Obesity

Did you know that: Over 40% of dogs and over 12% of cats seen daily at veterinary practices around the country are obese?

The two most common causes of obesity in pets are lack of physical activity and excessive food intake.

Spaying and neutering do not directly cause pets to become overweight. The cause is actually a decrease in activity without a corresponding decrease in caloric intake.

Extra weight on your pet can cause:

• Fatigue
• Difficulty breathing
• Hypertension
• Increased surgical risk
• Liver dysfunction
• Lowered resistance to infection
• Decreased endurance
• Bone and joint problems
• Shortened life span
• Higher chance of diabetes

If your pet is overweight, the following recommendations can help to shed some extra pounds:

1. Limit the amount of table scraps and treats your pet gets. 

Many treats have more calories in them than you think and a treat here or there can really add up. Here are some examples:

• Liver snap(1) 11 cal
• Jerky strip (1) 28 cal
• Bonz (1) 66 cal
• Snausages (1) 13 cal
• Milk bone (1 sm.) 18 cal
• Milk bone (1 lrg.) 33 cal
• Hot dog 310 cal
• Milk (1/2 cup) 76 cal
• Tuna (1/3 can) 118 cal
• Chips (15) 170 cal
• Ice cream (1/2 cup) 186 cal

2. Don't feed your pet free choice. Free choice feeding can encourage overeating. Many pets will simply not consume the number of calories that they need and will gain weight if left with a never-ending bowl of food.

3. Take your pet for regular walks or another exercise. Increased activity will burn off extra calories. For cats, try moving the food bowl and litter box to a distant area in the house. Forcing a cat to hike up and down stairs to use the litter box or get food can burn extra calories.

4. Follow the suggestions on the side of the bag for the amount of food that your pet should be fed. This is usually a good starting point. If your pet is overweight, feed it for its ideal weight. You may need to slightly adjust the amount of food your pet is receiving. If your pet is very active, he/she may become too thin at the recommended amount. Likewise, if your pet is sedentary, he/she may gain weight at the recommended amount.

For more specific food or diet recommendations, please don't hesitate to contact us.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of your regular veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact your regular veterinarian if you have questions regarding your pet.