Weight Watchers for Pets?
According to the PDSA, more than one in five dogs is obese, and
the number is rising as people overfeed and under exercise them.
The charity predicts that incidence of heart disease, diabetes and
arthritis will also rise in the same way as it is amongst the British
population. The greatest proportion of overweight pets was apparently
found in the North East (28%), and the lowest in the South East
(12%).
It is estimated that in 2006 around a half of dogs and nearly a
fifth of cats were overweight, with cat obesity less of a problem
as cats do not have to be taken out for walks and tend not to overeat
as much anyway. There has been an increase in pet food products
that are marketed as being low-calorie, organic, or free from ingredients
such as additives or preservatives. Due of the higher prevalence
of obesity among dogs, these products are more common in the dog
food market, with increasing numbers of products marketed as Light,
ie lower in fat, such as Bakers
Complete Dry Weight Control dry food, and Pro
Plan Light for overweight dogs.
The simple fact is that, in general, we are feeding our pets too
much, or food that is not appropriate - and both they and we are
not getting enough exercise. The cause of obesity is that the animal
is eating more than it requires, the excess is stored as fat, and
the animal becomes overweight. Overfeeding of an improper diet containing
too much fat and too many carbohydrates, too many snacks or scraps
and not enough exercise are all factors in the cause of obesity.
Many older pets need their diet adjusted, as they get older they
sleep more and require less exercise, your vet will be able to advise
you on feeding the older pet.
A
quick test to see if your dog is overweight!
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VERY THIN
Easily visible ribs, lower back and pelvic bones.
No visible covering of fat, obvious waist and abdominal tuck.
Absence of any muscle mass. |
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OVERWEIGHT
Ribs felt but with an excess covering of fat. Waist
still observed from above but not as prominent. Abdominal
tuck may be absent. |
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THIN
Easily felt ribs, minimum covering of fat, waist
easily noted when viewed from above and visible abdominal
tuck. |
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OBESE
Ribs not easily felt under a large covering of fat.
Waist and abdominal tuck not discernible. Fat deposits on
lower back and base of tail. May observe signs of obvious
abdominal distension. |
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IDEAL
Ribs felt but without excess fat covering, waist
noted behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up
when viewed from the side. |
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Fat is not healthy!
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The main reasons for keeping your pet lean and trim are:
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Obesity can reduce life-expectancy
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Diabetes is very common - it affects 1 in every 200 dogs
and 1 in every 400 cats, and many of these cases are associated
with obesity. It has even been shown that 61% of obese
dogs have poor glucose tolerance and high insulin concentrations
in their blood (both signs of a pre-diabetic state) long
before clinical signs of diabetes, such as increased thirst,
occur.
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Orthopedic problems are made much worse if an animal
is overweight. That isn't surprising because the additional
weight puts unnecessary stress and strain on the bio mechanics
of limb and joint function. It has been estimated that
24% of obese animals have some form of locomotion problem.
Veterinarians have many anecdotal reports about obese
animals scheduled to have major surgery for their orthopedic
conditions which did not require surgery once they lost
weight.
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Excess body weight increases workload for the heart and
almost doubles the risk for circulatory disease to develop.
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The risk of developing skin disease is increased in obese
individuals
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Overweight animals have difficulty exercising because
of the effects on locomotion,. and also due to the effects
of excess body tissue on respiration - making breathing
difficult.
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Reproductive problems in males and females is often associated
with excess body weight
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There is evidence that obese animals have a lower immune
resistance to infectious diseases
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Obese animals have altered metabolic rates and their
individual "set point" for body weight is higher
than it should be. This makes achieving and maintaining
weight loss very difficult for owners once obesity is
establish ed..
- Obese animals have a higher anesthetic risk, and a higher
risk for wound breakdowns following surgery
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50% of dogs and cats in the UK are overweight, but 76%
of owners think their pet is healthy weight (Hill's research).
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60% of pets in the UK aren't ever weighed.
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As with humans, the risk of a dog becoming fatter increases
throughout its life.
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Research shows that female dog owners are worst culprits
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Giving tit bits to animals is a growing problem. One
biscuit to a cat is like a human eating a whole packet
(Hill's pet research).
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40% of pet owners in UK feed snacks to their pets more
than once a day.
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67% of pet owners in Europe are themselves overweight.
Only 15% purchase calorie controlled food. Only 20% take
regular exercise.
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Some breeds of dog are more predisposed to developing
weight problems.
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Britain's first animal 'fat clinic' opened in Liverpool
in 2005.
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If your pet is overweight then you need to do something about it
- not doing something is tantamount to cruelty!
Check out the very useful
fact sheet from Vitalpet (pdf) which has an action plan for
you to follow. It has a common sense approach inclusing the warning
that 'The most important factors in any weight loss programme are
consistency and commitment. Your pet’s whole lifestyle often
needs changing, and these changes need to be adhered to in order
to make them effective.'
Some veterinarians recommend the following: Record an accurate
pre-diet weight. Reduce by one-third your pet’s total daily
ration previously given. Include in this total all treats, snacks,
or left-overs if you insist on continuing to provide these. Reweigh
the pet in 2 weeks. (Remember if the pet begs for food, that's a
good sign! But don’t give in.)
If you find upon weighing your pet after two weeks that it has
lost even a little weight, you’re on the right track; keep
up this schedule! If no weight loss is evident, again reduce by
one-third the amount being fed. Weigh the pet again in two weeks.
Depending upon the results either keep feeding this amount or reduce
again by one-third the total amount being fed. If you persist a
good outcome is certain. Many veterinarians believe you should not
feed the "Reduced Calorie" or "Lite Diets" or
"Senior Diets"! These diets have very restricted fat levels
to reduce the calories but by necessity have increased the carbohydrate
percentages. This increased carbohydrate stimulates additional Insulin
secretion which tells the body to store unused calories as fat!
There are a multitude of overweight dogs that have actually gained
weight on those "Reduced Calorie" weight loss diets.
It is also quite important to get everyone’s cooperation
in restricting the pet’s intake. There is usually someone
in the household who feels sorry for the dieting pet and surreptitiously
provides "just a little" something extra. More helpful
would it be for the person to take the pet for a walk or a run to
burn off a few calories.
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Essentials
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Pet