The pet obesity epidemic

Can you or your pet afford the cost?

Obesity is an increasingly common health threat to our dogs and cats.  People have become so accustomed to seeing overweight pets that it's often difficult for owners to judge whether their pets are obese.

There are a few general guidelines you can follow to judge your pet's weight. When you lightly pet your cat or dog you should not be able to feel the ribs. However, the ribs should be felt when you push in gently with your fingertips. When looking at your pet from either the top or the side you should be able to see a definite narrowing at the waist.
 

Ideal Body Condition for a dog and Cat

When cats become obese they tend to develop abdominal fat pads between their hind legs. Excess fat in dogs often accumulates on their back, over the lumbar area.

Obesity is dangerous in pets because it can result in many of the same ailments that are seen in obese people.  Overweight dogs and cats may fatigue easily. Difficulty breathing occurs after only minimal exercise. Obesity can lead to, or aggravate, arthritis and other bone and muscle problems. Because it hurts to move, the pet then becomes less active which leads to even more weight gain.

Premature heart failure can occur in overweight pets due to the increase in the work load for the heart.  

Just like with people, obesity in pets is usually caused by too many calories and too little exercise. Occasionally it can also be caused by a thyroid or adrenal problem.

Your pet should be examined before starting an exercise program to make sure they are healthy enough for exercise. Contact the Animal Hospital of McHenry for an exam and exercise and nutrition consult to set up an individual plan for your pet.

Decreasing the calories that your pet consumes can be accomplished by either restricting the amount fed and/or changing to a lower calorie diet. Be sure your pet eats a nationally-advertised name-brand food. Generic foods tend to be high in calories and low in digestible nutrition.  If your having difficultly getting your pet to lose weight, the Animal Hospital of McHenry can recommend and appropriate diet to help your pet meet their goals.

With dogs it often works well to measure the amount you've been feeding and decrease it by 25%. Reweigh your dog in on month and if he hasn't started to lose weight decrease the amount by another 25%.

Unlike dogs, it is extremely important that overweight cats lose weight very gradually. Obese cats are unique in that they can quickly go into liver failure when their calories are significantly restricted. An overweight cat should lose no more than 2% of it's bodyweight each week. No obese cat should be allowed to go more than 24 hours without eating.

Pet treats and table scraps tend to be very high in calories and should be restricted. Be sure your pet doesn't make up for a restricted diet with an increase in treats.

Calorie Content of Treats and Foods