Every year, veterinarians see more and more overweight pets. Dogs and cats of any age can be overweight; however, it is more commonly seen in middle age pets as they naturally become less active.
Being overweight can have significant negative impacts on your pet’s health. It can be a contributing factor to multiple diseases including diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease and cancer. It also increases risks when going under anesthesia for a procedure. It affects most of your pet’s major organ systems which can decrease his/her quality of life and life expectancy.
Weight gain is caused by your pet consuming more calories than needed due to overfeeding and a more sedentary lifestyle. It is important to feed regular measured meals per day and to account for any additional treats by reducing the equivalent amount in calories from your pet’s regular meal.
Your veterinarian is a very important member in helping maintain a healthy weight for your pet. Your animal should be weighed every time you visit your veterinarian. A rating scale from 1 to 5, using different guidelines, is used to measure your pet’s body condition, which will help you understand how much excess weight needs to be lost. For instance, you should always be able to feel your animal’s ribs easily and see a waistline behind the rib cage when looking at your pet from above.
If your pet needs to lose weight, there are veterinary prescription diets available specifically formulated for weight loss management. Your veterinarian can calculate the amount of food needed to lose the weight at a healthy rate. Once you have started a weight loss program, weighing your pet monthly will allow your veterinarian to adjust feeding quantities to maximize a successful weight loss.
Keeping your dog or cat at an ideal weight throughout life using a proper diet and sufficient exercise will go a long way to help maintain them healthy for years and decrease chances of them being affected by diseases caused by being overweight.
Please discuss with your veterinarian at Centrepointe Animal Hospital if you would like recommendations regarding your animal’s body weight.
