Obesity is probably the most common disease of dogs and cats today – that is why I’d like to make a few quick notes about this life-threatening problem. It is associated with many health problems. Obesity occurs in 20 -30% of pet dogs and cats. It is most common in older animals and females.
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| Overweight pets suffer more physical ailments and don’t live as long as animals of average weight. Obesity often reduces a pet’s enjoyment of life, its performance and the owner’s enjoyment of the pet. | |
| Obesity can cause, worsen or increase: | |
| 1. | Cancer |
| 2. | Arthritis, hip dysplasia, back or spinal disc problems and ligament rupture |
| 3. | Lung disease |
| 4. | Heart disease |
| 5. | Liver disease |
| 6. | Diabetes |
| 7. | Constipation, excessive gas and pancreatitis |
| 8. | Risk with surgery and anaesthesia |
| 9. | Heat intolerance |
| 10. | Skin disease |
| 11. | Mental irritability (related to discomfort) |
| 12. | Susceptibility to infectious disease |
| 13. | Exercise intolerance |
| Weight reduction will lessen the chances of these problems. Strict adherence to a weight control programme will improve your pet’s appearance, health and enjoyment of life as well as your enjoyment of your pet. | |
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Obesity is caused by consumption of more calories than needed: too much food, too little exercise or both. Pets fed table scraps, treats or snacks are more likely to be obese than those fed only commercially prepared foods. Overfeeding puppies predisposes them to obesity as adults by increasing their number of fat cells. After an animal matures, his/her numbers of fat cells stay the same. Instead, the size of the fat cells can increase. The primary effect of weight reduction is the make the fat cells smaller, not fewer. Thus, puppies and kittens that become obese during growth will often be plagued by obesity throughout life. Some diseases can cause obesity but they are uncommon. The most common causes of obesity are overfeeding and inadequate exercise. |
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If your pet weighs over 15% more than it did as a young, healthy adult, then it is overweight. If you do not know your pet’s optimal weight, the amount of tissue overlying the rib cage is the most practical way to evaluate your pet. Your pet is thin or normal if the ribs are easy to feel, or overweight if the ribs are difficult to feel. Your pet is dangerously obese if the ribs cannot be felt at all. Some overweight pets might even have a pendulous abdomen. Before beginning a weight-reduction programme for your pet, a veterinary examination is recommended. This will rule out the presence of conditions that resemble obesity, such as excess fluid in the body. It is important to confirm that your pet is overweight and not showing symptoms of heart, kidney or other diseases. |
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The most important aspect of a successful weight-reduction programme is to convince yourself and everyone associated with your pet that the programme is essential. Anything short of your total commitment will result in frustration and wasted time, effort and money. Management requires that your pet use more calories than s/he eats. This means that the intake of calories must be reduced, and, if possible, the amount of exercise increased. Drugs and hormones are not beneficial for achieving weight loss unless your pet has a confirmed disease in addition to obesity. Together with your Veterinarian, set a specific goal for weight reduction and estimate the time required to reach that goal. Your pet’s weight should decrease by 3% per week. From 8-12 weeks are required for most obese pets to reach their ideal weight. Your Veterinarian will want to see and weigh your pet at regular intervals during and after the weight-reduction programme. |
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| Management of an overweight pet should include: | |
| 1. | Reduce your pet’s caloric intake by feeding it a low-calorie, high-fibre dietary food specifically formulated for reducing weight. |
| 2. | Keep your pet out of the room when food is being prepared oCr eaten. |
| 3. | Do not feed obese pets with other pets |
| 4. | Do not feed anything other than the amount of food prescribed by your Veterinarian. Withholding food shows much more care and concern for your pet than allowing it to suffer the effects of obesity. Don’t make your pet suffer these effects because you can’t resist his/her demands for food. |
| 5. | Exercise your pet regularly as directed. |
| 6. | At least once weekly weigh your pet and record the weight on a graph. |
| If you can not successfully reduce your pet’s weight at home, hospitalisation may be recommended. This allows your Vet to determine why your pet is not losing weight, to implement a successful weight-reduction programme, and to spare you the difficulties involved. | |
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| Successful weight-reduction is rare if your pet is fed its regular diet. If any snacks are fed it is virtually impossible to reduce the pet’s weight. Decreasing the amount of regular food enough to produce weight loss may cause nutritional deficiencies and begging. Feed your pet a diet specifically formulated for weight reduction. These diets are available from your Veterinarian. The greater your concern for your pet’s health, the greater your resolve should be to help your pet reach and maintain ideal weight. | |