Fighting the Battle of the Bulge for Your Pet

I think we all can agree, for anyone, dog, human, cat, or horse, it is healthiest to be thin, to eat well and exercise regularly. Unfortunately, regardless of this universal agreement, I and some of my pets, are not exercising regularly and are a ‘little’ over weight. In my case, I know this is because I have made certain choices. I have chosen to stay inside, not use my exercise equipment and I have not made the best diet choices .

The frustrating thing about pet obesity is that we have made choices for our pets. We must recognize that, under most circumstances, our pets weight issue is a problem of our making. Our pets depend on us for their food and the quality of that food. If they eat treats it is because they were given to them. If they remain sedentary and don’t go for a walk, it is because we did not take them.

We humans are responsible for the domestication of these animals. We wanted them in our houses, not free roaming and responsible for their own meals. Growing up, I was always told that we were responsible for the care for any pet we adopted, no matter what. I was always challenged with that responsibility each time I asked to adopt a new pet. Back then it meant cleaning cages and stalls and regular feeding. Playing with them and exercising them was part of the fun of living with them. Now, with a slightly different vantage point, I know the responsibility of ownership goes further. It includes regular activity, regular interaction, denying them foods that may make them fat or sick , and providing good quality foods and, of course, regular medical care. Remember, they are completely dependent on you.

Let’s consider the ramifications of a pet being overweight, they are really the same as an overweight person, but again the big difference is that the choice of being overweight or thin has been taken away. They have been ‘made’ fat by the very people that are supposed to care for them.

· 1. Being overweight shortens your pet’s life expectancy.

· 2. Overweight pets are more likely to develop orthopedic injuries – torn anterior cruciates , tendon injuries and soft tissue strains for few examples. It can also aide in creating back problems and slow recovery .

· 3. Over weight animals can develop sleep apnea and exercise intolerance.

· 4. Being overweight can make a recovery from a major illness more difficult or the overweight pet may be more likely to die.

· 5. Being overweight adds stresses to the heart, kidney and liver.

· 6. Eating a poor quality diet will directly affect the teeth, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver.

· 7. As pets get older, being overweight will aide in accelerating their decline and worsen the course of typical geriatric conditions.

The recently published statistic, 50% of all U.S. dogs and cats are overweight, really illustrates how serious this problem has become. Compounding the issue is the increasing number of geriatric pets. 75% of all US households that have pets have at least one geriatric pet. We certainly cannot expect to be successful in managing the care of this increasingly large geriatric population if they are overweight.

There are some basic things that we can do for our charges. The first is to take ownership of your ultimate responsibility for the pets that our ancestors so effectively domesticated. Next, do things; just that, get up and get you and your pet moving. A dog needs a minimum of 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. That exercise does not just aide in making them physically healthy, but mentally healthy as well. Dogs and cats that just lay around the house can become depressed, develop compulsive behaviors and become destructive and generally no fun to be around. Cats can be exercised as well, for example, they can chase toys and laser lights. Again, it’s not just the exercise, it is the social interaction. Once you make this a habit, you will be able to more quickly recognize changes in your pet’s behavior that may be an early indication of illness. Addressing illnesses early will help keep your pet healthier longer and may avoid costly hospital stays.

The last thing you can do is to take responsibility for what goes into your pet. Try to feed a high quality diet, ask your veterinarian for guidance. Put your pet on a schedule of feedings. We do twice daily feedings at our house. Don’t free feed dogs and with cats it is best to give them access to a fixed amount of food daily, recognizing that a feeding schedule doesn’t always work with our mercurial feline friends. Having food constantly available, with no regulation, can lead to over eating and it makes it difficult for you to accurately monitor food intake. Whether or not your pet is eating and how much they are eating is one of the first techniques that I teach owners to use to assess their pets well being. Sick animals usually have a decreased appetite before they are overtly ill.

If you really, really, must give your pet the same food you are eating consider feeding treats with their meals and cutting down the amount of their regular food to balance out the caloric intake. Giving treats while you are eating creates a problem in controlling the amount that pet is eating daily and becomes more problematic than a controlled treat with each meal.

If you want to prepare your pet’s food from scratch talk to your veterinarian or consult with a veterinary nutritionist to be sure that you are preparing a balanced meal that does not exceed your pets caloric needs. In the words of my mother-in-law, ‘everything in moderation, including moderation’. Everyone enjoys a little extra treat once in a while, just not every day. One of my clients, who is training a young dog, uses Cherios as a treat. She uses the Cherios as a reward for good behavior. Since the dog is being trained he’s eating Cherios like a kid with a Pez dispenser! However, they are small, given one at a time and are less calories than the more conventional dog treats.

So what am I doing to make myself and our pet’s more svelte? Darwin and Zelda are going for more walks on the weekend and their dog food is being more carefully measured. And the cats? We are trying to increase the younger ones activity and we will be switching to a calorie restricted prescription diet. Baby steps……..