Hi everyone! Here is a great article from Dr. Kendall Younger about obesity in your pets. What great information about overweight pets!!
Obesity
Obesity is one of the most common medical problems that we see in pets at Cordova Veterinary Hospital, affecting up to 50% of pets in the US. While many people think of obesity in pets as merely a cosmetic problem or may even find fat pets “cute”, all that extra weight can lead to many serious life threatening problems and can significantly shorten your pet’s life. A very important study of age-matched Labrador retrievers found that dogs kept slim lived almost 2 years longer than their overweight counterparts! That’s the equivalent to 15 years in a human!! Check out this body weight translator to see how much 5 extra pounds on your pet would be equivalent to on you: http://www.petobesityprevention.com/pet-weight-translator/
Some of the serious health problems associated with obesity includes:
Arthritis: All the extra weight on the joints in the knees, elbows, spine, and hips can lead to painful and crippling arthritis. Keeping your pet thin can avoid putting this strain on the joints and prevent development of arthritis, and getting weight off of an already overweight arthritic dog may decrease or eliminate the need for medications used to manage the pain of arthritis.
Diabetes Mellitus
Extra body fat leads to insulin resistance in pets just as it does in humans. In fact, obese cats have been found to have a 50% decrease in insulin sensitivity. Weight management is especially important in decreasing a cat’s risk for the development of diabetes mellitus and getting the weight off once a cat has been diagnosed can be instrumental in potentially reversing their diabetes. Unfortunately, once a dog develops diabetes, he will be insulin dependent for the rest of his life and will need injections twice a day and regular blood tests to monitor the diabetes. One-hundred percent of dogs with diabetes will develop cataracts and go blind (usually within a year of diagnosis). Diabetic dogs and cats are also predisposed to many serious health problems such as diabetic ketoacidosis, urinary tract infections, pancreatitis, liver disease, and increased risk of infections.
Respiratory Problems
The obese pet may have several inches of fat around his or her ribs, making it more difficult to inflate the lungs. This can lead to an annoying persistent cough, or more serious life-threatening problems like collapsing trachea, overheating, and heat stroke.
Extra body fat leads to insulin resistance in pets just as it does in humans. In fact, obese cats have been found to have a 50% decrease in insulin sensitivity. Weight management is especially important in decreasing a cat’s risk for the development of diabetes mellitus and getting the weight off once a cat has been diagnosed can be instrumental in potentially reversing their diabetes. Unfortunately, once a dog develops diabetes, he will be insulin dependent for the rest of his life and will need injections twice a day and regular blood tests to monitor the diabetes. One-hundred percent of dogs with diabetes will develop cataracts and go blind (usually within a year of diagnosis). Diabetic dogs and cats are also predisposed to many serious health problems such as diabetic ketoacidosis, urinary tract infections, pancreatitis, liver disease, and increased risk of infections.
Respiratory Problems
The obese pet may have several inches of fat around his or her ribs, making it more difficult to inflate the lungs. This can lead to an annoying persistent cough, or more serious life-threatening problems like collapsing trachea, overheating, and heat stroke.
Increased Surgical/Anesthetic Risk
Dosages for anesthesia drugs are calculated based on an animal’s lean weight (without extra fat) and accurate dosing can be difficult if a large amount of a pet’s weight is fat. Anesthesia also inherently suppresses the respiratory and cardiovascular system and the increased fat encasing the chest can make good ventilation and breathing more difficult when the pet is under anesthesia, increasing the anesthetic risks further. Abdominal surgery is especially complicated by very large amount of fats that can be stored in the abdomen, making visualization, surgery, and control of bleeding very difficult.
Dosages for anesthesia drugs are calculated based on an animal’s lean weight (without extra fat) and accurate dosing can be difficult if a large amount of a pet’s weight is fat. Anesthesia also inherently suppresses the respiratory and cardiovascular system and the increased fat encasing the chest can make good ventilation and breathing more difficult when the pet is under anesthesia, increasing the anesthetic risks further. Abdominal surgery is especially complicated by very large amount of fats that can be stored in the abdomen, making visualization, surgery, and control of bleeding very difficult.
