.

4. Feed multiple small meals. This helps to keep hunger at bay and also increases the number of calories burned.

5. Measure food carefully and even keep a food (and exercise) log.

6 Exercise regularly according to your veterinarian’s instructions.

7. Weigh your pet regularly at home and return to clinic every 2-4 weeks for a weigh-in. These are great motivators just as in Weight Watchers and TOPS for people.