Do you laugh when your cat's belly drags on the floor? Do you make jokes about what a great footstool your dog makes because he is so wide? Do you admire the beautiful dogs on those cute flea preventative and dog food commercials?
What do all these questions have in common? In all of these instances, the animals I am describing are overweight or obese. Obesity affects 45% of our dogs and 58% of our cats according to a 2009 study performed for the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. As in humans, obesity can increase pets risk for arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. It reduces both quality of life and life span. A long term study done by Nestle Purina showed that dogs kept at a lean body weight lived on average 2 years longer than their slightly chubby counterparts!
How do you know if your pet is obese? The numbers on the scale are often much less useful than the look and abilities of your pet. When you feel your pets ribs do you feel them easily, or do you really need to press down? When you look at your pet from above can you see an indented waist behind the rib cage or are they square? A greyhound body shape is the extreme in dog athletes but all dogs should have at least hints of that outline. There is an excellent rating system on Nestle Purina's obesity management website at http://www.projectpetslimdown.com/Home/Obesity. This is the same scale that your veterinarian will use when assessing your pet's weight.
So you think your pet maybe overweight? What comes next? First step is to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. They can help you make a plan as to how much your pet should loose and how quickly. Too quick can cause pets, especially cats, to become sick so be sure to plan with your veterinarian how to approach healthy calorie restriction.
Just like with us, exercise is an important component in healthy weight loss. It can often be difficult to get overweight animals up and moving. So start small. A couple of minutes several times a day can add up fast. Also, try and pick activities that your animal really enjoys. If your dog just will not go for a walk trying playing with a toy instead. Throwing it up the stairs for them to chase is excellent activity. For cats check out the indoor cat initiative at http://indoorpet.osu.edu/ for ideas on how to get your cat more active.
If you are ready to start helping your pet get healthier make an appointment with your veterinarian. You can also check out the following websites for some additional encouragement and support: http://www.projectpetslimdown.com/ and www.petfit.com. They will even give you tips on how to get healthy and fit right along with your pet!