Hepatic Lipidosis (“Fatty liver”)
When an overweight cat stops eating due to illness or psychological stress, their body mobilizes fat for energy. The liver becomes overwhelmed with all this fat and cats can develop liver failure. If your cat ever stops eating for more than 3 days, this can be a life threatening emergency and you should bring him or her in immediately to be evaluated.
Why is my pet overweight, how much should I feed, and why can’t I get the weight off? When an overweight cat stops eating due to illness or psychological stress, their body mobilizes fat for energy. The liver becomes overwhelmed with all this fat and cats can develop liver failure. If your cat ever stops eating for more than 3 days, this can be a life threatening emergency and you should bring him or her in immediately to be evaluated.
It’s very difficult to give an exact amount of food that each pet should eat because there are so many variables that are involved, just like in people. Different foods have different amounts of calories, all pets have different levels of activity, and even this can change from season to season or if there are changes in the household - such as a new baby or injury - leading to decreased exercise. The best way to tell how much to feed your pet is to evaluate his Body Condition Score (BCS) [http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/resources/Files/dog_chart.pdf] and adjust the food accordingly until you can easily feel the ribs under the skin without much fat in between and you can see a nice tuck in the waist when viewed from above. You may need to adjust the amount occasionally depending on the other factors mentioned above (exercise, calories, extra treats, etc).
A cup of food depends on the cup – Make sure your “cup” is an actual 8oz measuring cup. Please ask us for a free measuring cup to measure your pet’s food to ensure you are feeding the right amount!
I’m feeding how much the bag told me to!
Most pet foods include on their label some sort of feeding schedule that indicates how much food should be fed to a pet of a certain weight. The problem is that each pet is an individual and just as one person weighing 150 lbs can be obese and another person of the same weight may be skinny, the same is true of pets. These guidelines are meant as a starting point only. If your pet is too fat on the recommended feeding schedule, then you should reduce the amount of food or change to a diet that is higher in fiber so that a satisfying volume of food can still be eaten without adding calories.
It must be genetic.
Some animals simply have the genes that predispose them to obesity. Dog breeds with genetic tendencies towards obesity include the: Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Beagle, Shetland Sheepdog, Boxer, Cairn Terrier, Basset Hound, Cairn Terrier, and Labrador Retriever.
Could there be a medical problem?
Metabolic diseases such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease can predispose a pet to obesity and can make getting the weight off very difficult. If you can’t seem to get the weight off or if you are concerned that your pet may have an underlying medical problem, please call to schedule an appointment to have your pet evaluated.
But I only give her a few treats a day…
Giving treats to our pets is one way that many owners show their love and helps to strengthen the bond. But giving too many treats or those that are high in calories can be very unhealthy. Just a few yummy treats may be the equivalent of a whole meal in calories, especially for small dogs, and this may be undermining your efforts to control your pet’s weight. Consider low calorie treats, available at most pet stores and from Cordova Veterinary Hospital, or healthy snacks such as carrots, green beans, and apples.
Basic tips for controlling how much your pet eats:
- Feed all pets separately
- Feed a measured amount two meals a day.
- Commit to regular weigh ins. Know what the goal weight is and how long it should take to reach this goal/or how to tell if the pet is on target.
- Consider interactive toys that can be used when you are not home or where your own participation is minimal.
Want to join our Chub Club??
- Cordova Veterinary Hospital actually has a weight-watchers type program to help owners stay on track with their pet’s weight loss goals, remain motivated, and keep accountable for their pet’s weight. If you are interested in learning more about our Chub Club, including how to receive one FREE bag of Hills R/D weight loss diet, please call and ask to speak to Rosea (RVT), our technician in charge of the Chub Club!
Good links for pics:
BCS link: http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/resources/Files/dog_chart.pdf